Chargers-Broncos Preview and Week 8 Picks!

The Chargers come into Denver to take on the Broncos two weeks after beating them in San Diego on Thursday Night Football 21-13. The Broncos are coming off an impressive win at home on Monday Night Football over the Texans 27-9. At 5-2, the Broncos really need to win this game because they have to go on the road to Oakland next Sunday night. If they are 6-2 at the halfway point, then I feel good about the rest of the season. If they lost to San Diego on Sunday, then they will be 5-3 and the tough road game at Oakland looming the next week. I say this all the time when these two teams play, but I'll say it again: Philip Rivers scares me. He always has and he always will as long as he is a Charger. He played well in the first half last time these two teams met. The Broncos also come in banged up with some key injuries. Brandon Marshall might not play with a hamstring injury, and the big news was that C.J. Anderson is undergoing knee surgery on a torn Meniscus, and he will most likely be out for the season. That is a big blow to the Broncos offense, and it will be interesting to see how Devontae Booker can rise the level of his game with CJ out. This game scares me because the Chargers won on the road last week in Atlanta, and they are really playing well all year long. This will be a very tough game and it will come down to a few plays late in the 4th quarter. I just don't have the confidence that the Broncos can win this one. Maybe the Chargers have their number this year.

San Diego (+4.5) over DENVER
Final Score: Chargers-26 Broncos-19

Last Week's Record: 8-6-1
Overall Record: 56-43-7
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Cincinnati (-3) over Washington (London): London gets their third and final game of the 2016 season with the 3-4 Bengals taking on the 4-3 Redskins. Let's hope for the sake of American football that this game is at least entertaining for the UK fans. Tough game to call and I see it going either way, but the Bengals will win a close hard fought game to get to 4-4.

Detroit (+3) over HOUSTON: I thoroughly enjoyed the demolition of Brock Osweiler by the Broncos on Monday night. The Texans are exactly what we thought: They can beat up on the weak teams, but will have trouble with the good teams-especially on the road. Now, they host the surprising 4-3 Lions. To say the pressure is on the Texans is an understatement. I'll take the Lions here because I could see Matt Stafford pulling one out late to pull the upset in Houston.

NEW ORLEANS  (+4) over Seattle: The Saints are 2-4 and head back home to take on the Seahawks. This could be a trap game for the 4-1-1 Seahawks. Think about it: They went to Arizona on Sunday night, and they have to go across the country to New Orleans to take on the Saints in the early window on Sunday. This is my upset pick of the week as Drew Brees puts on a show and the Saints pull out a stunner.

New England (-6) over BUFFALO: The Bills got run over in Miami last week to fall to 4-3. The Patriots have been on cruise control since Tom Brady came back and they smacked around the Steelers without Big Ben last week in Pittsburgh. The Pats lone loss this year came at the hands of the Bills in Week 4, but that game featured Jacoby Brissett at QB and not Tom Brady. I would expect the Pats to do their thing and take out the Bills in Buffalo.

CLEVELAND (+4) over NY Jets: The Browns have to win one of these games after their 0-7 start. The Jets are at 2-5 and if they can win here, they will have put together back-to-back to possibly salvage their season. I expect the Jets to win the game, but the Browns have been competitive most of the season. Josh McCown gets the start for the injured Cody Kessler and maybe he can provide a spark for the Browns at home.

Oakland (PICK) over TAMPA BAY: This is a very interesting matchup. The Bucs are 3-3 and they are looking to get over .500 and make their move in the NFC. The Raiders come in atop the AFC West at 5-2. The Raiders have been Road Warriors this year as they have won on the road and in early starts four times already this year. I think they will do it once again this week on the road in Tampa.

INDY (+3.5) over Kansas City: It is amazing to watch the Colts each week. They have barely any talent around Andrew Luck besides T.Y. Hilton at WR, and their defense features guys that should be in the Arena League. They are always trailing and somehow Luck either brings them back to win or brings them back and they fall short. I think weird things could happen at home, and every team in the NFL has a stinker in them. I think this is the week that KC has a stinker in them, and this is one of those games that people look at the score and are confused by what has transpired. The Colts and the upset at home.

CAROLINA (-3) over Arizona: Look how the mighty have fallen. In a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, the 1-5 Panthers host the 3-3-1 Cardinals, who are fresh off a 6-6 tie to the Seahawks. I think this is the game that the Panthers find their grove and get back on track and get a much-needed win to basically save their season for the time being.

ATLANTA (-3) over Green Bay: The Falcons have lost two games in a row and now stand at 4-1. The Packers come in at 4-2, but there are still questions that remain for Aaron Rodgers and that offense. I think the fact that this game in one road will make it very difficult for the Packers. Look for the Falcons to jump on them early and look for the Packers to be unable to catch up.

DALLAS (-4) over Philly: The Cowboys are 5-1 and they host the 4-2 Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Finally, we have a good primetime game on SNF. I would expect this game to be a really close game. I'm curious how Dak Prescott will fare against the Eagles defense, and I wonder how Carson Wentz will handle the spotlight of a big division game in Dallas. I think it goes back and forth, but I like the Cowboys to win the game going away in front of the home crowd.

Minnesota (-4) over CHICAGO: How many times this season do we have to be subjected to the Bears in primetime? That may be another reason why NFL ratings are down this year in primetime. I would expect Minnesota to go into Chicago and pound the 1-5 Bears and the returning Jay Cutler. The Vikings suffered their first loss last week in Philly, but I would expect them to rebound this week on a special MNF on Halloween night.