Nat Coombs' NFL Week 8 Tips Including Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers
Week 8 of the NFL season sees six teams on their bye week, but there is plenty of action to enjoy with 12 games still be to be played.
Sunday's late game sees future Hall of Famer and Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers take on the Green Bay Packers - the team he led to glory in Super Bowl XLV in Texas.
Nat Coombs, fresh from hosting Five's excellent coverage of the games held in London over the last three weekends, is sharing his best tips ahead of this weekend's action.
A clean sweep last week gives Nat a success rate of 81% with 17 correct from 21. Check out his selections with the latest odds from BetMGM.
Bills @ Panthers: Bills To Bounce Back After Bye
Many are down on the Buffalo Bills right now, who were projected as a top-tier contender.
The redressed view leans into three key principles - their back-to-back losses, injury issues and scrutiny of their wins so far, which came against 'vanilla' opposition.
As such they have been kicked down to 'chasing pack' status, but I’m not overreacting in the same way as the herd.
GAME NOTES:
The Buffalo Bills have won their last 10 games after a bye week,
by an average margin of 9.9 points.
Sure, their banged-up defense has looked fragile at times, but lynchpin Ed Oliver's absence has been a key part of that. He's back and so too are Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht from suspensions.
It's also worth noting their first-round pick cornerback Maxwell Hairston is back training, although he is not likely to play this weekend.
Buffalo’s defense is trending in the right direction and will course correct as the season progresses.
Week 8 threads.@DeltaSonicWash | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/wZ0oTslpHu
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 21, 2025
Offensively, Bills' quarterback Josh Allen is short stacked with Dalton Kincaid, Joshua Palmer and Curtis Samuel all carrying knocks and listed as 'questionable', but the one-two punch of Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir remains.
The flipside of the criticism following their recent losses is that both the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are much stronger than initially thought, and both are credible play-off contenders.
GAME NOTES
Panthers have scored 1st in their last 2 games
Bills have conceded 1st in their last 2 games
Allen is flawless off a bye week, while Bryce Young is an injury doubt which means the Panthers could lean on Andy Dalton to keep up.
Realistically the focal point of Carolina’s offense will be the leverage of comeback kid Rico Dowdle against the Bills' reinforced defense.
Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 1: Bills (-7) To Beat The Panthers - 41/50 With BetMGM
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Bears @ Ravens: Lamar's Return Is Timely
Some people are suggesting that the Baltimore Ravens are no longer just drinking in the last-chance saloon, rather they are steadfastly sticking to their bar stools, with last orders now a distant memory, staff sweeping up all around them and the Uber ordered.
But wait a minute, in true WWE style, it’s Lamar Jackson! Lamar’s back!
GAME NOTES
The Baltimore Ravens (72.4%) have the best
record in the NFL after a bye week (21-8)
And he joins a relatively healthy roster, rested after a bye week and ready to roll.
Together with his tag-team partner and running back Derrick Henry - reminding us why he is still the King - the Ravens should get the win.
Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 2: Ravens (-6.5) To Beat The Bears - 23/25 With BetMGM
Giants @ Eagles: Another NFC East Points Fest
The Giants' victory over defending Super Bowl champions - the Philadelphia Eagles - just three weeks ago, kickstarted the Jaxson Dart-era.
Big Blue are now watchable again, even if last week’s extraordinary fourth-quarter collapse against the Denver Broncos – the NFL equivalent of the Hagler/Hearns legendary Round 1 slugfest – has dimmed some of that brightness.
GAME NOTES
The Giants scored a season-high 5 TDs against the Eagles in Week 6.
The previous game between these two should be re-examined too.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a pick-six and there was a lost fumble from running back Saquon Barkley, who has yet to come close to his fifth gear of 2024.
GIANTS ROOKIE DUO STUNS EAGLES 🔥
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 10, 2025
DART: 1 TD, RUSH TD, 253 TOTAL YARDS 🎯
SKATTEBO: 3 TD, 110 TOTAL YARDS 😤
FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT IN NEW YORK. pic.twitter.com/kjnkkgtmqN
That should be offset against the undoubted progression of the Giants' offense, which really established itself on the ground in the first meeting.
The Eagles' much-maligned passing attack is flexing again, but their secondary is banged up, so I see both offenses making a mark here.
Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 3: Giants And Eagles: Over 44 Total Points - 10/11 With BetMGM
Nat's Week 8 treble pays out around 23/4 With BetMGM.
Which bet do you like in the NFL this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.
