After being underdog-heavy last week, the bookmakers competing in the 2021 Bookies Battle have a healthy appetite for chalk in NFL Week 8, laying the points with six out of the seven most-popular picks.
The Buccaneers, 5-point road favorites against the Saints, are the top consensus play, the choice of 71.8% of contestants. The point spread is down to Tampa -4.5 as of Friday morning.
The Lions, the second most popular Week 8 pick, are the lone underdog among the top seven selections. Detroit is catching 3.5-points at home against the Eagles, as Dan Campbell’s squad looks for its first win.
Two-thirds of the Bookies Battle field is on Bills -13.5 (vs. Dolphins), one of three double-digit favorites among the top seven consensus picks. Our bookmakers are also laying hefty prices with a pair of road favorites — Bengals -10.5 (at Jets) and Rams -14.5 (at Texans).
The line has moved against three of the top contest plays. In addition to the Bucs, the Chargers have been adjusted from -5.5 to a -4 market consensus against the Patriots, and Tennessee from a 1.5-point favorite to a 2.5-point dog at the Colts.
Here are the top seven Bookies Battle selections for Week 8:
| Team | Percentage of picks | Contest line (Tuesday) | Market line (Friday morning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucs | 71.2% | -5 | -4.5 |
| Lions | 69.2 | +3.5 | +3.5 |
| Bills | 66.7% | -13.5 | -14 |
| Bengals | 61.5% | -10.5 | -10.5 |
| Chargers | 61.5% | -5.5 | -4 |
| Rams | 61.5% | -14.5 | -14.5 |
| Titans | 61.5% | -1.5 | +2.5 |
Standings Shake-Up
We have a new contest leader, as Mike Lewis (Suncoast Hotel & Casino) has finally been passed after showing the way since the jump. Nick Smith (Snoqualmie Casino Sportsbook) picked seven winners in Week 7 and has 64 on the year, good enough to overtake Lewis by one game in the standings.
Max Schmerin continues to lurk, sitting in third place with 62 winners. Atif Chaudry (Meadows) and Duane Colucci (Rampart) are tied for fourth at 60-44 on the year.
In Week 7, Jeff Link (Sam’s Town) went a remarkable 11-1-1.
Check out the full leaderboard here.
Also read: Chiefs tumble down Super Bowl 2022 oddsboard
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