Best NFL Picks and Predictions (How to Bet Ravens vs. Bills Marquee Matchup in NFL Week 8)

Sunday’s afternoon action in the NFL doesn't get much better than the Baltimore Ravens hitting the road to take on the Buffalo Bills at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Both of these AFC teams are contenders to win the Super Bowl this season, and the Ravens are expected to get Lamar Jackson back in action after he missed three games with a sprained ankle. The Ravens won just one of the three games that Jackson missed, and their offense has struggled over the last two weeks in losses against AFC North opponents in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

The Ravens don't want to fall back to .500 this season, and they're set as small underdogs on the road against Buffalo.

With every team in the AFC North sitting at over .500 this season, the Ravens can't afford too many more losses, especially against teams that they may be competing for a wild card spot against.

Right now, the Bills are in first place in the AFC East, and they're coming off their bye week after a 5-1 start to the season. Josh Allen is the leading candidate to win the MVP award, and he's been terrific as both a passer and a runner.

Now, he takes on a Baltimore defense that features Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins and others in the secondary that could make it tough on a Buffalo passing game that has been short-handed at receiver for a lot of the season.

The Bills are hoping to keep things rolling out of their bye, as they're two games up in the loss column on the New England Patriots in the AFC East.

Oddsmakers have set Buffalo as a favorite at home, and there are several players on both of these teams that are worth a look in the prop market. So, ahead of this marquee matchup, the SI Betting team has made player prop picks, game picks, anytime touchdown scorer selections and more to help you wager on Bills vs. Ravens.

Best NFL Picks and Predictions for Ravens vs. Bills in Week 8

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Baltimore Ravens +3.5 (-110) vs. Buffalo Bills – Iain MacMillan
Josh Allen OVER 7.5 Rush Attempts (+106) – Peter Dewey
Zay Flowers Anytime TD (+165) – Peter Dewey
Ja’Kobi Lane OVER 2.5 Receptions (-134) – Peter Dewey

Baltimore Ravens +3.5 (-110) vs. Buffalo Bills – Iain MacMillan

Each week, SI Betting’s Iain MacMillan shares his favorite bet for every game in his Road to 272 column. He’s taking the Ravens to cover with Jackson expected back in the lineup:

Betting on this game hinges on whether or not Lamar Jackson is going to be able to suit up for the Ravens. Unfortunately, I place my bets early in the week, so I don't have the benefit of knowing whether or not the two-time MVP will be on the field on Sunday. The betting line indicates that he will, so I'm going to trust that, along with the reports that Jesse Minter is optimistic that Jackson will be ready to go.

When a team only has one loss on their schedule, and they have the best quarterback in football on their roster, a lot of their issues are overlooked. That's the case for the Bills, whose defense has been horrendous this season, ranking 30th in both opponent EPA per play and opponent success rate. They are the only defense in football that ranks in the bottom three in both of those metrics.

I hesitate to lay more than a field goal on any team with that bad of a defense, especially when that defense potentially has to face another MVP candidate at quarterback.

I'll take the points with Baltimore on Sunday.

Josh Allen OVER 7.5 Rush Attempts (+106) – Peter Dewey

Allen has been awesome on the ground this season, carrying the ball 48 times (eight times per game) for 240 yards and eight scores. Allen is the preferred option for the Bills in short yardage, handling eight or more carries in three of his six games.

Fresh out of a bye, I expect Allen to be as healthy as he’s been this season, which could be a good sign for him using his legs. The Ravens are allowing over four yards per carry to opposing quarterbacks, and Allen had 14 carries in the meeting between these teams during the 2025 regular season.

Baltimore ranks 12th in the league in EPA/Rush, so the Bills and Joe Brady may get creative with the running game rather than riding James Cook (who has had fumbling issues) on Sunday.

At plus money, this prop is worth a shot for the former league MVP.

Zay Flowers Anytime TD (+165) – Peter Dewey

Ravens star Zay Flowers has been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season, catching 40 of his 53 targets (in six games) for 608 yards and three scores. Flowers has three games with double-digit targets, and he’s by far the No. 1 option in this passing game.

Now, with Jackson expected to return, Flowers should get a major boost against a defense that has not been able to guard anyone in the passing game. After all, the Bills are dead last in the league in EPA/Play on defense.

Buffalo’s pass defense is one of the worst in the league, ranking 29th in EPA/Pass while allowing 15 passing scores. Opposing wide receivers have torched the Bills, scoring 11 touchdowns across six games – the most allowed to the position in the NFL.

It doesn’t get much better for Flowers, who is averaging over 100 yards per game and has caught at least five passes in every matchup. Since these teams combined for 81 points the last time they played, I’d expect another up-and-down matchup with a ton of offensive possessions for both sides.

Flowers has simply been too effective in space, and he has the fourth-highest target share in the NFL this season. That puts him in a great spot to find the end zone for the second week in a row on Sunday.

Ja’Kobi Lane OVER 2.5 Receptions (-134) – Peter Dewey

Ravens rookie Ja’Kobi Lane has played just one game with Lamar Jackson, catching one of his three targets in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts for 11 yards.

The third-round pick missed time with a wrist injury, but he’s returned to play a major role in this offense the last two weeks.

Lane played 54.4 percent of the team’s snaps in Week 6 and 68.7 percent of the snaps in Week 7, receiving five targets in each game. He reeled in seven of those passes for 65 yards. While those aren’t huge numbers, Lane has cleared this prop in back-to-back games, and he saw three targets in limited snaps in the opener before going down.

Jackson is an immediate boost to Baltimore’s passing offense, so I think Lane is a great bet to clear this prop for the third game in a row, especially if his snap share continues to rise.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and get $200 in bonus bets + 3 months of NBA League Pass when you make your first $5 bet.

Add us as a preferred source on Google