The Los Angeles Rams have been a juggernaut this season with Matthew Stafford running the show, ranking third in the NFL in passing and fifth in scoring. The former Lions quarterback leads a unit that averages more than 29 points and almost 302 passing yards. Add to that a defense that yields fewer than 21 points and has 20 sacks and 12 takeaways and you have a recipe for success. The Rams' only loss is to the unbeaten Cardinals and all but one victory has been by at least nine points. That is why Los Angeles is a 14.5-point favorite for Sunday's game at Houston and could be a target for NFL Week 8 survivor pool picks.
Other teams that could be popular NFL knockout pool picks include the Bengals (-10 against the Jets), Bills (-13.5 against the Dolphins) and Chiefs (-10 vs. New York Giants on Monday Night Football). Before you lock in any Week 8 NFL survivor picks, you need to see which team the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model is backing.
The model can be used to crush the survivor pool format, which calls for picking one team to win each week but never using the same team twice. The player who lasts the most weeks without picking a losing team wins the pool. In the model's simulations, the team winning the highest percentage each week has gone a perfect 7-0 after the Cardinals (84 percent) crushed the Texans in Week 7.
Arizona joined the 49ers (75 percent in Week 1), Buccaneers (79 percent in Week 2), Cardinals and Ravens (79 percent in Week 3), Bills (87 percent in Week 4), Patriots (78 percent in Week 5) and Colts (81 percent in Week 6) as winners for survivor contestants who used those teams over the first seven weeks. You can only see who the model is backing in Week 8 at SportsLine.
Top Week 8 NFL survivor pool predictionsFor NFL Week 8, the model is recommending you fade the Chiefs, even though the reigning AFC champs host the 2-5 Giants on Monday Night Football. New York has looked dangerous at times. That was especially true last week in a 25-3 dismantling of the Carolina Panthers. The defense had six sacks, led by Azeez Ojulari's 2.5. Patrick Mahomes has been sacked 14 times already this season and the offensive line could struggle again.
Kansas City is 3-4 and needs a victory. It has the weapons to do it, with former MVP Mahomes throwing to All-Pros Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, but Mahomes has been under duress all year and has thrown nine interceptions already. He totaled 11 over the past two full seasons. The Giants have picked off six passes and the Chiefs' defense is yielding 29 points per game, so it won't be an easy day for Kansas City.
How to make Week 8 NFL survivor pool picksIn Week 8, the model is backing a team whose opponent has struggled mightily on both sides of the ball. Picking this team will get you to Week 9 and put you in prime position to go deep in your NFL survivor pool. The time to pick this team is now, and you can only see the model's Week 8 play at SportsLine.
Which team is a must-back in your Week 8 NFL survivor pool? Visit
