Here at Fantasy Life, we support scratching your NFL itch in whatever way possible. For some people, that might be betting on spreads. However, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Instead, some people might enjoy picking games without the spread. Pick’em contests—where you simply pick the winner of each game each week—remain a popular way to compete against your friends without having to dive headfirst into the world of sports betting.

Each week, Geoff Ulrich and myself are going to walk you through our favorite ways to approach these contests. Which games should you eat the chalk, where should you look for leverage, and which trendy upsets should you avoid?

Let’s dive into all 16 games for Week 8.

Vikings at Rams

LaMarca: Vikings (3/10 confidence). This is a sneaky-good football game to start the week. The Vikings are coming off their first loss of the season, while the Rams will likely get back Cooper Kupp. Still, I think the Vikings are the better team overall, and the short week tends to favor the better team.

Geoff: Rams (3/10 confidence). Tough spot for the Vikings, who are coming off an emotional division loss and have to travel west on a short week. The Rams (4th in EPA per rush) can run the ball just like the Lions did last week, and their defense is getting healthier. I like LA to pull the mild upset as home dogs. 

Jets at Patriots

LaMarca: Jets (9/10). It’s getting to be a bit of a joke at this point. Every week, the Jets are expected to turn things around, and every week, they don’t. Maybe Hassan Reddick finally changes things? They should be able to crush the Patriots, but maybe the Jets truly are cursed.

Geoff: Jets (8/10). The Patriots are in a tough spot flying home after a London game with a rookie QB. Adding Hassan Reddick (questionable) is likely more important for the Jets than adding Davante Adams was, especially with how weak the Patriot's O-line is. Aaron Rodgers and crew should get on track in Week 8 with a convincing win. 

Cardinals at Dolphins

LaMarca: Dolphins (7/10). As long as Tua Tagovailoa is back, I like the Dolphins to roll at home. The Cards managed to upset the Chargers in Arizona, but they let Justin Herbert shred them with no receivers. Tagovailoa and company should have a field day.

Sep 30, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. (39) attempts to bring down Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Geoff: Dolphins (7/10). The Cardinals pulled out a close win on MNF last week, but it was hardly well-deserved. Their secondary gave up a ton of big plays to no-name receivers and now faces the explosive duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. I could see the Dolphins running up the score a bit in this spot, especially with Arizona on a short week thanks to their MNF game. 

Falcons at Buccaneers

LaMarca: Buccaneers (2/10). The Falcons have won a lot of close games recently, and they’re road favorites against a Bucs squad down their top two receivers. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are great, but Baker Mayfield is playing well enough that he should be able to elevate the rest of the team’s pass-catchers. I’ll take a sneaky underdog in what should be a close game.

Geoff: Falcons (3/10). I don’t like either of these teams very much, but the Tampa secondary is terrible and Kirk Cousins at least has his entire receiving crew to work with, which will matter a lot later in the game when it gets down to crunch time. It’s just a tough spot for the Bucs on a short week with all the injuries, and Todd Bowles is not necessarily a head coach I want to back in these kinds of games. 

Titans at Lions

LaMarca: Lions (10/10). It doesn’t matter if it’s Will Levis, Mason Rudolph, or Warren Moon at quarterback for the Titans this week: They’re not beating the Lions.

Geoff: Lions (10/10). The Titans' defense has played well this season, but what motivation do they have now that they are shedding the high-priced veterans, players they supposedly brought in to help make this team competitive? Detroit should take care of business, and you may see Jared Goff rack up 3-4 TDs as he makes a run for MVP. 

Packers at Jaguars

LaMarca: Packers (8/10). The Packers are really good, despite playing with their food last week vs. the Texans. The Jaguars picked up a win in London, but beating the Patriots doesn’t move the needle. Returning to the US without the benefit of the bye is a brutal travel spot, and the Jags are at a pretty significant talent disadvantage regardless.

Geoff: Packers (8/10). This game feels like it should have a bigger spread. The Jaguars are last in EPA per play on defense and are allowing 6.0 yards per play, which is the second-worst mark in the league. Green Bay gets pressure which is going to knock Trevor Lawrence off his game, who looked good pushing around the Patriots last week, but is likely to regress here. 

Colts at Texans

LaMarca: Colts (2/10). This is my big upset call of the week. The Texans’ passing attack has been pretty dreadful since losing Nico Collins to an injury. The Colts hung with the Texans in Week 1, and they could get back Jonathan Taylor and DeForest Buckner this week.

Geoff: Colts (3/10). I’ll side with Indianapolis as well. The Texans finally got their comeuppance last week thanks to the Packers, in a game where CJ Stroud threw for just 86 yards. Their offense has puttered along since losing Nico Collins, and they face a Colts team that has been grinding out wins, despite missing their best offensive player in Jonathan Taylor (questionable). Indianapolis can even the season series and get back in the AFC South race this week. 

Ravens at Browns

LaMarca: Ravens (10/10). The sharps seem to like the Browns to cover the spread this week, and perhaps this game is closer than expected with Jameis Winston at QB. That said, the Ravens’ offense is unstoppable at the moment, so I don’t think there’s any real jeopardy of them losing outright. 

