National Football League

Colin Cowherd's Blazin' 5 NFL picks for Week 8, including Bills, Patriots, Jaguars

Updated Oct. 30, 2021 7:28 p.m. ET

Colin Cowherd is looking for a little spark with his "Blazin' 5" this week, so he's relying on a few familiar NFL matchups.

Three divisional rivalries highlight his slate of predictions, as well as a meeting of one of the league's most promising young quarterbacks against a defensive mastermind.

The Bills will look to maintain their hold on the AFC East with a victory over the Dolphins. The Titans will aim to increase their two-game lead in the AFC South when they travel to Indianapolis. And in the NFC South, the Buccaneers will hope to pull away from the Saints.

Also, second-year Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will try to avoid being the latest young QB to fall victim to the defensive genius of Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Finally, the Jaguars will look to continue to build positive momentum as they take on a slumping Seahawks team.

Here are Cowherd's picks from "The Herd" — five matchups for Week 8 of this NFL season. All odds and win totals are presented by FOX Bet.

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Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills

Colin's thoughts: "Generally, I hate huge numbers, but I went with Tampa last week, and they covered five minutes into the game. I'm going to take Buffalo -13, 14. They are coming off a bye. I think great coaching staffs off a bye are very successful. The last six games off a bye, they have won all of them, and they have dominated this series with Miami. … I love Buffalo this weekend winning 36-20."

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts

Colin's thoughts: "Colts — like them? I love them. They have won three of their last four games. In fact, their only loss is a game in which they outplayed the Ravens in three of the four quarters. Carson Wentz — 30 points in back-to-back games. It took Carson to get Frank Reich back. Now he's comfortable. His passer rating the last month has been 120. … This is a very good matchup. It's also a much bigger game for the Colts. If they go 0-2 against the Titans, they are not getting a wild card with this record. I love desperate teams. I love the Colts 28-23."

New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Colin's thoughts: "I like the Patriots +4.5. First of all, young quarterbacks — the light goes on for some. Mac Jones is playing really well, [with] 13 touchdowns the last three weeks for the Patriots. Only [Tom] Brady] and the Bucs have more. … The story, though, is Justin Herbert. He faced Bill Belichick last year, lost 45-0. He's a young quarterback, and they get eaten alive against Belichick. And the defense for the Chargers is the worst rushing defense in the league. … I think Justin Herbert sits and watches this game from the sideline as the highly efficient Mac Jones offense upsets the Chargers in L.A. 27-26."

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Seattle Seahawks

Colin's thoughts: "I like the Jags +3.5. They're off a bye, and the Seahawks are on a short week, so you've got six days of prep, and Trevor Lawrence is starting to really hum. [He has a] 90-plus passer rating in three straight games and leads all rookie quarterbacks with nine touchdowns and 11.5 yards per completion. He is a big-play quarterback. This is a bad secondary, a shaky offensive line, and Geno Smith has not won a football game since 2016.

"The last two weeks without Russell Wilson, Seattle is doing nothing well. … The Jags upset the Seahawks 24-23."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints

Colin's thoughts: "I'm going to roll the dice here. Tampa wins, but I'm going to take the Saints +4.5. Here's why: a little revenge for Jameis [Winston] against his old team. He has been a little humiliated and humbled. But the teams that have won on Monday night are 6-0 their following game this year.

"The Saints' defense is the story here, though. It is a great defense, a top-three defense in the NFL. They're at home in one of the loudest places. Gronk is still not healthy. AB is still not healthy. And the Bucs have not faced a team that has a winning record since Week 3, when they lost to the Rams and were handled.

"I think this is ugly. I think the Saints keep it close. Sean Payton has had some success against Bruce Arians. Tampa wins, but I'm taking the 4.5."

For Cowherd's full breakdown, check out the video below: