Regular Season Week 7 Preview

NFL Regular Season Week 7 starts with the biggest rivalry in the league when Chicago travels to Lambeau Field to battle the Green Bay Packers as a +8 to +9 dog. Can Green Bay play well enough to beat Chicago after losing to Dallas at Lambeau in Week 6? See below our NFL Week 7 preview for every NFL game!

Editors Note: Check also Week 7 Betting Picks by Matt Ross

NFL Betting – Regular Season Week 7 Preview

Thursday, Oct. 20

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers -9 (8:25 pm ET)

The betting line has gone down in some sportsbooks to Packers -8.5. It should go down even more considering that the Packers couldn’t stop Dallas’ offense while Green Bay’s offense is in disarray.

It starts and ends with Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers. Who knows what’s going on with him. Whatever it is, it’s led to terrible play on the field. Fumbling the ball away while trying a quarterback sneak in the second half of the Packers’ loss to the Cowboys was a killer. Chicago covers on Thursday night.

Sunday, Oct. 23

New York Giants -2.5 at Los Angeles Rams (1:00 pm ET)

The Giants played well enough in Week 6 to beat Baltimore 27 to 23 as a -3.5 home favorite. The difference in this game could come down to each team’s passing attack. The Giants have the better passing attack with Eli Manning to Odell Beckham Jr. as opposed to Case Keenum to Kenny Britt.

But the Rams have the better defensive line. If Aaron Donald and his friends can get to Eli before Eli can get the ball to Odell, the Rams should win this game straight up, not just cover the spread. I think that’s going to happen.

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals -10 (1:00 pm ET)

I love the Browns’ chances to possibly get their first win of the season in Week 7. Cincinnati is like Green Bay. On the surface, they’re incredibly talented. But, for some reason, the team doesn’t have it together this season. Cincinnati is 2 and 4 straight up. The schedule has been brutal.

Cleveland has played well enough to have a shot in the second half of some of their games. The Browns’ schedule has been brutal as well. I think that Cleveland definitely covers the spread and could, possibly, upset a reeling Bengals’ squad.

Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions -1 (1:00 pm ET)

Detroit played well enough to beat the Rams in their last game. But Washington is surging. Washington has won 4 games both straight up and against the spread. Everything is coming together for Washington, who pummeled a decent Eagles’ defense with 230 yards rushing in their last game.

Since Detroit allows 108 rushing yards and 271 passing yards per game, Washington’s offense should have no trouble taking it to the Lions in this match up. Detroit will score, but Washington has the slightly better defense. Washington beats the Lions straight up.

Oakland Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars -1.5 (1:00 pm ET)

What worries me about Oakland is their defense. What was supposed to be the strength of this team has turned out to be a huge problem. Unless your quarterback is named Drew Brees or Tom Brady, you can’t expect to win games every week with your offense. The Raiders found that out in Week 6 when KC shut down Oakland’s offense.

But, man, the Raiders’ defense was horrible. Now the defense faces a good Jacksonville offense. Here’s something to think about: Jacksonville’s defense allows 218.4 passing yards per game. The Jags have won 2 games in a row against good offensive teams, Indianapolis and Chicago, due to their defense. Although 71% of football handicappers like Oakland, I love the Jags at -1.5 in this match up.

New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs -6.5 (1:00 pm ET)

My gut tells me to go with the Saints. There are two reasons that my gut has given me for going with New Orleans at +6.5 in this. The first reason is that KC goes into this game after beating their historically most hated rival, the Oakland Raiders, 23 to 10 on the road. The second reason is because the Saints’ defense has slowly improved. It’s still terrible. It’s just not ultra-terrible.

I also like how Sean Payton said that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and he are going to decide the defensive rotation based on what they see in the Chiefs’ offense. I like coaches that are willing to start different guys on defense depending on what they’re trying to accomplish. I’m with the Saints and the +6.5 points.

Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets -1 (1:00 pm ET)

After watching the train wreck that is the New York Jets on Monday night, I might take a loan out on my mother’s house and put it all on the Baltimore Ravens to cover in Week 7. I don’t own my own house or else I’d take out the loan on my house. That’s how much I believe that Baltimore will beat the Jets’ straight up.

A lot of sportsbooks haven’t set the betting line yet because they see what I’m seeing. The Ravens are just too good to lose to the Jets. I’d almost wager that every team in the NFL, including Cleveland, are too good to lose to the Jets right now. I might have to look for an alternate line on the Ravens.

