NFL Week 8 picks and predictions

Here are Don Banks’ picks for Week 8 of the NFL season.

Don Banks of Sports Illustrated teams up with Score Big every week of the NFL season to make picks for the line up of games. Banks did well, going 10-4 in Week 7 to continue improving his record.

Let’s see if Banks can keep it up in Week 8.

Here are Banks’ picks for Week 8:

The Chiefs aren’t exactly the team we expected them to be this season, but they’re better than the Lions. Banks makes the obvious pick.

Banks has the Falcons winning over the struggling Buccaneers, but cites Atlanta’s struggling pass offense as the reason this game could be closer than you’d expect.

Neither team is doing well this week, but Banks is sticking with the Ravens to win. If the Ravens get the W, it will be their first home win of the season, coming in November. Let that sink in for a minute.

The Bears and Vikings are trending in opposite directions, and Banks is riding the Vikings bandwagon. Not a bad bet with the Vikes coming off two straight wins.

Another tough match up that won’t get any better for the Browns, Banks makes the obvious pick to go with a tough Cardinals team. Carson Palmer, Chris Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald are looking like younger versions of themselves.

The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans aren’t exactly setting the world afire, and in the AFC South they don’t need to with the Indianapolis Colts struggling. In a lesser of two evils situation, Banks picks the Texans.

Banks is predicting a bit of a shootout between the Saints and the Giants. The Saints’ porous secondary can make Eli Manning look great, but he can’t beat Drew Brees in a shootout in the Superdome.

The Bengals have yet to lose and Banks thinks the Steelers will be the first team to knock off Andy Dalton and company. Banks explains his decision pointing to the Steelers 2-0 record against the Bengals to close out the 2014 season.

The NFC West isn’t as deep as it once was, but the 49ers are clearly the worst team in the division. Banks is picking the Rams to get the win, predicting them to lean on Todd Gurley’s running abilities.

Banks is making a bold prediction in this one, picking the Raiders to win and get over .500 in November for the first time since 2011. The Raiders have shown flashes of their young talent coming together this season and are becomging a trendy pick.

The Dallas Cowboys have looked capable of winning without Tony Romo, but they haven’t been able to do so. They probably won’t be able to do so against the Seahawks. Banks picks the Seahawks as the Cowboys bandwagon continues to empty.

This is the game where we find out if the Broncos are for real, and Banks thinks Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will pop that balloon.

The Colts have strugged and the Panthers have dominated. Hard to pick against the Panthers and while this game might have leaned the other way in recent years, Banks is going with the Panthers to remain undefeated.