The wagering NFL betting public has gotten richer and wiser as the betting season has progressed. Betting sites and sportsbooks remain valiant, even though Halloween falls on an NFL Sunday for the first time in 11 years.

The Week 8 schedule is front-loaded, with the most heavily-bet game likely to happen on Thursday night. The NFC North-leading Packers visit the AFC West-leading and undefeated Cardinals.

The Packers have won six straight and the Cardinals are 7-0. Both teams are 6-1 against the spread. Two key players will be out. The Packers are without wide receiver Davante Adams due to COVID protocols. Adams alone accounts for nearly half of his team’s net yards passing and one-third of Green Bay’s catches.

Arizona defensive end J.J. Watt has been lost for what will likely be the season due to upcoming shoulder surgery.

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That the Cardinals – who did not make the playoffs last season – began the season 7-0 is not a complete surprise. They are the third team in three years to reach that milestone. The Steelers did it in 2020 and the 49ers accomplished the same feat in 2019.

The Steelers tanked after going 11-0 and got knocked out of the playoffs in the Divisional Round by Cleveland. But the 49ers reached the Super Bowl. This Cardinals team is more balanced and deeper than both of their 7-0 predecessors. NFL futures bettors and Arizona sports betting fans might want to keep that in mind when wagering in the upcoming weeks.

Overall, there are four first-place teams heading into Week 8 that did not make the playoffs last season. Bettors who have backed the Bengals (AFC North), Dallas Cowboys (NFC East), Las Vegas Raiders (AFC West) and the Cardinals have been richly rewarded. Those four teams are a combined 20-7 ATS.

Public Property

The NFL betting public has never been as sophisticated and educated as it is at this moment. Next week, it will be even wiser. Books who once relied on bloated spreads against popular but underwhelming favorites are seeing those outcomes trend in a less-profitable manner. The books dominated four of the first five weeks of the 2021 season, before getting demolished in Week 6 and slightly roughed up in Week 7.

Last week, the favorites nearly broke even in going 6-7 over a 13-game schedule. Among the single-game spread winners were the heavily-backed Packers, Patriots and Cardinals. This week, the Cowboys (5-1/6-0 ATS) and Bills (4-2/4-2) are back in action. Both teams have been supported by the public and rewarded their supporters.

RELATED: NFL Week 8 Picks & Best Bets For Every Game

NFL betting underdogs hold a 58-49 (54.2%) edge ATS over favorites after 107 games, but that gap continues to shrink. The real stressor continues to be a mix of crazy-close games, roiling spread, moneyline and in-game bettors. That’s been combined with some monstrous lines being crushed, including spreads of 18.5 points and 12.5 points last week.

Week 7 was the first week of the season with no overtime games. The average margin of victory exploded to 17.3 points. But there still have been 27 games this season decided by three points or less.

Public Plays – Week 8

Biggest Spread Liabilities

Five games carry significant exposure. Here are the Week 8 games with at least 75% of the spread handle on the favorite based on our consensus analysis of the action at Caesars, BetMGM, bet365, Resorts, PointsBet, SugarHouse, 888, FOX Bet and DraftKings.

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Major Line Movements

Here’s a look at the games in Week 8 on top US betting apps whose NFL odds have moved more than 2 points on the spread:

Bengals at Jets

Opening Line: Bengals -3.5

Current Line: Bengals -10.5

The Buzz: This line first went up before the results of Week 8. The Jets were flatted by the Patriots 53-14 and the Bengals chewed up the Ravens 41-17. Those outcomes saw this line jump at DraftKings from 3.5 points to 10 points in less than 12 hours starting on Sunday afternoon. Joe Burrow and his Bayou/Cincy Bengal BFF Ja’Marr Chase are on a roll. And Cincy’s defense may be its best in decades.

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Titans at Colts

Opening Line: Titans -1

Current Line: Colts -1.5

The Buzz: The Titans were initially favored when this line opened before the Colts weathered the elements and the 49ers in Santa Rosa last Sunday night. The Titans knocked off both teams (Buffalo and Kansas City) that played in last season’s AFC title game in less than a week leading up to this game. Oddsmakers are looking for a bit of a let down and have given the Colts some respect. Indy has won three of its past four games and will have a raucous Halloween crowd at its back.

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All odds are current as of publication. Check out our DraftKings sportsbook review and our FanDuel sportsbook review. You can also check out our DraftKings vs FanDuel comparison of the two books.