The NFL fixture planner has thrown out some top class match ups for week eight and @marcasbrennan takes a closer look at what players look set to steal the headlines tonight.
Le'Veon Bell over 95.5 rushing yards @ 10/11
I expect Bell to have a huge game for the Steelers tonight and thoroughly expose the Bengals rush defence. Cincinnati tend to start at a roller coaster pace and skate into an early lead which starts to see the opposition slowly move away from the run game. Teams have made the second fewest rushing attempts when playing against the Bengals and this is solely down to having to keep pace with them as they are giving up a huge 4.9 yards a carry to running backs. Bell will receive 20 carries and the Steelers offensive line has impressed me with their ability to create running lanes of late.
Todd Gurley over 97.5 rushing yards @ 5/6
Right now going on form Todd Gurley is the best ball carrier in the NFL. The first round draft pick has been a beast since returning from injury and the best thing about this bet is that head coach Jeff Fisher will persist with the so called smash mouth football. The 49ers are 20th in rush defence and will struggle away from home no matter how many players they play in the box. Another 100 yard game lies in wait for Gurley.
Julio Jones over 95.5 receiving yards @ 5/6
Jones is the type of receiver that gives corners nightmares and the Buccaneers have had more sleepless nights than any other outfit. In the two games played against Tampa Bay in 2014 the wide receiver accounted for 17 receptions and over 275 yards. Matt Ryan's play of late has been disappointing but Jones is still catching a high number of passes. Playing at home against a team he generally terrorises makes the above selection a no-brainer.
Joe Flacco over 255.5 passing yards @ 10/11
Flacco is one of the most frustrating quarterbacks in the league as he fails to perform when expectations are high and takes over a game when little is expected. Unfortunately for him his wide receiving core this year have let him down but they will need a big game, as I expect the Chargers to score heavily against the Ravens defence. Phillip Rivers will take advantage of a pedestrian Baltimore secondary and this will mean a high scoring affair. Flacco will need to throw the ball to keep tabs with an inform Rivers and this will mean a high passing total.
Odell Beckham Jr over 85.5 receiving yards @ 5/6
Odell Beckham, if fit, will surely be looking at tonight's matchup and be expecting a huge game. The Saints defence have stepped it up of late but they still possess one of the worst secondaries in the league. They are constantly giving up big numbers to wide receivers and this was evident in last week's win against the Colts. Beckham Jr is the number one wideout for Manning and I expect him to catch a few deep balls tonight.
Jonathan Stewart over 80.5 rushing yards @ 10/11
The Panthers are brimming with confidence. They possess a quarterback who is showing some real quality and a top five defence that is hard to move the ball against, but their running game is something that is going unnoticed at the minute. Jonathan Stewart is in great form and has rushed with real intensity over the past two weeks. On Monday night they welcome a Colts outfit that have zero confidence and struggle to stop the run when on their travels. Back to back 100 yard matches should be in store for Stewart.
