Four spreads of note:

Falcons +3.5 @ Lions, 1:00PM ET Sunday
Apparently the Falcons showed enough last week in their win over the Panthers to make people believe they’re starting to turn things around. Either that or folks are slowly starting to climb off the Lions bandwagon. The spread for this game opened at Detroit –4.5 and within a day it was down to 3.5. Considering Atlanta was viewed as a potential Super Bowl team this season, the Falcons look like a value getting over a field goal. With Julio Jones iffy to return from a hamstring injury, we could see a lot of Michael Turner again this Sunday, especially considering Detroit has had its issues with stopping the run. The Falcons relied heavily on Turner last week against Carolina, as he rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Personally, I think the total is the most attractive play in this game. Forty-seven points seems way to high for two teams that have struggled at times offensively.

Bears -1 @ Bucs, 1:00PM ET Sunday
The Bucs beat the Saints last week at home and they’re now a 1-point underdog against a Chicago team that hasn’t won back-to-back games all season? I guess that’s not too surprising seeing as how ugly the Bucs have looked at times, but it’s not like the Bears have performed any better away from Solider Field (0-2 with two non-covers at New Orleans and Detroit). There’s value here somewhere but it’s hard to figure out which teams will show up this Sunday, especially seeing as how the game is being played in London. Both of these squads have had rather uneven performances from week-to-week this season.

Steelers –3.5 @ Cardinals, 4:05PM ET
The spread in this game seems awfully low to me, even when you account for home field advantage. That’s probably because the Steelers have looked great one week (see Titans), only to come out the next week and barely beat an inferior opponent (see Jaguars). If the Cardinals have any chance of getting back into the NFC West race, they need to win on Sunday. The problem is that Kevin Kolb hasn’t been the quarterback Arizona thought it was getting when it traded for him this offseason. The Cards have been in every game this year except their disastrous Week 5 showing in Minnesota, but Kolb just hasn’t gotten it done in the fourth quarter.

Chiefs +4 @ Raiders, 4:05PM ET, Sunday
It’s funny, the Raiders opened as a 3-point favorite with Kyle Boller under center and as soon as they announced that Carson Palmer would start, the spread climbed to 4 points. So Palmer, who hasn’t taken a snap in a live game since January, is worth a full point in a divisional game? I know he’s familiar with the offense thanks to the time he spent with Hue Jackson in Cincinnati but so much for easing the guy in. That speaks volumes towards Oakland’s confidence in Boller. It’ll be interesting to see how this game plays out come Sunday.

2011 NFL Week 8 Point Spreads & Totals:

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Eagles (4-2) @ Titans (4-2), 1:00PM ET
One of these four-win teams will have the opportunity to make a statement with a victory this Sunday. Both teams are playoff contenders in their respective conferences, but both also have unanswered questions at the moment. Will Michael Vick regain his starting duties once he’s healthy again or will a hot Kevin Kolb retain the job? Can the Titans play with consistency? Is Vince Young’s knee fine after he was twisted like a pretzel in Monday night’s win over Jacksonville? Whichever team wins this game will look under-the-radar dangerous at 5-2.
CURRENT ODDS: TITANS -3

Steelers (4-1) @ Dolphins (3-2), 1:00PM ET
Big Ben shook off the rust in the first half last Sunday and wound up throwing for three touchdowns against the Browns in his return to the field. He’ll get a stiffer challenge this weekend in Miami against a Dolphin defense that has flustered quarterbacks at times this season. It’ll be interesting to see if Pittsburgh starts to slowly reduce Rashard Mendenhall’s carries seeing as how he’s on pace for 370-plus. This game will also be a great challenge for Chad Henne, who must be more consistent if the Dolphins are going to push for a playoff spot this year. What better way to prove yourself then against the best defense in the league?
CURRENT ODDS: STEELERS –3

