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NFL Week 8 Picks: Predictions and Vegas Odds Before Thursday Night
- Updated: October 27, 2016
They may be wearing Honolulu blue and residing in the NFC North, but these are not the Detroit Lions that have become familiar over the years.
You know the Lions: They like to show off their offense in the early part of the game and build a lead. They often look unstoppable, but they find a way to stop themselves, and then there’s the second half. That’s when the Lions fall apart and give the game away.
But the 2016 Lions are different.
They may not get off to the best starts, but they know how to finish. Hit them in the mouth the way the Washington Redskins did in Week 7 with a late touchdown, and these Lions hit back as quarterback Matthew Stafford throws a game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Anquan Boldin in the final seconds.
These Lions are not giving away gifts. They are stealing games.
The Lions come into their Week 8 game against the Houston Texans riding a three-game winning streak. Since their loss to the lowly Chicago Bears, the Lions have shown pride, and that may be the biggest difference between this Lions team and those from prior years.
If the guts and fire the Lions seemingly have is real, they have a major advantage over the Texans. Houston is the kind of team that can bully certain opponents, but it tends to play poorly against teams that are willing to fight for 60 minutes.
The Texans are coming off a noncompetitive loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday night, and they have also lost to the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. Houston’s wins have come against the Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.
The Chiefs, the best team of that group, beat the Texans 30-0 in last year’s Wild Card Round, but Houston had enough fire to get some revenge.
The Texans are 2.5-point favorites over the Lions, according to Odds Shark. The quarterback-coach combination of Brock Osweiler and Bill O’Brien is not a winning one. We expect the Lions to chase down the Texans in the second half, come away with a road win and cover the …
