Dak PrescottGeno SmithJustin FieldsKyler Murray

NFC Rapid Reactions Week 8: Trick or Treat?

The spookiest week of the NFL season is complete, and teams are finally taking their costumes off. The New York Jets and Giants had their Halloweens spoiled with some rotten candy, while others showed off their well-fitting playoff contender costumes. Who’s for real and who’s fake after #NFLWeek8? 

Seattle Seahawks 27 – New York Giants 13

Geno Smith planned all summer to dress up as a high-level starting quarterback and was fortunate enough to find his costume early. He tried it on, and like a kid enamored with a new hero, refused to take it off. Smith’s stretch of legitimately good quarterback play continued against a Giants team that’s gotten every break through the season’s first two months. 

We’ve now seen the Seattle Seahawks shut down two offenses in as many weeks that have talent, but are limited at the wide receiver position. When not facing an overwhelming aerial attack, Seattle has had much more success, especially with their young talents like Tariq Woolen. The road ahead gets tougher, but erasing opposing top receivers has to remain a focal point if they want to hunker down and make the playoffs. 

At +126 to make the January dance, there’s $126 to be made on a $100 bet. For more on this bet, check our Basic Tip at the bottom of this article, and be sure to check out FanDuel’s bonus for BetBasics readers: UP TO $1,000 BACK IN BONUS BETS.

Atlanta Falcons 37 – Carolina Panthers 34

In what went from dud of the day to game of the year, we learned about the resolve in the stormy NFC South. I’ve had my fun poking at the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers all year, but with first place on the line, both showed up big. DJ Moore’s late-game touchdown was dampened by a bogus unsportsmanlike call, emblematic of those neighbors that never put out candy. Some people just hate fun 🙄.

I’ve had my gripes with head coach Arthur Smith, but he’s got his Falcons playing .500 football and in sole possession of the NFC’s fourth seed. His ability to game plan for specific opponents each week and use Kyle Pitts has blossomed as autumn has developed. This team is going to stick around and make some noise in pursuit of the playoffs. 

Dallas Cowboys 49 – Chicago Bears 29

So…are we 100% sure the Dallas Cowboys are worse than the Philadelphia Eagles 🤔

We won’t know for sure until a Dak Prescott-led Dallas team plays Philly, rather than the second in command. For now, we can have some fun speculating. The defense continues to dominate, with Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs combining to be one of football’s most dynamic duos. Their presence is unrelenting and a nightmare to game plan against. The offensive line has avoided catastrophe and the run game looks good regardless of who’s carrying the rock.

The Eagles are great, and Jalen Hurts looks the part, but do they have the quarterback advantage? Will it matter? The Cowboys deserve your consideration at the very least.

Of course, they played the lowly Bears, but the winds are turning in a new direction nowadays. Parsons hurdle aside, Justin Fields has had a strong month of October, and has given Chicagoans hope that they have something to look forward to each Sunday. For now, it’s a blip on the bad quarterbacking radar, but continued development can net a massive sigh of relief in the Windy City. Here’s to hoping he pans out 🤞.

If you’re feeling optimistic about the Bears, FanDuel is currently offering +125 odds (bet $100 to win $125) on Chicago to clear 6.5 wins. Personally, I still like the -150 odds on the under. Four divisional games, the Eagles, and the Buffalo Bills can get out of hand quickly.

San Francisco 49ers 31 – Los Angeles Rams 14

The Sean McVay offense is broken without good offensive line play. Matt Stafford and his bum arm have been left stranded on an island with Cooper Kupp. The duo has traveled from rom-com to horror movie quicker than they’d like as limitations have rendered the Rams a one-read offense. As some philosopher once suggested, “To Kupp or not to Kupp.”

As for the San Francisco 49ers, things are back to normal after a rough stretch. Expect them to compete for the division (-140). Kyle Shanahan owns McVay and is close to owning the NFC West, too. Unfortunately for them, we know how this story ends.  

Minnesota Vikings 34 – Arizona Cardinals 26

Yes, the team is not very good. But I think the Arizona Cardinals may be on the verge of truly humming on offense. Kyler Murray turned the ball over three times against the Minnesota Vikings, another NFC team that couldn’t lose if they tried at the moment. 

Yet, DeAndre Hopkins looked incredible, Murray was able to facilitate to eight different targets, and most importantly, Rondale Moore was utilized correctly. Now that he’s running forward, and not backwards, he adds another element to this offense. Watch for him and this offense to take a late-season step as his downfield chemistry with Murray improves. It may just save head coach Kliff Kingsbury his job 👀.

BASIC TIPS

When embarking on your #NFLbetting adventure, you may be tempted to place a futures bet, with promises of long odds on seemingly foregone conclusions. Spoiler alert, nothing is ever as safe a bet as it looks. Futures allow bettors to put money on a specific event multiple weeks out, rewarding them for their aggressiveness. However, it is important to place these bets at the right time, because betting too soon is risky, while waiting too long can leave value on the table.

This article featured futures regarding the Bears’ win total, the 49ers’ divisional chances, and Seattle’s playoff odds. Chicago’s win feels the most urgent given how far the odds can shift with a loss to the Lions, Falcons, or Jets in the next month. If we assume Fields is an average, but not great, passer, are the Bears good enough to take two out of three?

Futures bets can also contradict each other a bit, like Seattle and San Francisco. The 49ers are the favorite to win the division, a development that would greatly decrease the likelihood of a Seahawks playoff game. Here, I’d recommend picking whichever team you’re more confident in, and walking away from the other like a dentist’s house on Halloween.

author
Anthony Licciardi
Sports Journalist
Anthony Licciardi is a long-suffering fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Knicks. He aims to build a smarter generation of sports fans and writes to distract himself from the daily happenings of his favorite teams. In his spare time, he’s knee deep in Google Sheets looking for some statistical edge on coming betting action. With former bylines at Pro Football Network, Cowboys Wire, and Around The Block Network, Anthony has experience wri
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