Week 8 in the NFL was ugly for favorites, who failed to cover the spread in 10 of 14 contests. Underdogs won outright in seven games, including Cincinnati’s 31-20 defeat of seven-point favorite Tennessee.

Another shocker had Minnesota, a six-point underdog on the road, go into Green Bay and spank the Packers 28-22. Despite being 4.5-point underdogs at Baltimore, the Steelers remained undefeated with a 28-24 win.

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Over and Over Again

The season-long trend of high scoring continued in Week 8, as nine games hit the over. The most points of the weekend were scored in the Seahawks’ 37-27 defeat of the 49ers. The total exceeded the 53.5 over/under line, the highest of the week, by 10.5 points.

The Colts beat the Lions 41-21, and the Broncos edged the Chargers 31-30 in games over 60 total points. Denver’s win resulted in the biggest over margin of the week at 16.5 points.

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Under the Boardwalk

The lowest-scoring game of the week was the Raiders’ 16-6 defensive gem against the Browns. The total fell a whopping 27.5 points below the over/under line of 49.5. Cleveland had been averaging almost 29 points a game through Week 7.

Another low scoring contest was the ugly Sunday night 23-9 win by Philadelphia over Dallas. The total fell 11 points below the 43-point over/under line for the game. It was the Cowboys’ third consecutive game in which they were held to 10 points or fewer.

In case you missed it, here’s last week’s NFL Week 7 By the Numbers.

Tight NFC Division Races

With many teams reaching the halfway point of the season, no NFC division leader has more than a one-game edge. In the toughest division in the league, every team in the NFC West has at least a .500 record. The 6-1 Seahawks, led by quarterback Russell Wilson, continue to lead the Cardinals by a game.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles sit atop the NFC East with a record of 3-4-1. The entire division has only recorded a total of eight wins, just one more than undefeated Pittsburgh. Could they be the source of this week’s free pick? It’s hard to believe that Washington only trails the Eagles by a game despite a 2-5 record.

What might be the story of the year so far is the way Tampa Bay is playing behind Tom Brady. The Bucs held on to defeat the Giants 25-23 Monday night to move to 6-2 and lead the NFC South.

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Perfection in the AFC

Only two teams remain with a zero in their records. Pittsburgh went into Baltimore as undefeated underdogs. They returned home with a perfect 7-0 record and a two-game lead in the AFC North.

The New York Jets still can’t generate any offense, falling to 0-8 after failing to reach the end zone. In a season where teams are scoring at a record pace, they’re averaging less than 12 points a game.

With their win over the Jets, the Chiefs continue to roll toward another deep playoff run. No one in the AFC West is within two games of them, as they average almost 32 points a game.

In the AFC East, it looks like the New England Patriots might be seeing their reign ending. At 2-5, they are looking up at the 6-2 Buffalo Bills and the 4-3 Miami Dolphins. They’re definitely missing departed Brady more than they might have anticipated.