Out-Pick a Pro: Antonio Pierce’s Week 8 ATS Picks
Haven’t you heard? SportsBettingDime.com has partnered with Super Bowl champion Antonio Pierce for our “Out-Pick A Pro” contest. Antonio will be making six NFL picks against the spread each week. All you have to do is summon the courage to take him on by offering your picks in those same games, earning you the opportunity to win some great weekly prizes, as well as our grand prize of a trip for two to the 2018 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Antonio bounced back from a slow Week 6 with a 5-1 record in Week 7. He’s looking to stay hotter than the Jaguar pass rush in Week 8.
OUT-PICK A PRO:
AP’S WEEK 8 PICKS
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots (-7.5)
Pierce’s Pick: Patriots (-7.5)
Just like last week, AP is backing Tom Brady at home. The New England defense is improving and the offense is one of the best in the league. The 3-4 Chargers have bounced back nicely from an 0-4 start, but Philip Rivers hasn’t fared well against the Patriots. He’s 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Foxborough, losing by a combined 38 points in the two road games.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5)
Pierce’s Pick: Buccaneers (-2.5)
The Panthers just lost 17-3 on the road in Chicago in a game where the Bears threw seven passes. Seven! With Luke Kuechly out — which it looks like he will be — the Carolina defense isn’t the same. You saw that last year. Inconsistent as Tampa has been, Jameis Winston and company are coming off a 27-point performance against a solid Buffalo defense. AP think they’ll do enough to outpace Carolina’s laboring attack.
Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills (-2.5)
Pierce’s Pick: Raiders (+2.5)
The Oakland passing game got back on track in a big way in Week 7 as Amare Cooper came out of hiding. Derek Carr looked the best (and healthiest) he has in ages, reminding us all why this team went 12-3 with him at the helm last year. The Bills are tough at home, but their offense is one-dimensional and their defense isn’t as good as it looked in the first few weeks of the year. Don’t worry about the Marshawn Lynch suspension; Jalen Richard and Deandre Washington are plenty to keep the run game viable.
Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks (-5.5)
Pierce’s Pick: Seahawks (-5.5)
Hop off the Deshaun Watson hype-train for a week because it’s about to run headlong into a rockslide. Watson’s been lighting up the league in his last four games, but those all came against bottom-tier defenses. Seattle’s D is anything but, especially against the pass. They’ll give the rookie a rude welcome to the Pacific Northwest, while Russell Wilson does enough against an undermanned Houston defense to cover.
Dallas Cowboys at Washington (+2.5)
Pierce’s Pick: Cowboys (-2.5)
What do you get when you pit a surging Dallas run game against an injury-riddled Washington defense? A lot of ball-control, and more than a few touchdowns.
What do you get when you matchup a surprisingly effective Dallas pass rush against a decimated Washington O-line? Very little time to throw.
The Cowboys know they’re on borrowed time with Ezekiel Elliott and will come into DC with a sense of urgency, just like Week 7 in San Francisco (a 40-10 Cowboy rout). Washing
Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions (+2.5)
Pierce’s Pick: Steelers (-2.5)
Mike Tomlin learned some math the last couple weeks: Le’Veon Bell + run-heavy gameplan = win. AP trusts that he’s smart enough to keep that calculation in mind.
With a surprisingly stout defense that’s held much better attacks in check (like KC in Week 6), Pittsburgh will Detroit fans that their upstart Lions have a ways to go before they’re real Super Bowl contenders.