Vikings (2-3) @ Packers (3-3), 8:20PM ET
This is an enormous game for the Packers. The Vikings are on the verge of getting back into the NFC North race and you know Lord Favre would love to make a statement in Green Bay. The Pack are incredibly banged up, but there’s no sense using injuries as a crutch anymore. The players that are in there now have to step up and beat a divisional foe that is looking to get on a run. The Packers certainly have the tools in the secondary to slow Randy Moss and Percy Harvin, but the front seven needs to control Adrian Peterson or else they’ll create passing windows for Favre. If the Packers lose and drop to 3-4, their season may continue to spiral downward. They need to make a statement.
CURRENT ODDS: PACKERS –2.5

Giants (4-2) @ Cowboys (1-4), 8:30PM ET, Monday
We’ll find out quickly what kind of stones the Cowboys have when they take on a surging G-Men team on Monday Night Football. This is a Dallas team that has beaten itself in every game outside of their win against the Texans in Houston. If they can’t cut down on the mental mistakes and penalties, then they’ll continue to unravel. On the other side, the Giants obviously want to keep pace with the Eagles in the NFC East, but more importantly they need to beat a divisional opponent on the road. Teams usually don’t make the playoffs when they can’t win within their division, so this is another big test for New York. The last time they went on the road to play on national television, the Colts embarrassed them in Week 2. They can all but erase that loss with a win in Big D.
CURRENT ODDS: COWBOYS -3

2010 NFL Week 7 Point Spreads & Over/Under Totals:

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Along with the complete list of odds, here are the four marquee matchups on the Week 7 schedule in the NFL.

Vikings (6-0) at Steelers (4-2), 1:00PM ET
Up to this point, nobody has been able to stop the combination of Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson. Defenses are loading the box in efforts to stop Peterson, and Favre is beating them with his pinpoint accuracy. The Vikings’ offensive line has also been outstanding, which obviously has played into how much success the team is currently having. But if there’s one defense that could shackle Minnesota’s offense, it’s Pittsburgh. Troy Polamalu is healthy again and the Steelers have been awfully tough to beat at home throughout the years. The Vikings gave up several big plays in the fourth quarter to the Ravens and Ben Roethlisberger has proven that he can make things happen in the vertical passing game. At 6-0, the Vikings are in good shape win or lose. But if they want to keep pace with the Saints for the top spot in the NFC, then they need to keep winning.
Odds: Steelers –4.

Bears (3-2) at Bengals (4-2), 4:15PM ET
Both of these teams are reeling after suffering defeats in Week 6. The Bears had several scoring opportunities last week against the Falcons and just never capitalized. Chicago is struggling to run the ball right now and is relying heavily on Jay Cutler and the passing game. The Bengals suffered more than just a loss last week, as defensive end Antwaan Odom suffered a season-ending injury. He was a difference maker on Cincinnati’s defense and without him, the Bengals might have trouble generating a pass rush. Both of these teams need a win right now to keep pace in their division.
Odds: Bengals –1.5.

Saints (5-0) at Dolphins (2-3), 4:15PM ET
The Dolphins have won their last two games and are fresh coming off the bye, but they’ve had issues with quarterbacks who can get the ball out of their hands quickly. They struggled to stop Peyton Manning and the Colts and Philip Rivers and the Chargers in previous weeks. The Saints are firing on all cylinders right now and won’t look past a Miami team playing with confidence under Chad Henne. Drew Brees could have another big day and as long as the Saints limit the effectiveness of Miami’s Wildcat, they should keep their undefeated record intact.
Odds: Saints –6.5.

Falcons (4-1) at Cowboys (3-2)
After the Patriots handed the Falcons their first loss in Week 3, Atlanta went into its bye hell-bent on fixing their defensive flaws. The past two weeks, the Falcons have held the 49ers to 10 points and the Bears to 14 points, respectively. They’ve also forced a combined six turnovers in those games and found a way to generate pressure. That’s not good news for Tony Romo, who has been turnover-prone at times this year and who hasn’t received the best protection from his O-line. This is a game Dallas needs to win in order to keep pace in the NFC East, especially with the Giants and Eagles both losing last week. Teams have done a great job bottling up Michael Turner, but have been unsuccessful stopping Matt Ryan. Will Wade Phillips and his defense be up to the challenge?
Odds: Cowboys –4.

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