First bets for Week 8: Revenge for Rodgers, a Giants rebound, plus an MVP pick

Week 8 gets underway with a matchup of playoff teams from a season ago, as the Minnesota Vikings visit the Los Angeles Chargers on "Thursday Night Football."

There are 10 afternoon games Sunday, and the "Sunday Night Football" matchup features Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Green Bay Packers, the franchise with which Rodgers won a Super Bowl and built his Hall of Fame résumé.

The week wraps up with the Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs facing off on "Monday Night Football."

Six teams have byes (Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars).

Matt Bowen, Eric Karabell, Pamela Maldonado, Eric Moody and Seth Walder looked at the early Week 8 odds and identified which ones are worth jumping on now before potential shifts later in the week.

Note: Odds at time of publication, courtesy of ESPN BET Sportsbook.

Bowen: Baker Mayfield has played at an extremely high level this season, but I'm leaning on the Tampa Bay defense and its ability to pressure/change the post-snap picture versus Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. In the Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears, Rattler threw three interceptions, and the Bucs can force him to play frenetically in the pocket. Todd Bowles' unit ranks in the top 10 in both blitz and pressure rate. Tampa covers the 5.5 on the road this Sunday.
Last week: Dolphin-Browns under 40.5 (Browns won 31-6)

Karabell: It's not only that former Packers great Aaron Rodgers finally gets to face the Packers; you know he has revenge on his mind. Rodgers has played fine for the Steelers, certainly as well as Jordan Love has this season. And the Packers aren't exactly dominating, barely beating the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals recently, tying the Dallas Cowboys and losing to the Cleveland Browns. Perhaps they win this one by a field goal, but the Steelers getting points at home feels like a mistake -- and a buying opportunity.
Last week: Bengals +5.5 vs. Steelers (Bengals won 33-31)

Maldonado: With Jaxson Dart under center, New York has become a balanced, ball-control team that is running the ball with success and staying competitive in every game. The Eagles' defense is leaking 4.6 yards per carry and struggling to get off the field on third down, leaving them vulnerable to sustained drives. Dart's mobility, paired with Cam Skattebo's physicality, keeps New York inside the number. Philadelphia is winning with precision, not explosiveness, and that limits the margin for error. In a divisional matchup built on tempo and toughness, the Giants cover in a grinder.
Last week: Giants +7 at Broncos (Broncos won 33-32)

Moody: Pittsburgh enters this matchup off a mini-bye after playing Thursday night. With Rodgers facing his former team, the revenge factor looms large, and I'm buying into it. I expect T.J. Watt and the Steelers' defense to bounce back in Week 8 after an atrocious Week 7 performance.

Last week: Panthers +1.5 at Jets (Panthers won 13-6)

Walder: After another dominant showing by the Cowboys' offense in a win over the Washington Commanders, Prescott now leads the NFL in QBR. Unlike the players who are currently second and third in the category (Daniel Jones, Sam Darnold), Prescott has a track record of excellence. In fact, the last time he played a full season (2023), he finished second in QBR, just behind Brock Purdy. MVP is a narrative award, and the Cowboys will almost certainly have to make the playoffs for Prescott to win it. But if they do (28% chance, per the FPI), I think Prescott will have the perfect storyline working in his favor: The Cowboys traded away an elite defensive player right before the season, their defense then failed to perform, and it was only because of Prescott's exceptional play that they got to the postseason. Plus, the fact that the defense really is weak means that Prescott will have the opportunity to continue to put up big numbers.