For the second consecutive week, NFL Survivor pools have taken a seismic hit.
The Buffalo Bills’ loss to the New England Patriots undoubtedly did some major damage. Although the season has been relatively quiet, the past weekend was anything but.
The goal remains the same: stay alive. This week, we have an abundance of options, with more than a handful of teams pegged as sizable favorites.
How do you pick the right one? Let’s explore.
Survivor Week 8 Best Picks
Miami Dolphins vs New England Patriots
For at least one week, the results and expectations for these two teams completely flipped.
The Patriots conquered the Bills in thrilling fashion. The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, came up short against the Philadelphia Eagles.
What does that mean for this week? Very little.
While the Dolphins were unable to muster up enough offense on the road, expect a massive bounceback from Tua Tagovailoa this week.
And while it was a good win for Bill Belichick at a time when he and his team needed one, location undoubtedly played a role.
Going on the road to take on a team that has blasted lesser competition should produce much different results. While we can question Miami’s ability to play against tougher opponents, this isn’t one of them.
Expect the Dolphins to deliver a double-digit win.
Use our NFL Eliminator tips to place bets with the top NFL odds:
Los Angeles Chargers vs Chicago Bears
On the topic of teams coming off tough losses, enter the Los Angeles Chargers.
They were unable to do enough on offense or defense to deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, and they’ll now head home to take on a team coming off a win.
Yes, the Chicago Bears won, and that’s not something we have said often this year. More notably, they did so with a backup QB.
Tyson Bagent played quite well against the Las Vegas Raiders, and running back D’Onta Foreman did the heavy lifting with three touchdowns.
It was a nice moment for a team lacking nice moments. It is also likely to subside.
While Justin Herbert’s team has had its ups and downs, this is a spot to get right. The Chargers are a superior outfit, even if the pieces haven’t always come together.
It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be this week.
Survivor Week 8 Rankings Grid
Rk | Team | Grade | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Dallas Cowboys | @ Washington Commanders | A+ |
2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | @ Carolina Panthers | A |
3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | @ Tennessee Titans | A |
4 | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | A- |
5 | Philadelphia Eagles | @ New York Giants | A- |
6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | @ Baltimore Ravens | B+ |
7 | New Orleans Saints | Atlanta Falcons | B+ |
8 | Detroit Lions | Minnesota Vikings | B+ |
9 | Los Angeles Chargers | Kansas City Chiefs | B |
10 | Buffalo Bills | @ Miami Dolphins | B |
11 | Green Bay Packers | Chicago Bears | B |
12 | Seattle Seahawks | @ Arizona Cardinals | B |
13 | San Francisco 49ers | Los Angeles Rams | B |
14 | Denver Broncos | @ Las Vegas Raiders | B_ |
15 | Indianapolis Colts | Houston Texans | B- |
16 | New England Patriots | New York Jets | B- |
17 | New York Jets | @ New England Patriots | B- |
18 | Houston Texans | @ Indianapolis Colts | B- |
19 | Las Vegas Raiders | Denver Broncos | |
20 | Los Angeles Rams | @ San Francisco 49ers | C+ |
21 | Arizona Cardinals | Seattle Seahawks | C+ |
22 | Chicago Bears | @ Green Bay Packers | C+ |
23 | Miami Dolphins | Buffalo Bills | C+ |
24 | Kansas City Chiefs | @ Los Angeles Chargers | C |
25 | Minnesota Vikings | @ Detroit Lions | C |
26 | Atlanta Falcons | @ New Orleans Saints | C- |
27 | Baltimore Ravens | Pittsburgh Steelers | D+ |
28 | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | D |
29 | Cleveland Browns | @ Cincinnati Bengals | D |
30 | Tennessee Titans | Jacksonville Jaguars | D- |
31 | Carolina Panthers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | D- |
32 | Washington Commanders | Dallas Cowboys | F |
Survivor Week 8 Sleeper
Houston Texans @ Carolina Panthers
In a week loaded with potential options, this is certainly off the beaten path. If you’ve already selected the many teams with larger point spreads, take a long, hard look at the Houston Texans.
There aren’t many weeks they will be an option, although this one certainly applies. As the rookie QBs match up, it is clear that C.J. Stroud is more equipped to handle this challenge than the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young. Stroud is the current frontrunner in NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds.
Carolina is 0-6, and the defense has allowed 84 points in the past two games. Houston should find success on both sides of the ball.
Although we never expected to see the Texans as a viable threat on the road in Survivor, this week is a different story.
In a pinch, don’t hesitate.
Survivor Week 8 Team to Save for the Future
Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams
Amid a sea of games with spreads near a touchdown, the Dallas Cowboys feel like the team worth passing on against the Los Angeles Rams.
For starters, the Rams are just good enough to potentially provide a scare. A home loss to the Steelers doesn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence, although this game doesn’t feel like a sure thing.
The Rams aren’t great, but they could be good enough.
More than that, however, the Cowboys have a slew of winnable games on the horizon. Next week, Dallas hits the road to take on the Eagles. (That is not an ideal Survivor spot.)
After that, the Cowboys will welcome the New York Giants to town, travel to Carolina and play the Washington Commanders at home. All three should be strong options assuming we make it that far.
The time will come to use Dallas. We just need to wait a few weeks to get there.
Survivor Week 8 Chalk Team That Could Lose
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders
It goes without saying that the Eagles can lose this game.
For further proof of this, just revisit the matchup between these two earlier in the year in Philadelphia. While the Eagles ultimately won, the victory was decided in overtime.
Amid a double-digit win over a capable Dolphins’ team, there are some lingering concerns with how Philly is operating. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is turning the ball over at an alarming rate, and those turnovers, if they continue, will ultimately doom this team. Hurts remains among the leaders in NFL MVP odds.
At 6-1, we’ve seen those turnovers only result in one loss. But Philly are also putting themselves in some pretty tricky spots. A week removed after a massive win that has hangover potential, this feels like another one.
Washington hasn’t been great, but this team is more than capable of threatening an upset once again.