We're in the midst of spooky season, and the NFL has never been shy about giving fans a jump scare. Every week, there are results that we didn't see coming around the corner, and they essentially jump out in front of us like a villain in a horror movie. 

I mean, who had J.J. McCarthy essentially coming back from the dead like a zombie, reviving his career with New York and rolling into Houston to upset the Texans? Oh yeah. We did. The McCarthy-led Giants pulling off the upset was our best call in last week's column, but not our only victory. We also pinpointed the 49ers as a favorite on upset alert, and they ended up falling to the Falcons. 

There was more trick than treat, as our three other predictions didn't come to fruition, but we'll take what we can get. Now, it's time to look forward to Week 8 and identify a handful of favorites who are officially on upset alert. 

All lines via DraftKings; All times ET

Atlanta Falcons (+2.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• When: 1 p.m. ET | Where: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa)
• TV: Fox | Stream: (Fubo, try for free)
• Falcons ML odds: +114

Baker Mayfield made his return in Week 7, but he didn't have to do much to ensure the win for Tampa Bay. He threw just 11 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown during a 43-13 win over the Panthers. Carolina largely tripped over itself in the losing effort, and self-inflicted mistakes helped create a 33-6 hole at halftime. I'm not sure Atlanta will give the Bucs that type of gift for the second week in a row, and it could force Mayfield to prove he's healthy in this NFC South matchup. 

The Falcons are allowing the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game (88.9) in the NFL this season, so Bucky Irving may not have the same level of success he's had on the ground, rushing for over 100 yards in two of Tampa's previous three games. That puts even more emphasis on Mayfield dropping back to pass. When he does, he'll face an Atlanta pass rush that ranks fourth in pressure rate (41.4) coming into Week 8. 

There's a recipe here for Mayfield to struggle through the air as he works his way back from that right thumb injury and the Falcons feast. 

Raymond James Stadium also hasn't been the strongest home-field advantage for the Bucs either, as they've struggled to secure a win at home this season (0-4). 

Las Vegas Raiders (+1.5) at New York Jets

• When: 1 p.m. ET | Where: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford)
• TV: Fox | Stream: (Fubo, try for free)
• Raiders ML odds: +102

The Raiders are reeling right now. They've lost four straight, and their defense has completely cratered over that stretch, allowing 35.8 points per game and 11 passing touchdowns. It's a pretty jarring contrast when you look at the defensive production from Week 1-3 and Week 4-7 side by side and see just how far they've fallen. 

Looks bad, right? But let's peel things back a bit more and see who've they've faced over this losing skid, specifically at quarterback. During this losing streak, the Raiders have faced Patrick Mahomes, Drake Maye, Josh Allen, and Matthew Stafford. When you see the elite quarterbacks they've faced, it's no wonder they've been sliced up. 

Let me ask you this: Does Geno Smith fit in that tier of quarterbacks? Of course not. While Smith has been serviceable for New York, he doesn't instill the same fear as the other quarterbacks Las Vegas has faced, so I think the defense will have a chance to rebound a bit. That's especially true given the Jets have the second-worst red-zone touchdown percentage in the NFL. 

With a better effort from the defense, the Raiders offense has the pieces in place to put up points and roll into MetLife Stadium and pull off the upset. 

Minnesota Vikings (+3) at Detroit Lions

• When: 1 p.m. ET | Where: Ford Field (Detroit)
• TV: Fox | Stream: (Fubo, try for free)
• Vikings ML odds: +142

It's the unstoppable force (Lions offense) against the immovable object (Vikings defense) that is set to square off on Sunday at Ford Field. Minnesota is 6-0 to begin the season, but most folks (including the oddsmakers) believe this will be the spot on the schedule where they suffer their first loss. 

The Lions offense has scored the second-most points per game (30.7) and totaled the second-most yards per game (397.3) in the NFL this season. They're also tied for the second-fewest turnovers (3) in the league. 

While this will certainly pose a challenge for the stellar Vikings defense, it's not insurmountable. Minnesota's defense leads the NFL in points per game allowed (12.3), red zone touchdown rate (23%), opponent completion percentage (54%), sack rate (10.6%), and pressure rate (47.6%). They are capable of keeping the high-powered Lions offense in check. 

Really, this could come down to Detroit's poor defense and the Vikings' middling offense. I think this could end up being a get-right spot for Kyler Murray and company, as they face a Lions defense that is allowing the most total yards (391.0) and passing yards (291.8) this season. 

Since 2015, teams that are 6-0 or better as underdogs are 4-1 straight up. 

Baltimore Ravens (+3) at Buffalo Bills

• When: 1 p.m. ET | Where: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park)
• TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
• Ravens ML odds: +145

The Buffalo Bills will have the rest advantage in this game after being on the bye in Week 7, but don't sleep on Baltimore getting a shot in the arm with the return of Lamar Jackson. The Ravens QB is slated to make his return after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury. If he is the same player we saw over the first month of the regular season, Jackson will have the Ravens firmly in this game, even in a hostile road environment. 

Jackson looked quite comfortable in Declan Doyle's offense, completing 70.8% of his passes with a 119.6 passer rating in his games played this season. Both of those figures would either match or set new career highs for the two-time NFL MVP if they held throughout a full season. He's also averaging 10.1 yards per attempt, which dwarfs his current career high of 8.8 yards per attempt (2024). Sure, there's the possibility of some rust for Jackson, but he nearly played last week, so I think we're going to get something pretty close to a fully healthy version, which is scary news for Buffalo. 

The Bills defense is allowing 386.8 yards per game, which is the second-highest in the NFL. Their 28.5 points per game allowed is the third highest, so Jackson and Co. won't face much resistance when they're on the field. 

Moreover, Lamar Jackson is 10-5 as an underdog in his career, the best record by a QB since 1970 (min. 10 starts). 

Cleveland Browns (+3.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers

• When: 1 p.m. ET | Where: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh)
• TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
• Browns ML odds: +154

It's really hard to sweep a division rival in a given season, but it's not impossible. Cleveland defeated the Steelers 27-24 back in Week 4 at home, and a win on Sunday would mark the first sweep of Pittsburgh by the franchise since 1988. The Browns are also looking to snap a 22-game regular-season losing streak in Pittsburgh. That history suggests that they may not be able to pull out the victory in Week 8, but that also wouldn't take into account these Cleveland Browns. 

They have a knack for pulling out late wins. All five of their victories have been put together with a game-winning score in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. In those high-pressure moments, Deshaun Watson has rather remarkably answered the bell, completing 21-of-27 for 229 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions on those five game-winning drives. There's no other word to describe his play other than clutch and if this game is close in the final minutes, he's shown an ability to pull out the win. 

Meanwhile, the Browns defense is a borderline top-10 unit, allowing 5.0 yards per play and holding opponents to 20.4 points per game. 

While they'll get to enjoy the luxury of playing at home, I do wonder if the Steelers will be a little gassed in this contest after flying back from Paris, France, where they played an international matchup with the Saints in Week 7.