So much for the San Francisco 49ers (0-7) staying competitive during their losing streak. After setting an NFL record by losing five consecutive games by three points or fewer, the 49ers were blown out 40-10 by the Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at home last Sunday.
San Francisco had covered the spread in four of its previous five games. This week, the 49ers are listed as consensus 10.5-point road underdogs on the Week 8 NFL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com visiting the Philadelphia Eagles.
San Francisco is 2-5 straight up and 1-6 against the spread in the past seven meetings with Philadelphia. The 49ers also are riding a 10-game losing streak versus East Coast teams, although the Eagles have failed to cover their last four Week 8 games.
The Cleveland Browns (0-7) and Indianapolis Colts (2-5) are comparable underdogs, with the former taking on the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings (5-2) over in London and the latter visiting the Cincinnati Bengals (2-4).
The Browns nearly picked up their first victory last week though, falling to the Tennessee Titans 9-6 in overtime but covering the spread to snap a five-game ATS skid as 5.5-point dogs. Unfortunately, they also lost left tackle Joe Thomas (triceps) for the season.
The Colts were just blanked 27-0 at home by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were playing without rookie running back Leonard Fournette. But Indianapolis would seem to have a favorable matchup with Cincinnati, winning nine of the past 11 meetings SU. However, the favorite is 12-0 SU and 10-2 ATS in this series, giving the Bengals an edge.
As for other division leaders in action, the New Orleans Saints (4-2) now sit atop the NFC South and are nine-point favorites hosting the Chicago Bears (3-4). The Saints have won four in a row and the Bears two straight, equaling their win total from a year ago. But Chicago is 1-4 SU and 0-4-1 ATS in its previous five visits to New Orleans.
The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots (5-2) are still leading the AFC East and coming off an impressive 23-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons (3-3), and next host the resurgent Los Angeles Chargers (3-4) as seven-point home chalk. The Patriots will attempt to end a three-game winning streak for the Chargers, who have dropped six of the past seven meetings SU overall and gone 2-5 ATS on the road in the series.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) again look like New England’s top competition in the AFC as the best team in the AFC North, and they will visit the Detroit Lions (3-3) as three-point road favorites in the Week 8 Sunday night matchup. The Steelers have won eight of nine against the Lions, but have gone 2-5 ATS in the past seven meetings.
On Monday night, the AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) hope to rebound and snap a two-game losing streak when they host the Denver Broncos (3-3) as seven-point home chalk. The Chiefs will be playing in primetime for the fourth time in five weeks and have won the last three over their division rivals SU and ATS.