Oct 21, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) drops back to pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Geoff: Ravens (8/10). This could be a bit of a trouble spot for the Ravens, as shocking as it sounds, given that they are coming off a MNF game (short rest) and facing a new QB in Jameis Winston, whom they have never seen in this Browns offense. Still, this is Baltimore vs Cleveland we’re talking about, and Lamar Jackson will find a way to win, even if Winston manages to keep it close. 

Eagles at Bengals

LaMarca: Bengals (6/10). The Bengals are the better team here. That’s not reflected in their records, but neither of these defenses are particularly imposing. I much prefer Joe Burrow and his group of pass-catchers to what Jalen Hurts has done so far this season.

Geoff: Bengals (7/10). The Eagles bounced around Daniel Jones for a few quarters last week, but they’ve looked uninspiring all season. The Bengals have put together two solid defensive performances in a row and have the better offense (6th in EPA per play vs 8th in EPA per play) and better QB right now (4th in EPA per play vs 11th in EPA per play). 

Bills at Seahawks

LaMarca: Seahawks (4/10). I really like this spot for Seattle. Buffalo has beaten up on bad teams this season, but they’ve been pretty uninspiring against competent ones. Seattle had to navigate a brutal three-game stretch—facing the Lions, Giants, and 49ers in an 11-day span—but they’re 4-0 otherwise. That includes an impressive road victory over the Falcons last week.

Geoff: Buffalo (3/10). I think this will be close and likely to be a higher-scoring game, but I can’t quite get there with the Seahawks. It’s possible DK Metcalf will miss this game, and at the end of the day, Josh Allen is just very good at pulling out wins for Buffalo in these close affairs against weaker teams. The QB advantage they have over Seattle (and most teams) likely gets Buffalo another win. 

Saints at Chargers

LaMarca: Chargers (8/10). I’m definitely not “Mr. Charger,” and I’m unconvinced their style will allow them to beat good teams. That said, the Saints are far from a good team at the moment. Derek Carr will likely miss another contest, leaving either Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener at QB.

Geoff: Chargers (9/10). The Saints have a laundry list of injuries to take note of. Even if they get Chris Olave back, it’s possible we might see Spencer Rattler take on his second elite AFC West defense in as many weeks. The Chargers are on a short week but have a massive edge at QB, and if they see a little positive TD regression on offense, could easily win this one going away. 

Bears at Commanders

LaMarca: Bears (5/10). Caleb Williams has made significant strides over the past few weeks, and the defense is clearly legit. It sounds like there’s a legit chance that Jayden Daniels misses this contest, and as long as that’s the case, I’ll take my chances with Chicago.

Geoff: Commanders (5/10). Daniels or no Daniels, I’m still of the opinion that the Commanders are the better-coached team. Washington has an offense designed for both Mariota and Daniels to excel in, and their defense has looked miles better over the last few games. The Bears haven’t looked convincing enough to me yet to take them on the road over a legit team like Washington, even if they are potentially starting their backup. 

Panthers at Broncos

LaMarca: Broncos (6/10). I’m not quite as confident in this game as the oddsmakers, who have the Broncos listed as nine-point favorites. That said, the most likely scenario is they win this game pretty big.

Geoff: Broncos (9/10). The list of injuries on defense for the Panthers is longer than Frank Costanza’s Grievance List on Festivus. Denver’s defense smothers Carolina and they go to 5-3. 

Chiefs at Raiders

LaMarca: Chiefs (9/10). I have no idea how the Chiefs are undefeated with all their offensive injuries and with Patrick Mahomes having more interceptions than touchdown passes. They’re going to drop a game eventually, but it’s probably not going to be against the Raiders.

Geoff: Chiefs (8/10). The Raiders are so limited on offense that even though I do think KC is overdue for a bit of a wake-up call, Vegas likely won’t be the team to deliver it to them. Getting Mahomes a new toy in DeAndre Hopkins should help keep KC focused and move them to 7-0. 

Cowboys at 49ers

LaMarca: Cowboys (5/10). I really like this spot for Dallas. They were embarrassed on Sunday Night Football by the 49ers last year, so I imagine they’ve had this date circled on their calendar for a while. They’re also coming off a bye and should presumably be healthier than in recent weeks, while the 49ers’ offense just lost Brandon Aiyuk to a season-ending injury.

Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) makes a reception during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Geoff: Cowboys (3/10). I’m not sure how confident anyone can be in the Cowboys, but the 49ers have a myriad of injury issues heading into this game. The Cowboys will also have a rest advantage coming off a bye and may get Micah Parsons back for this game. Dak Prescott has also been quite good off a loss with the Cowboys, going 10-2 SU (after a loss) since 2022. 

Giants at Steelers

LaMarca: Steelers (9/10). Without Andrew Thomas last week, the Giants gave up eight sacks to the Eagles. T.J. Watt and company should be licking their chops. Their offense also performed admirably in Russell Wilson’s first start of the year despite facing a tough Jets defense. I’m buying this squad overall, but especially in this matchup.

Geoff: Steelers (8/10). The Giants have looked competent in a few games this season, but you get the feeling it’s all about to unravel quickly after their O-line got destroyed last week. They face another vicious pass rush in Week 8 in Pittsburgh, who is just playing within themselves and allowing other teams to implode—something the Giants are masters of. The Russell Wilson era should move to 2-0 after this game.