It's already Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season, and even with a lot of football still to be played, there is a ton at stake this week.
That is especially true in the AFC, where every current division leader is facing off against either another division rival or fellow AFC powerhouse. Only one division leader has it "easy" this week, if you can really say that about anyone in the NFL.
We're going to take another look at each matchup with a fresh set of eyes, the most current lines for each game, and which division leaders are on "upset" alert in Week 8.
NFL Week 8 picks: Every current AFC division leader's matchup and winner prediction
Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills (1st place, AFC East)
The matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills is probably the biggest one of the 1:00 PM ET window this week, although there is a really strong contender in the NFC with the Lions taking on the undefeated Vikings.
The Bills are coming off a bye week while the Ravens are expected to welcome Lamar Jackson back to the mix. Baltimore is currently in "last place" in the AFC North, but they have a 4-3 record and haven't had Lamar for a handful of weeks now.
To state the obvious, it's a game-changer to have Jackson back. It's going to be a lot for Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard to deal with, especially because his defense hasn't exactly played lights out this season. In fact, quite the opposite.
I'm still taking the Bills coming off a bye, but the return of Lamar Jackson spices this one up quite a bit. The Bills are favored by 3 points at home right now.
Game pick: Bills win
Kansas City Chiefs (1st place, AFC West) @ Denver Broncos
Another midseason matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs with extremely high stakes. Although these two teams meet up twice per season, this will only be the fourth time Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix have gone head-to-head since Nix came into the league in 2024.
The first matchup between those two ended with a blocked field goal by the Chiefs to win at Arrowhead. The next matchup between them came in Denver in 2025 where Nix and the Broncos pulled off a game-winning field goal to exact a measure of revenge.
The first matchup of the 2026 season was the Kenneth Walker show, and there was nothing Patrick Mahomes or Bo Nix could do to steal back the spotlight, for better or worse.
The Broncos missed nearly 30 percent of their tackles in that game, and have bounced back nicely. The Chiefs are coming off a loss to the Seahawks, so they are going to have a chip on their shoulder to bounce back.
Even though Kansas City is favored by 1.5 on the road, I'm taking the Broncos and the Mile High Magic.
Game pick: Broncos win
Cleveland Browns (1st place, AFC North) @ Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns and Steelers are already playing their second matchup against each other this season, and this one is for the AFC North belt.
Well, at least for now...
The Steelers haven't lost a game since getting beat in Cleveland nearly a month ago. They are obviously going to want to get that bitter taste out of their mouths, but the Browns are going to have something to say about it as well.
Even if neither of these teams wins pretty, they have been finding ways to get it done. They match up well against each other in that regard. The Browns have been such a fun story this year, going 5-2 to start the season and shocking the whole league in the process.
Unfortunately, because it's the Browns, everyone is also trying to figure out when the clock will strike midnight. The Steelers are 3-0 as the home team this season, and I think they extend it to four in a row to start 2026. They are 3.5-point favorites, and I think they get it done.
Game pick: Steelers win
Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1st place, AFC South)
If there is anyone sitting comfortably after Week 7, it's the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even after losing their last game going into a Week 7 bye week, the Jaguars got nothing but help over the last handful of days.
They watched on Sunday as all of the Colts, Titans, and Texans lost games. The Colts followed up a loss by getting rid of Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner in trades.
The Jaguars feel like they have such a substantial lead in their division right now, and they've only played six games. It's truly impressive.
At this point, Liam Coen is going to have to make sure his team doesn't fall into a state of complacency. It is going to be easy to go into this game against the Colts and feel like they will just coast to a win, but you have to be careful with teams that are desperate.
Jacksonville is a 10-point favorite after all the Colts' moves, and they should win easily coming off a bye. Should...
Game pick: Jaguars win
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