NFL Week 7 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
Bettors are gifted a spectacular Sunday night matchup. No international game this week. Here’s a quick look at all Week 6 NFL games, played Sunday unless noted.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints, Thursday
The big question here is whether Jaguars quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence will play after banging up his knee on Sunday in Jacksonville’s third straight win, 37-20 over Indianapolis. If this game weren’t Thursday, it probably wouldn’t be a concern. CJ Beathard is Lawrence’s backup and a massive downgrade. The Saints have been struggling offensively and lost 20-13 in Houston on Sunday despite 353 yards passing from Derek Carr, but the team isn’t putting together many big plays.
Pick ATS: New Orleans (buy down to -2.5)
Las Vegas Raiders at Chicago Bears
It looks as if both teams will be starting a backup quarterback but they are very different. For the Raiders, veteran Brian Hoyer is expected after relieving an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Sunday’s win over New England. Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent, a superstar at the Division II level in college football, relieved an injured Justin Fields in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota for Chicago and had two costly turnovers. Fields has a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Pick ATS: Las Vegas (buy down to -2.5)
Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland played a second straight game without starting QB Deshaun Watson – who may sit again this Sunday – and former XFL QB PJ Walker did just enough to lead a stunning upset of San Francisco on Sunday. Walker had two picks that easily could have been four, though. The Colts played without starting QB Anthony Richardson, who might now miss the season, and were routed in Jacksonville. Right tackle Braden Smith was out injured.
Pick ATS: Indianapolis
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Buffalo tried everything it could to give away Sunday night’s home game to the Giants but escaped 17-16 thanks to a goal-line stand at the end of each half. Bills running back Damien Harris had to be carted off and sent to the hospital but is already out and will be OK. New England is simply a bad, bad franchise and it’s probably time for Bill Belichick to retire. Mac Jones played slightly better Sunday but still had a crushing pick and took a safety in a 21-17 loss at the Raiders. Jones is clearly not the QB of the future but still apparently is the starter.
Pick ATS: New England
Washington Commanders at New York Giants
Washington snapped a three-game skid with a 24-16 win in Atlanta on Sunday. Sam Howell threw three short passes for touchdowns – but was sacked five more times and has been dumped 34 times overall — and the Commanders picked off three Atlanta passes. The Giants played without starting QB Daniel Jones on Sunday night and probably should have upset the Bills in Buffalo but had a couple of huge clock management mistakes in the close loss. No. 1 RB Saquon Barkley played for the first time since Week 2. Jones is likely back this week.
Pick ATS: New York
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Neither of these NFC South teams likely has their future starting QB on the roster right now and that showed Sunday as both struggled offensively in home losses. Second-year Desmond Ridder suffered his first home loss of the year Sunday by throwing three picks in a 24-16 defeat to Washington, although he did have 307 yards and two TDs. Baker Mayfield was just 19-for-37 for 206 yards and a pick in a 20-6 home loss to Detroit as the Bucs totaled 251 yards.
Pick ATS: Tampa Bay
Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens
Don’t laugh, but this could be a Super Bowl 58 preview. The Lions are running away with the NFC North but lost No. 1 running back David Montgomery to injury in Sunday’s 20-6 win in Tampa. He’ll miss at least this week. Rookie No. 2 Jahmyr Gibbs has missed the past two injured but likely to return. The Ravens played in London on Sunday and beat Tennessee 24-16 but opted not to take their bye after. Justin Tucker went 6-for-6 on field goals.
Pick ATS: Baltimore (buy down to -2.5)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams
Pittsburgh comes out of its bye with major offensive questions despite a 3-2 record – things are so bad that at Pittsburgh Penguins home game last week, the fans chanted “Fire [Matt] Canada!” He’s the Steelers OC. If Coach Mike Tomlin was going to fire him during the season, it would have been during the bye. That week off came at a great time as former NFL Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt suffered a dislocated finger and multiple torn ligaments in a Week 5 win over the Ravens but will play. The Rams beat the visiting Cardinals on Sunday but lost No. 1 running back Kyren Williams for at least this week. He’s among the league leaders in rushing yards and TDs.
Pick ATS: Pittsburgh (buy up to +3.5)
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
Cards QB Kyler Murray still isn’t apparently close to being ready for activation off injured reserve. Josh Dobbs had been playing pretty well in his place but regression has arrived with the Cards on a three-game skid and scoring a season-low nine points Sunday in a loss to the Rams. Seattle came out of its bye and had a chance to pull out a late win in Cincinnati failed on fourth-and-8 at the Bengals’ 9 in the final minute. Geno Smith was picked off twice.
Pick ATS: Seattle
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos
The Packers come out of their bye week with some pretty significant questions about first-year starting QB Jordan Love. He threw three picks in an offensively brutal loss to the Raiders in Week 5 and has six interceptions in his past three. Love also has the NFL’s lowest completion per centage at 55.6. Maybe he’s not the answer. Denver played last Thursday in Kansas City, lost its 16th straight in the series and the team looks like it is ready for a fire sale with top wideout Jerry Jeudy reportedly close to being traded.
Pick ATS: Denver
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
It’s a short week for LA, which lost 20-17 on Monday vs. Dallas in typical Charger fashion – mistake after mistake. Pro Bowl running back Austin Ekeler played for the first time since Week 1 off injury but didn’t score. Kansas City played on Thursday in Week 6 and beat visiting Denver 19-8 for a fifth straight win. Travis Kelce was questionable with an ankle injury but played – and Taylor Swift was there to see him yet again. When’s the wedding? Justin Herbert vs. Patrick Mahomes is always must-see TV, and the Chargers generally do give the Chiefs fits. KC did sweep last year but by three points in each and both easily could have gone the other way.
Pick ATS: Los Angeles
Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday night game and absolutely could be a Super Bowl 58 preview and features a pair of MVP candidate QBs in Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa and Philly’s Jalen Hurts. They are friends from their days at Alabama together, although Hurts eventually transferred to Oklahoma. Miami is by far the best offensive team in the NFL and trounced Carolina on Sunday 42-21 behind three Tua TD passes. The Eagles were the last team to lose in the NFL for the second straight year, upset 20-14 at the Jets on Sunday night in Week 6. Philly blew an early 11-point lead.
Pick ATS: Philadelphia
San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings, Monday
Monday night games can now be flexed within reason and there had to be at least a conversation about moving this one out. The Niners are fabulous and Super Bowl favourites, but the Vikings appear to be imploding and are without superstar receiver Justin Jefferson for weeks. San Francisco’s 15-game regular-season winning streak was snapped Sunday in a 19-17 loss at Cleveland with Pro Bowlers Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel both leaving injured and still TBA for this week. Minnesota was a 19-13 winner in Chicago, but the offence predictably struggled without Jefferson.
Pick ATS: Minnesota (buy up to +7.5)