None of the three Super Bowl favorites — the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, and Kansas City Chiefs — added wins in Week 7, leaving the championship race wide open heading into Week 8. Teams further down the standings still have time to make up ground or surpass the frontrunners in divisional and Wild Card races before the postseason push intensifies in the second half of the season.
Super Bowl Odds Entering Week 8
According to DraftKings, the current odds for teams at +2000 or better are: 49ers +580, Bills +700, Chiefs +900, Seahawks +1000, Rams +1100, Jaguars +1200, Ravens +1300, Bears +1400, Bengals +1600, Vikings +1700, Patriots +1900, and Broncos +1900.
Stock Up: Joe Burrow's Excellence Ignites Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals earned their first divisional win in Week 7 and became AFC North favorites for the first time this season. Trailing the Baltimore Ravens 13-0 at halftime, quarterback Joe Burrow posted a perfect passer rating across the third and fourth quarters, completing 16 of 18 passes for 249 yards and four touchdowns — perhaps the best half of his career. The offense has been consistent, posting back-to-back games with at least 31 points. The defense has shown flashes of improvement, stifling Tyler Huntley in a shutout second half and holding the Houston Texans to just six points in Week 2. If the defense can string together strong showings, the Bengals would become a complete team with a top-flight quarterback and sometimes unstoppable offense.
Stock Down: Texans' Resurgence Reaches Screeching Halt
The Houston Texans' chances of becoming the second team in NFL history to bounce back from an 0-4 start and reach the playoffs took a major hit. The defense, which was the stingiest in the NFL last season by yards allowed and ranked second in scoring, now stands in the bottom half of the league in both metrics. Allowing J.J. McCarthy to log the third-best start of his career by passer rating and surrendering two long overtime runs to Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary in a loss to the New York Giants highlighted the regression. Quarterback C.J. Stroud is playing his way to a massive contract extension but cannot get help on the defensive side. The roster is mostly the same as in 2025 and the coaching staff saw no meaningful turnover, making the role reversal difficult to explain.
Long Shot of the Week: Cowboys (+3200)
The Dallas Cowboys remain a fringe contender until they can slow opponents more effectively, having yet to hold a team under 20 points. However, the offense clicked on Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles. Javonte Williams became the NFL's rushing touchdown leader after a 155-yard explosion, while CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens accounted for three touchdowns and might be back in form as a terrorizing receiver duo. If this marks the start of a dominant offensive run, Dallas could be the team to beat in the wide-open NFC East.
Week 8 Games to Watch
Key matchups include Ravens at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS), where Lamar Jackson's ankle uncertainty clouds Baltimore's playoff potential while Buffalo enters off a bye. Bears at Seahawks (Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN) pits Seattle's overwhelming run defense against Chicago's league-leading rushing offense. Chiefs at Broncos (Sunday, 4:25 p.m., CBS) features Kansas City seeking offensive balance against Denver's 28th-ranked run defense, with the AFC West lead on the line. Vikings at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox) matches Minnesota's impenetrable defense against Detroit's second-ranked scoring offense, a battle of extremes that could clarify or muddy the NFC North race.
