Some of the best bets in the NFL each week are oftentimes wagers on teams that are considered the worst in the league. If you want to win money betting NFL games then you need to be willing to take teams no one else wants to bet. We refer to these teams as ugly dogs and you really have to hold your nose sometimes when you bet on them, but history has shown that going against the public works. It has uncharacteristically been a really tough start for this column this season and we are coming off a losing week in Week 7 going 2-3. Let’s take a look at the Week 8 Ugly Dog picks.
Week 8 Ugly Dog Picks
Let me point out one fact that you are probably already aware of. When you bet these games, you are usually better off waiting until Sunday morning to make your wagers because you will probably get a better number than what I list from earlier in the week.
New York Jets +10 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Jets are a bad team with a backup quarterback playing a Cincinnati team that is looking like a serious contender in the AFC. This one is definitely ugly, as not many people are going to be backing New York in this contest. It should be noted that this is a massive letdown spot for the Bengals after their big win last week against the Ravens. Whether it matters or not is the question, but this is a ton of points for a team not accustomed to success to be laying on the road. We’ll take the Jets as an ugly dog.
Houston Texans +14.5 vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Texans have struggled almost all season while the Rams are one of the top teams in the NFL so this one is definitely ugly. What helps the cause of the Texans is that they should be getting quarterback Tyrod Taylor back from injury. It is also worth noting that the Rams oftentimes will play down to their level of competition. It seems unlikely that the Houston defense can stop the Los Angeles offense so it will be up to Taylor and the offense to put up a lot of points if the Texans are to stay in this game. We’ll take the Texans as an ugly dog.
Jacksonville Jaguars +3.5 at Seattle Seahawks
The Jaguars got their first win of the season in London and then had a bye so they are well rested while the Seahawks are a mess. The Jaguars are still a bad football team, but Seattle without Russell Wilson is not a good team. Normally the Seahawks would be laying more than a TD at home in this game, but not this season. This is a game that Seattle should win, but Jacksonville does have some talented players and the Seahawks home field advantage has been worthless this season. We’ll take the Jaguars as an ugly dog.
Miami Dolphins +13.5 at Buffalo Bills
What has happened to the Dolphins? They look like one of the worst teams in the NFL and now they have to go into Buffalo and take on the Bills. This looks like another loss for Miami and the oddsmakers have definitely factored that into this line, as the Bills are laying almost two touchdowns. If the Dolphins are to show any heart, then it should be this week. We’ll take Miami as an ugly dog.
Detroit Lions +3.5 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Lions are still winless but they showed some fight last week in a loss to the Rams. Jared Goff seems to make at least one big mistake per week that costs this team, but Detroit does have some talent and they should not be winless. The Eagles are a tough team to figure out and now they are laying points on the road. We’ll take the Lions as an ugly dog.
New York Giants +10 at Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs look nothing like a Super Bowl contender right now, but bettors believe that Kansas City will turn the corner this week against a weak New York squad. The Giants don’t seem to match up well with Kansas City and I think this is going to be a Kansas City rout, but this column is all about taking the ugly dogs and the Giants definitely qualify this week.
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