NFL Week 7 Predictions and Picks Against the Spread: Six Best Bets
Another blistering 5-1 week means we are all the way back. Sure, we benefitted from a last-minute safety from the Raiders but that's why you bet against the Patriots and there are no pictures in the box score. Through six weeks of the year we are 22-14 (.611) and loving it. Like Will Hunting taunting Prof. Gerald Lambeau we stand before you asking if you know how easy all of this is for us. The good book says pride cometh before the fall but it's damn hard to be humble when you're firing off heater after heater. Let's keep the momentum going and keep everyone fat and giggly.
LIONS (+3) over RAVENS
Hell has frozen over and even serious pundits are saying the team from Detroit is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They dominated the Buccaneers on the road to stay unblemished away from Ford Field and their depleted defense continues to prove itself up to the challenge. Lamar Jackson is a different puzzle altogether but he hasn't exactly been scoring points in bunches this season. Jared Goff does not jump off the page until opponents realize they are down double-digits and his offense is bleeding the clock one annoying third-down conversion at a time. David Montogemery and Jahmyr Gibbs have injury concerns and this is the least confident we've felt picking the Lions in a long time-- yet they've more than earned the benefit of the doubt. Lions 27, Ravens 24
RAMS (-3) over STEELERS
The Rams feel like a team that's going to lock up a Wild Card berth in a few months and everyone's going to wonder what the hell happened. But they are pretty good. This line is a bit odd because one knows the Steelers are going to have a decided homefield advantage out in Los Angeles as their fans overtake SoFi. Yet they've been winning with duct tape and Kenny Pickett hasn't quite reached the level where one can expect any type of consistency. As a bonus bet, consider an alternate line as our Spidey-senses are suggesting this one might get out of hand. Rams 31, Steelers 15
GIANTS (+2) over COMMANDERS
The grind-it-out approach with Tyrod Taylor almost resulted in a stunning road upset if not for some terrible goal-line management. A healthy Saquon Barkley makes a difference. Do we think the Giants' many problems are fixed? No. But they're going to go forward and play hard and avoid as many embarrassments the first third of the schedule presented. Giants 20, Commanders 17
BILLS (-8.5) over PATRIOTS
It's fair if you struggle to trust the Bills to cover given the wild swings of consistency Josh Allen exhibits every week. However, those fears should be offset by the opponent on Sunday. The Patriots are not only a terrible team with the worst vibes in the NFL whose few good players are all hurt by now, but Allen has given them the business the last few times they've met. In the three Bills-Pats games since that weird, windy night in 2021 when Mac Jones threw three passes and won, Allen has averaged 263 yards passing while throwing eight TDs to only one interception. All three were double-digit wins for Buffalo, and two of the three were in Foxborough like this week. It shouldn't be close. Bills 34, Patriots 16
EAGLES (-1.5) over DOLPHINS
Jalen Hurts' brutal interception at the end of the Jets game means the Birds are not getting a ton of respect from Vegas. The Dolphins are indeed very good but usually when two elite teams match up the line will be at least a field goal in favor of the home side. That's great for us because we're buying Philly coming out angry after last week's blunder and taking an early lead on Miami that they never relinquish. Tua Tagovailoa will keep it close but letting the Panthers waltz out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter last week suggests the defense still has a ways to go before they can be relied upon to show up when it counts. Eagles 33, Dolphins 27
VIKINGS (+7) over 49ERS
Lots of risky business happening here because both Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey left last week's game with injuries and their status for this MNF matchup is up in the air. If neither can go then this line suddenly looks like a gift from the heavens. If they can, well, Minnesota might want to buckle up. The bet here is that the injuries will slow down San Francisco enough for Kirk Cousins to keep it close at home. More than anything, a primetime game against the best team in the league dealing with injuries just feels like a ripe opportunity for Cousins and the Vikings to give their fans hope they can pull off the upset before crashing and burning hard late in the contest. Betting on vibes isn't always a great idea, but with the Vikings it often works out. 49ers 24, Vikings 18