The Week 7 NFL schedule has a few intriguing matchups, with most of them taking place in the AFC. The Sunday slate takes to be a good one, although there are a few exciting teams on bye weeks missing in action. Making picks against the spread might be a little easier with a smaller amount of games compared to the start of the season, but there’s still a lot to learn about some of these teams after a decent chunk of action in the books.
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Washington Football Team at Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers -9.5
This figures to be a pretty big mismatch on paper, as Washington has struggled on defense all season long. They’ve already given up 30 or more points four games in a row, and it could be five when traveling to Green Bay on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers might not be at his best right now, but he should be able to pick apart this team with ease. Green Bay has some defensive issues of their own, but winning and covering is a likely scenario in this matchup.
Pick: Green Bay Packers -9.5
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans
Kansas City Chiefs -4.5
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At the beginning of the year, this would seem like a slam dunk to pick the Kansas City Chiefs. They have not been as sharp as many would like to see, but they still have all the firepower to get things done on the road. Will they be able to win by five or more points?
Expect this to be a shootout from the beginning. Not only does Tennessee struggle a bit defending the passing game, but they are coming off of a short week as well. Patrick Mahomes should be able to put up some pretty big numbers and show why he is a perennial MVP candidate. Ryan Tannehill himself should have a good game as well, but the Titans lose by at least a touchdown.
Peck: Kansas City Chiefs -4.5
Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins
Atlanta Falcons -2.5
It might only be Week Seven, but these two teams don’t seem to be playing for much more than a position in the next draft. Atlanta is the more well-rested team, as they had a bye week in Week 6. Meanwhile, Miami was playing in London a week ago, and they have a bunch of other problems plaguing their team as well.
With that being said, Tua Tagovailoa is a guy who is finding his footing as a starting quarterback once again. His injured ribs kept him out for a while, but he’s bounced back and seems poised to hold onto his job. Atlanta is by no means a juggernaut, but Miami’s quarterback is playing for his future for the rest of the year. Expect him to put up enough offense that the home team pulls out the victory.
Pick: Miami Dolphins +2.5
New York Jets at New England Patriots
New England Patriots -7
A pair of rookies will face-off in New England on Sunday, as Zach Wilson and Mac Jones try to fight off some early interception woes. Jones has been a better quarterback, and the Patriots are a better team as well. As long as he’s able to minimize his mistakes, he has a chance to win big.
Can the New York Jets actually go to Foxboro and win? The odds are certainly not in their favor. In fact, it’s looking more and more like a double-digit victory for New England. They still have plenty of playoff aspirations, whereas the Jets are in rebuilding mode already.
Pick: New England Patriots -7
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants
Carolina Panthers -3
Neither team has looked particularly sharp this year, and the only real sign of a prediction is that this game should be low-scoring. The Giants can’t seem to score consistently, and the Panthers have a hard time holding onto the ball.
With it being a low-scoring game and the Giants being a home underdog, the best bet is to take the host. They might not be the most consistent team by any means, but Carolina has lost three straight games and doesn’t look particularly hot either. The Giants get a rare victory in this one.
Pick: New York Giants +3
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens -6.5
A lot of people believe that this is the biggest game of the day, as the Cincinnati Bengals face a really tough road test against the Baltimore Ravens. Are the Bengals for real and ready to contend as a playoff team? They will have to get the job done against a Baltimore team led by one of the MVP frontrunners in Lamar Jackson.
In his young career, Jackson has never lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. In fact, most of them have not been close. However, this is a much different Cincinnati team, and Joe Burrow has enough weapons to keep this competitive. Baltimore might squeeze out the victory, but getting 6.5 points seems like a lot. Take the Bengals to show that they are for real.
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals +6.5
Philadelphia Eagles at Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders -3
These two teams are pretty evenly matched, so it should be a good one in the desert. Many thought the Raiders would struggle against the Denver Broncos in Week 6 after so much turmoil going on around the team, but they proved everyone wrong with a pretty convincing win.
As for the Philadelphia Eagles, their record is pretty tough to look at, but they have had a challenging schedule so far. Many think that they are still a very serious playoff contender, even if they’ve been up and down early on.
Can Jalen Hurts travel to Las Vegas and pick up a signature victory early in his career? Philadelphia likes what they have seen so far out of their quarterback, and this is a chance for him to show that he’s ready to go. Take the Philadelphia Eagles in a close one.
Pick: Philadelphia Eagles +3
Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams -15.5
For a team to be more than a two-touchdown favorite in the NFL, there has to be a huge gap. The Detroit Lions are bad, but saying they are this bad is pretty tough to swallow. However, there are some added implications to this game, as Matthew Stafford is going up against his former team for the first time. Maybe he will have some extra motivation to light up the scoreboard, as the Rams will win this game.
It’s just a matter of how much. The Lions have had some defensive issues, which is why the line is 15.5 points in the first place. Detroit finds a way to put up some points, but the Rams are just too much and could get to 40 or more if they get hot early.
Pick: Los Angeles Rams -15.5
Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals -17
If the previous line was large, this one is gigantic. The Arizona Cardinals are the lone undefeated team in the NFL right now, and they’re hosting a very below-average team in the Houston Texans. Is there any way for the Texans to slow down the Cardinals, or will it be a blowout victory?
Arizona is going to stay undefeated, but getting 17 points is crazy. It seems like sportsbooks are starting to realize that Arizona is for real, and they are going to put up points in a hurry. Arizona is not only undefeated, but 5-1 against the spread this year. However, this line shows that they have made the adjustments.
It’s a little bit scary to count on the Houston Texans to score some, since their offense is so bad. Arizona will just be too busy putting up points to care about having a lockdown defense. Take the Houston Texans against the spread, but Arizona still wins this by double-digits.
Pick: Houston Texans +17
Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -13.5
This is another Sunday afternoon game that is a huge mismatch on paper. Chicago is in the middle of trying to figure out what they are, while Tampa Bay is looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The Buccaneers will need to win by two touchdowns to cover, which might be hard for them to do given their banged-up core. They have a few players who might not be 100%, and the team could hold them out so that they are fresh for more important games.
Chicago might not be going to the playoffs this year, but they aren’t as bad as the record indicates. That’s not saying that they will win this game, but look for them to cover as the spread seems too much at this time.
Pick: Chicago Bears +13.5
Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers -4.5
The Sunday night game is a very unique one in the fact that it will showcase some of the best FCS quarterbacks in recent memory. San Francisco will start with either Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance, while Carson Wentz leads the Indianapolis Colts. Both teams are still optimistic about their playoff hopes, so this figures to be a pretty pivotal matchup overall.
The line indicates that this should be a pretty close game, and expect some conservative play-calling on offense to limit turnovers and move the ball down the field slowly. Indianapolis will try to be methodical on the road, and with a more dependable quarterback situation, it seems like they are the pick to go with. As 4.5-point underdogs, it’s a no-brainer to go with Indianapolis.