Minnesota Vikings -2.5 at Philadelphia Eagles (1:00 pm ET)

I don’t understand this betting line, either. What I noticed about Philly rookie QB Carson Wentz is that he doesn’t take a lot of risks. This has to do with Doug Pederson’s system. He didn’t take any risks against Washington in Week 6. But that’s why Washington, who has a big risk taker in QB Kirk Cousins, beat Philadelphia 26 to 20.

I don’t see how Minnesota doesn’t beat Philly by at least 3 points in this game. Minnesota does everything well. It’s hard to beat a team like that. What I mean by do everything well is that even though they don’t have the best players rushing the football, as an example, they rush the ball well enough for 2.5 to 3 yards, to get defenses thinking rush. Minnesota wins this game by at least 6 points, is my prediction.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans -2.5 (1:00 pm ET)

Tennessee averages 146.7 rushing yards per game. Indianapolis averages 117.7 rushing yards per game. Titans’ QB Marcus Mariota has been unbeatable in the last 2 games in which he’s played. He’s rushed for more than 60 yards in each one of Tennessee’s last 2, both wins. He’s also thrown 6 TDs to only a single pick in the last 2 games.

There is no way that the Colts’ defense stops Mariota in this matchup. Titans could beat the Colts by 10 points in this game.

San Diego Chargers at Atlanta Falcons -6.5 (4:05 pm ET)

Wow, 6.5 points is a lot to give up to a team that averages 28.8 points per game. San Diego has an excellent offense. It should be able to go toe-to-toe with Atlanta’s offense, which is the best in the entire NFL. The 6.5 points is going to mean a lot in the 4th quarter when Phillip Rivers is either protecting a lead or mounting a comeback. That’s happened in every Chargers’ game this season.

Just so everybody is aware, the Chargers lost only one game by 6 points this season. That was the overtime loss to KC in Week 1. I’m definitely taking the 6.5 in the battle against Atlanta in the George Dome on Sunday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -2 at San Francisco 49’ers (4:05 pm ET)

At first, I thought the -2 on Tampa Bay was a gift. But, then, I started to think about how Colin Kaepernick played well at QB against the Buffalo Bills at least for a couple of series. Do I believe in Tampa Bay that much?

No, no I don’t. I think that Tampa Bay’s defense, which gives up around 104 rushing yards per game, is going to have trouble stopping RB Carlos Hyde and Kaepernick from racking up yards and scoring at least 3 touchdowns between themsevles in this battle. Sure, Tampa Bay could counter with QB Jameis Winston to WR Mike Evans. But in a game like this, I’ll side with the home team with the better rushing attack. I like San Francisco to beat Tampa Bay straight up.

New England Patriots -7.5 at Pittsburgh Steelers (4:25 pm ET)

My pick in this game against the spread has nothing to do with stats. I know for a fact that New England, with Terrific Tom Brady under center, is going to score points. I also know that Coach Tomlin is going to rip into his defense and offense about their performance in Week 6 that led to the 15 to 30 loss to Miami and possible season loss of QB Big Ben Roethlisberger.

I also know that Pittsburgh doesn’t often lose 2 games in a row. I think that the Steelers have too much character as a football team, and too good of a coach in Mike Tomlin, to lose this game by more than a field goal. I’ll take the points.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals -2.5 (8:30 pm ET)

Arizona has looked terrific in their last two games, wins over San Francisco and NYJ. But beating the 49’ers and beating the Jets is a lot different than beating the Seahawks. There’s a problem that Arizona has in this game. In both of their last wins, the Cardinals rushed the football exceptionally well. Seattle’s defense is based on forcing teams to beat them with the pass.

Atlanta, with Matt Ryan at QB, almost did it in the Seahawks 26 to 24 win in Week 6. I don’t think Carson Palmer can beat Seattle’s defense. I just don’t have enough faith in Palmer. I like Seattle to beat Arizona straight up in this mega match up on Oct. 23.

Monday, Oct. 24

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos -7 (8:30 pm ET)

The Broncos lost 13 to 21 to San Diego in Week 6. It was a surprise loss. But it sort of made sense. Denver and San Diego always play each other tough. It doesn’t matter who the coaches or players are. It’s an unsung, great, AFC rivalry.

I suspect that Denver bounces back big time against the Texans on Monday Night. I think that Denver’s D shuts down RB Lamar Miller and QB Brock Osweiler. I believe that Trevor Siemian goes back to throwing the football to Emanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.

I think that Denver has a great shot of blowing out the overrated Texans. I’m giving up the points in Week 7’s Monday night game.