NFL Week 7 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
Three of the NFL’s best teams are on the bye in Week 7: Buffalo, Dallas and the Los Angeles Chargers along with Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. Thus, “only” 13 games. Here’s a quick look at all Week 7 NFL games, played Sunday unless noted.
Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns, Thursday
Cleveland was a short home favourite over unbeaten Arizona on Sunday but was dominated in a 37-14 loss. Top running back Nick Chubb didn’t play due to injury and then the NFL’s best backup RB, Kareem Hunt, left with an injury. He’s for sure out Thursday. QB Baker Mayfield injured his non-throwing shoulder but says he’s playing. We will pick this ATS like he and Chubb both are playing. Denver has been completely exposed since a 3-0 start with three straight losses.
Pick ATS: Cleveland
Washington Football Team at Green Bay Packers
Washington was a chic pick by some to win the NFC this season with what was supposed to be one of the NFL’s top defences, but that unit has been terrible. Washington lost 31-13 at home to Kansas City on Sunday and it looks like top WFT running back Antonio Gibson is going to miss at least a game with a shin injury. Green Bay won its fifth in a row Sunday, 24-14 in Chicago. Aaron Rodgers has 14 TD passes to just one pick in the five-game winning streak.
Pick ATS: Green Bay
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans
Arguably the NFL’s best quarterback in Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes against no question its best running back in Tennessee’s Derrick Henry. Incredibly tough short-week game for the Titans considering they hosted the Super Bowl-favoured Bills on Monday to close Week 6. The Chiefs were 31-13 winners at Washington on Sunday. Mahomes threw for 397 yards and two scores but also two picks – he has become a bit turnover-prone this year.
Pick ATS: Tennessee
Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins
Perhaps the AFC’s most disappointing team has been the Dolphins, who lost their fifth in row Sunday, 23-20 to Jacksonville in London – the Jags entered on a 20-game losing streak. Fins QB Tua Tagovailoa returned from injury and threw for 329 yards and two TDs but that won’t quiet the Deshaun Watson trade rumors. Atlanta comes off a bye. It didn’t have top WR Calvin Ridley in Week 5’s win over the Jets due to a personal matter but he will play in this one.
Pick ATS: Miami
New York Jets at New England Patriots
We finally have a rematch of an early-season game. In Week 2, the Patriots were 25-6 winners at the Jets. New York rookie QB Zach Wilson was terrible with four interceptions. New England rookie QB Mac Jones didn’t exactly light it up but didn’t turn the ball over. The Jets come off their bye, while the Patriots lost a wild 35-29 OT home game vs. Dallas on Sunday. New England is 0-4 at home.
Pick ATS: New England (alternate line of -6.5)
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants
The Sam Darnold experiment started well for the Panthers but has gone downhill in a three-game losing streak and there are Deshaun Watson trade rumours surrounding Carolina, too. It was thought superstar running back Christian McCaffrey would return from injury on Sunday vs. Minnesota but he didn’t. Canadian rookie Chuba Hubbard rushed for 61 yards and a TD. McCaffrey probably plays this week. The Giants were shelled at home by the Rams 38-11 playing without top running back Saquon Barkley and wideout Kenny Golladay. Good-looking rookie WR Kadarius Toney left injured on the first series.
Pick ATS: Carolina (alternate line of -2.5)
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Matchup of former Heisman-winning quarterbacks in the Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, although they are completely different players. Cincinnati had no trouble winning at Detroit on Sunday, 34-11, behind three Burrow TD passes. Baltimore won its fifth in a row Sunday, 34-6 over a good Chargers team. The defence allowed only 208 yards. The Ravens routed the Bengals twice last year.
Pick ATS: Baltimore
Philadelphia Eagles at Las Vegas Raiders
This will be the Raiders’ first home game since Jon Gruden quit as head coach. Many though the players would be hugely affected by that Sunday, but Las Vegas won in Denver 34-24 to snap a two-game skid. Derek Carr threw for 341 yards and two scores to make a winner of Rich Bisaccia in his NFL head coaching debut. He had never been a head coach at any level. The Eagles lost 28-22 at home to Tampa Bay last Thursday, rallying from down 28-7 late in the third to make it interesting. The next day, the Eagles traded three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz to Arizona.
Pick ATS: Las Vegas (alternate line of -2.5)
Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams
The Lions are terrible and the Rams are Super Bowl contenders but this will get a lot of national attention because of course Detroit traded franchise QB Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles in the off-season for another former No. 1 overall pick in Rams QB Jared Goff. Stafford has been stellar and is an MVP candidate. Goff had been decent until Sunday’s home loss to Cincinnati and Coach Dan Campbell called him out a bit. Could his job be on the line this week? Detroit is the lone winless team left.
Pick ATS: Detroit
Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals
Who would have thought Arizona would be a 17-point favourite over anyone when this season began? It’s believed to be the largest spread in franchise history. The Cards remained the lone unbeaten with an impressive 37-14 win at Cleveland on Sunday despite being without head coach and offensive play-caller Kliff Kingsbury and star pass-rusher Chandler Jones. Both tested positive for COVID. Too early to know if they will be available this week. Houston has lost five in a row and not been competitive in most of them.
Pick ATS: Houston (alternate line of +17.5)
Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chicago’s offence struggled yet again Sunday in a 24-14 home loss to Green Bay. Rookie Justin Fields was solid enough in throwing for 174 yards and a TD while rushing for 43 yards. The Bears were down to their third-string running back due to injury and rookie Khalil Herbert rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown. The Bucs were blowing out the Eagles in Philadelphia last Thursday but took their foot off the gas late and it nearly cost them. They were without two injured defensive starters and star tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Pick ATS: Chicago
Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers
Sunday night – and if flexing was allowed this early in the season, this surely would have been flexed out with both struggling. The 49ers come off their bye week, and it’s frankly not clear which injured QB will start this week: Jimmy Garoppolo or rookie Trey Lance. If Jimmy G is healthy enough, it will be him. The Colts were 31-3 home winners over Houston on Sunday behind 145 yards rushing and two scores from Jonathan Taylor.
Pick ATS: San Francisco
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks, Monday
What once would have been Drew Brees vs. Russell Wilson is now Jameis Winston vs. Geno Smith. The Saints are off their bye. Seattle began life without Wilson and predictably lost in Pittsburgh, 23-20 in overtime. Already without No. 1 RB Chris Carson, backup Alex Collins rushed for 101 yards and a TD but was injured himself. Not clear if either will play in this matchup. Smith threw for 209 yards and a TD, but his fumble late in OT led to the loss.
Pick ATS: New Orleans