NFL Week 8 Picks w/Three Concert Reviews
The HOTPO staff is back on the beat and ready to bring you excellent reporting for the remainder of the football season.
Our re-energized staff has recently completed coverage of three concert events and has a full slate of activities to cover in the coming weeks.
The next two months we aim to bring you in-person coverage of the NHL, college football and NCAA cross country, along with our standard, slightly-better-than-mediocre NFL picks.
Let’s get you updated on some spectacular concerts.
Saturday, Sept. 13: Lucero at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.
Lucero is a top-three, must-see band for the HOTPO staff. They are currently doing a 20th anniversary tour commemorating the release of their album Nobody’s Darlings. The Memphis-based band has been playing that album front to back followed by another ten or so songs during this tour.
Coverage for this event was not without challenges to the aging HOTPO staff as it was a late show with the doors not opening until 10pm with an opening act scheduled. I experienced multiple declinations for the opportunity cover the show with me, to include the senior editor. There were also concerns that with the late start, Lucero might not play a full twenty-plus songs.
Fortunately, I was able to secure a battle buddy to cover the show with me. And, our fears of the show being truncated were alleviated immediately. We had the opportunity to talk with lead singer Ben Nichols before the show and he told us we would be getting a full set.
Lucero did not disappoint – another amazing show (the HOTPO has covered them four times now). There is also something about the 9:30 Club…the crowd is always friendly; the sound is always great; and the infiltration/exfiltration by Uber always works well. Can’t wait for the next opportunity to see these guys headline a show.
Friday, Sept. 26 – Saturday, Sept. 27: Oceans Calling Festival along the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland
I got the senior editor to commit to covering this event and we secured logistical support from some “friends of the HOTPO.” Again, with an aging HOTPO staff, we couldn’t commit to the full three-day festival. We did however maximize Friday night and most of Saturday while experiencing challenging weather conditions.
Friday highlights included the Black Crowes, Lenny Kravitz, O.A.R. and a brief sampling of Green Day under only light rain at times. On Saturday, we took a quick boat ride to a local watering hole to pregame the event then saw great performances highlighted by Modest Mouse and Vampire Weekend. The rain on Saturday was heavy and consistent, but it led to some great conversations while sharing tables with strangers when we ducked into establishments along the boardwalk to get out of the elements.
Saturday, Oct. 18: Modest Mouse at the Anthem in Washington, D.C.
The favorite band of the senior editor is Modest Mouse. For this one, we were able to get a commitment from a New York state-based contingent to join us, along with my supporter from the Lucero concert. Modest Mouse is not totally in my wheelhouse, but I do enjoy seeing them live because they always give a maximum effort.
If you are going into the Anthem, Uber is always the way to go and our driver to the concert was absolutely hilarious. Being a Saturday concert in the fall, Whitlow’s at the Wharf was the perfect spot to pregame the concert as they had plenty of screens covering the college football slate. It was another great show by Modest Mouse and we got introduced to a quality opening act, Built to Spill, out of Boise, Idaho.
Alright, let’s do some picks.
NFL Week 8 Picks
Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons (-7): The Falcons have been inconsistent and are coming off a 20-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that are depleted by injuries. Atlanta has bounced back with a win off of their previous two losses, however. Miami is on their second three-game losing streak of the year and a complete dumpster fire. – FALCONS
Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens (-5.5): The Bears are on a four-game winning streak and the Ravens are on a four-game losing streak, yet Baltimore is favored. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is still out this week, so the line here confuses me. – BEARS
Buffalo Bills (-8) at Carolina Panthers: Carolina looks like they are an improved team, but Buffalo is still a Super Bowl contender until proven otherwise. Not to mention, the Bills are coming off a bye and Panthers starting QB Bryce Young is out, according to Tyler Dragon of the USA Today. – BILLS
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals (-6.5): NorthJersey.com reports the Jets haven’t scored a touchdown in eight quarters. Defensive back Sauce Gardner and WR Garrett Wilson are banged up, as well. Unless you have fantasy implications, I wouldn’t watch this game. – BENGALS
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans (-1.5): The San Francisco offense has been ravaged by injuries, but they keep winning games. Houston’s record has been ravaged by shitty play. I am not feeling the Texans being favored. – 49ERS
Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots (-7): The Browns have the top-rated defense in yards allowed, but also have the 30th rated offense. The Patriots QB Drake Maye is having a breakout season, along with the 11th rated defense and the team is thriving under new leadership. – PATRIOTS
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles: New York beat Philly 34-17 just two weeks ago. Rookie QB Jaxson Dart and rookie RB Cam Skattebo have given the G-men a little bit of juice. It is going to be hard to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions two times in three weeks, though. – EAGLES
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4) at New Orleans Saints: The Buccaneers, like the 49ers, are weathering many injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Tampa is also coming off a 24-9 loss to the Detroit Lions. Playing the Saints is the perfect opportunity for them to get healthier while capturing a win at the same time. – BUCCANEERS
Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos (-3.5): This matchup features the Cowboys #1 rated offense against the Broncos #3 rated defense. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports is predicting a Dallas upset due to Denver struggling early in games offensively. I can’t get passed the Cowboys 32nd ranked defense. – BRONCOS
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (-14): My God, a 14-point spread?!?! I did NOT see the Colts performing this well this year. I do not pick Indianapolis unless I am virtually certain they will win. – COLTS
Green Bay Packers (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers: I had to do some reading on this one. Jacob Westendorf of Sports Illustrated wrote a comprehensive analysis and believes the Packers have a slight advantage. This has a shade of recency bias, but the Steelers loss to the Bengals last week wasn’t a confidence builder Yinzers. – PACKERS
Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs (-12.5): Kansas City has it rolling after a slow start. Washington will be without QB Jayden Daniels and possibly two starting receivers. – CHIEFS
Next week: the plan is to provide in-person coverage of the Washington Capitals and some general early-season NHL thoughts along with your Week 9 NFL picks. Enjoy the games.
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