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Week eight features intriguing out-of-conference matchups for NFL

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The Philadelphia Eagles will travel to Cincinnati to take on the revitalized Bengals while the Buffalo Bills head to Seattle for a matchup with the similarly first-place Seahawks.

To begin the week eight slate of NFL games, the Los Angeles Rams were able to defeat the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football after wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nakua were able to return from injury and combine for 12 catches, 157 yards receiving and a touchdown. 

The result did not come without controversy, however, as Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was sacked in the endzone for a safety, but also had his facemask grabbed which went without a penalty. The play essentially ended the game for Minnesota as fans and analysts around the league were left frustrated with yet another matchup where the referees played a large part in the outcome. Still, the Rams appear to be back on track after its two main weapons finally returned to the field, while Minnesota still carries an impressive 5-2 record despite losing each of its last two games. 

Heading into week eight, there are two interesting out-of-conference matchups featuring squads with high expectations coming into 2024-2025. The Philadelphia Eagles head to Cincinnati to play the Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow, who has put together a strong start to the season with 1,759 yards passing, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions through seven games. Cincinnati began its season with a record of 0-3, but have gone 3-1 in its last four games with a chance to return to .500 with a victory over the Eagles on october 27. 

The Bengals defense has struggled mightily through the first portion of the regular season, but has only allowed 21 points in its last two games albeit against weaker opponents. The Eagles have been by no means a dominant squad throughout 2024-2025 up to this point, but have still managed to put together a respectable 4-2 record due mainly to the performance of running back Saquon Barkley. 

Having joined the team from Philadelphia’s revival, the New York Giants, Barkley has accounted for 761 total yards and six touchdowns in his first season with the Eagles. Philadelphia’s defense and quarterback Jalen Hurts have still left questions to be answered for the team, but as long as Barkley and wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are on the field, the Eagles have a chance against any opponent it comes across. 

With the recent play of Cincinnati factored in, the Bengals are 2.5-point favorites on ESPN Bet and -145 on the moneyline as compared to the Eagles +125 odds of claiming a road victory. The game should feature heavy scoring from both sides as each team features a weak defense, but Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins was added to the injury report on October 25 with a leg injury, so the line could move in the Eagles favor before long. 

The Buffalo Bills will also be faced with an NFC opponent this week much like Cincinnati, with the squad traveling across the country to Seattle for a matchup with the Seahawks. Seattle has gotten healthier in recent weeks and is coming off a 34-14 dismantling of the Atlanta Falcons in a road victory. Now, the Seahawks will look to defend its home turf against quarterback Josh Allen and an impressive 5-2 Bills squad, having just beat the Tennessee Titans by 24 points at home. 

Allen is putting together what could become the best statistical season of his career so far, throwing for 1,483 yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 179 yards and three scores on the ground as well. Despite having a reputation for being turnover-prone, the Bills signal caller has yet to turn the ball over once this season, a stat that should be challenged versus a Seahawks defense that just forced three turnovers from the Falcons.  

The Seahawks are still a three-point underdog to the Bills on ESPN Bet and +140 on the moneyline, odds that could prove favorable for bettors with Seattle being one of the toughest environments to play in for opposing teams. Seattle's offense has been playing well of late also, generating 58 points through its last two games which has led to claiming first place in the NFC West division. The Bills are also in first place for the AFC East division, as both have been able to take advantage of disappointing efforts from teams that were supposed to challenge for the division crown this year. 

Seattle could easily upset the Bills this week being at home and having a fully healthy roster for the first time since the start of the season, but bettors could take the Seahawks to cover the field goal spread at -110 if one doesn’t want to bet against Allen and Buffalo. The home team will also seemingly be without wide receiver DK Metcalf, while the Bills will be missing starting linebacker Terrel Bernard and wide receiver Curtis Samuel for the matchup. 

Speaking of the NFC West team that’s fallen short of expectations so far, the San Francisco 49ers will take its 3-4 record into Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. The Niners have struggled with injuries throughout the year, most recently losing wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the season to a leg injury. The team is still waiting on running back Christian McCaffrey to return from his achilles injury before long, which would add a needed boost to its struggling offense. Tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel have both been banged up as well, but should be able to play against Dallas on Sunday night. 

Dallas has not gone without its own injuries, though, as key defensive contributors Micah Parsons and Daron Bland have already been ruled out for the matchup. The injuries mixed with an uninspiring Cowboys offense leads ESPN Bet to favor the Niners by 4.5 points and places the team at -210 to even its record at 4-4 on the season. The Cowboys still have quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to help search for a road victory in San Francisco, but it would take quite the effort from both and a weakened Dallas defense to pull off the upset and cash in on its +175 moneyline odds.

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