Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season is underway after the Packers defeated the Panthers on Thursday night. But what will happen in the remaining 13 games? We have 15 predictions from our NFL experts.
First, betting analyst Pamela Maldonado picks two underdogs who could win outright. Then, analytics writer Seth Walder projects stat lines for three players. Fantasy football writer Eric Moody suggests three sleepers, and analyst Matt Bowen predicts three players who will find the end zone. Finally, analyst Ben Solak lays out four wild-card predictions.
Can the Browns pull off an upset over the Steelers? Could Ravens running back Derrick Henry have a rough stat line against the Bills? Is Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange a sneaky play in fantasy? And will Lions quarterback Jared Goff throw his first interception of the season? Let's make 15 big predictions for the Sunday and Monday action.
Jump to:
Upset picks | Projected stat lines
Fantasy sleepers, surprises
TD scorers | Other predictions
Maldonado predicts two upsets
Cleveland Browns +3.5 (+160 moneyline) at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh's preferred way of scoring is by passing near the goal line, but Cleveland's defense has made those throws difficult this season. That could mean another afternoon of coach Mike McCarthy having to settle for field goals.
On the other side of the ball, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson needs to get the ball out quickly and avoid sacks that kill drives. I'm taking the points because Pittsburgh hasn't shown enough offensive consistency to trust it to create separation, and Cleveland is capable of winning outright.
Baltimore Ravens +3.5 (+142 moneyline) at Buffalo Bills
Buffalo allows opponents to convert 45% of third downs, giving quarterback Lamar Jackson chances to extend drives instead of needing big plays every possession. His passing matters here because Buffalo is tougher against the run, and Baltimore's patchwork line hasn't consistently opened holes for running back Derrick Henry this season.
Quarterback Josh Allen will obviously challenge Baltimore, especially off play-action. But I don't trust Buffalo's defense to protect a lead. Assuming Jackson is healthy enough to play effectively after returning from a high ankle sprain, Baltimore can win this outright.
Walder predicts three stat lines
Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, Edges, Pittsburgh Steelers: Combined 2.0 sacks, 5 pressures, 5 tackles
Neither Highsmith nor Herbig has had the expected start to the season, with a combined 5.0 sacks and, even more surprisingly, below-average pass rush win rates at edge. But this Browns matchup provides an opportunity for each player to get back on track.
Both mostly play opposite the opponent's left tackle, who in this case is rookie Spencer Fano (15th percentile in pass block win rate). And they'll each be chasing down Watson, who has taken sacks at a huge 9.7% clip in 2026, the second-highest rate among qualified quarterbacks.
Laquon Treadwell, WR, Indianapolis Colts: 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown
That's right, it's 2026 and we're talking Laquon Treadwell stat lines! He has a 49 open score in ESPN's receiver scores, which is honestly better than I would have guessed. But that's not why I'm expecting him to have a good performance.
The main reason is that Jacksonville's Jarrian Jones is one of the cornerbacks Treadwell will go against Sunday. Jones has surrendered 1.8 yards per coverage snap this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, which is second worst among all outside corners with at least 150 coverage snaps. He has been targeted 24% of the time, higher than all other NFL cornerbacks.
Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens: 16 carries, 48 rushing yards
Here's a number that caught me off guard from 2026: The Bills' defense ranks first in yards allowed before contact on opponent runs. And another set of numbers that stood out: The Ravens run outside zone at the third-highest rate in the NFL (49%), while the Bills have allowed just 2.8 yards per outside zone run.
The story around Henry has long been that he's elite once he gets going but not as dangerous if he gets hit early -- even relative to other running backs. In other words, Buffalo might be better equipped to stop the Ravens' run game than anticipated.
Moody predicts three fantasy sleepers
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (42.7% rostered)
Strange might have slipped through the cracks while Jacksonville was on bye last week. He has had at least seven targets and at least 13 fantasy points in two of his past three games. Now, he faces a Colts defense that has allowed five touchdowns to tight ends this season. For fantasy managers looking to replace George Kittle or Isaiah Likely during their byes, Strange is worth a look.
Geno Smith, QB, New York Jets (22.2%)
Smith scored 23.4 fantasy points in a loss to the Dolphins last week, his second-highest total of the season. He now faces his former team, the Raiders, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. With wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Omar Cooper Jr. as Smith's primary playmakers, he is worth considering as a streamer in Week 8.
Ryan Flournoy, WR, Dallas Cowboys (18.1%)
Flournoy has seen at least four targets and scored at least 11 fantasy points in three consecutive games. The Cowboys have averaged the ninth-most yards per game over that stretch.
Dallas also has a favorable matchup against a Cardinals defense that has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers and the second-most to quarterbacks. Flournoy is on the streaming radar as a flex option in deeper leagues.
Bowen predicts three touchdown scorers
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns
Judkins scored two touchdowns in Cleveland's Week 7 win over the Titans, and he has seen at least 17 touches in each of his past four games. Plus, going back to the Browns' Week 4 matchup versus the Steelers, he had 96 total yards and a score on 23 touches. Look for Judkins to play a volume role again Sunday in Pittsburgh, with plenty of opportunities to get in the end zone.
Omar Cooper Jr., WR, New York Jets
The rookie out of Indiana can flat out play. In Weeks 6 and 7, his first games back since a Week 1 ankle injury, Cooper had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in each game. He can separate vertically with explosive strides, and he has the motion/movement traits to see the ball on the schemed touches.
I see Cooper continuing his touchdown streak Sunday versus a Raiders defense that has given up 16 receiving touchdowns this season, tied for the second most in the league.
Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Corum has scored a touchdown in each of the past three weeks, and his role in the Rams' offense is expanding with at least 11 touches in two straight games. With that increase in volume and a matchup against a Chargers defense that has allowed nine rushing touchdowns on the season (tied for second most), Corum should get in the end zone.
Solak makes four more predictions
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor and Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. will say their farewells
This AFC South matchup features the top two players on our trade candidate rankings. And I'm predicting that both playmakers will take their final snaps with the teams that drafted them Sunday. With another loss, the Colts could probably move Taylor for two Day 2 picks. Meanwhile, another empty stat line for Thomas leads him to ... the Chiefs?
Ravens-Bills will set a 2026 scoring high
The highest-scoring game of the 2026 season thus far is the 96-point match between the Bears and Panthers in Week 1 (59-37) -- that's good enough to rank 12th all-time among NFL regular-season games. I'm feeling a 52-45 overtime game between Buffalo and Baltimore, as both teams should look to throw early and often against two very gettable secondaries. The pregame total for this one is 54.5 after all -- a lot of points are expected.
Lions QB Jared Goff will throw his first pick
Goff's 14 TD-0 INT start is the best since Russell Wilson posted the same numbers through six games with Seattle in 2019. Goff is generally solid against the blitz, but Minnesota coordinator Brian Flores' defense is a different beast. Goff and the Lions should win, but one unblocked pressure could turn into a QB hit and a floating downfield throw that's picked off by Minnesota.
Steelers WR Germie Bernard will have his first 100-yard game
When the Browns and Steelers played in Week 4, Cleveland gave a lot of defensive attention to WR DK Metcalf, and Pittsburgh struggled to produce through the air with secondary options. Since that game, Bernard has broken out nicely, including a career-best game in Week 6 of 87 yards and a touchdown. I think he clears the century mark for the first time Sunday.