NFL Week 8 game picks, schedule guide, fantasy football tips, odds, injuries and more

The Week 8 NFL schedule for the 2021 season is stacked with great matchups, and we got you covered with what you need to know heading into the weekend. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the biggest keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and, of course, final score picks.

Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a big stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest, and our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. ESPN researcher Kyle Soppe hands out helpful fantasy football as well. Everything you want to know is here in one spot to help you get ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.

Let’s get into the full Week 8 slate, including a meeting between AFC South running backs Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor, Jameis Winston facing his former team and a Sunday night showdown between two of the NFL’s top wide receiver groups. It all culminates with a Monday Night Football matchup between the Giants and the Chiefs on ESPN. (Game times are Sunday unless otherwise noted.)

Jump to a matchup:
TEN-IND | MIA-BUF | PIT-CLE
LAR-HOU | SF-CHI | CAR-ATL
CIN-NYJ | PHI-DET | NE-LAC
JAX-SEA | TB-NO | WSH-DEN
DAL-MIN | NYG-KC

Thursday: GB 24, ARI 21
Bye: LV, BAL

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 62.5 | Spread: IND -1.5 (51)

What to watch for: Can the Colts’ defense contain Titans’ Derrick Henry? The best running back in the NFL has topped at least 100 yards in four straight games against the Colts, rushing for 542 yards (135.5 per game) and four touchdowns in those four matchups — and he picked up 113 on the ground against Indianapolis earlier this season. The Titans, more importantly, are 3-1 against the Colts in that four-game span. — Mike Wells

Bold prediction: Despite the return of Colts guard Quenton Nelson, the Titans will sack Indy quarterback Carson Wentz four times. The Titans’ defensive front has found its mojo over the past two games thanks in…