Thursday Window
New Orleans Saints (2-4) @ Arizona Cardinals(2-4)
The DraftKings Sportsbook line O/U 45 points. Currently, the Cardinals are favored by 1.5 Points. They welcome back DeAndre Hopkins this week as his 6 game suspension has concluded. This WR room has changed a lot, but hopefully, they have reached final form. Hollywood Brown has avoided season-ending surgery but is still going to miss a substantial amount of time. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals incorporate a WR with a very similar skill set in Robbie Anderson. Despite the return of D-Hop and the addition of Robbie Anderson, the Saints are a better team. Expect to see a close game that could be very high scoring. If the saints can limit the improvisation of Kyler Murray on broken plays/ scramble drills, there is a chance that NO runs away with it. The Cardinals' pass defense is not strong, if the Saints can get the ball to Chris Olave early and often that will be the formula for them to win. With Isaiah Simmons likely shadowing Alvin Kamara out of the backfield, victory will likely have to be secured by solid New Orleans QB play. Andy Dalton is projected to get the start, but Winston is yet to be ruled out. Saints win.
Sunday Window
Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1)@ Tennessee Titans (3-2)
The Colts head to Tennessee to take on the Titans in a matchup that will see the winner vault first place of the AFC south. The Titans are favored at home by 3, and the O/U sitting at 43 points. Matt Ryan remembered that he was a former NFL MVP and posted his best game of the season in a pivotal week 6 match-up. The Colts will more than likely get Jonathan Taylor back this week and will look to carry over the momentum as they have a chance to become division leaders. The Titans are coming off of their bye and got extra time to prepare for the Colts. The weather is starting to shift, temperatures are going to drop and King Henry numbers are going to skyrocket. Titans come out of the bye better rested and defend their home stadium and retain the first spot in the division. The Colts' run defense is ranked 23rd in the league, according to ESPN. A well-rested Henry executes on his heavy workload. Titans win.
New York Football Giants (5-1)@ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4)
The Football Giants are 5-1. Yeah, no one can believe it. The Giants are 3-point underdogs heading into Duval County. The O/U is sitting at 42 points. The Giants are getting no respect and have only lost one game. Saquon scored the game-sealing touchdown last week as they capped off a victory against the Baltimore Ravens, securing what looks to be their most impressive win so far. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have been extremely inconsistent on both sides of the ball. Their offense started off the year hot, Their running backs were producing and Christian Kirk looked like a true WR1. Same story with their defense. We have seen them lock up the Chargers and look like an emerging juggernaut, then just this past week Matt Ryan carved them up. The Giants Win and collect their 6th win based on the Jags not being able to find a groove for 60 mins.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers(3-3) @ Carolina Panthers(1-4)
After coming up small against the Steelers, the Bucs get an opportunity to beat up on a very weak divisional opponent. The Draftkings Sports Book line has the Bucs favored by 10.5 points on the road. I do not believe that is even close enough. The O/U is 40.5. Brady has been all over big-time sports networks for screaming at his OLine. Do not get it twisted, as long as Brady is back there, the Bucs have a chance of winning the whole thing. Carolina is in shambles, there is no other way to put it. However, it is not because they have a bad roster. They actually have some young talent on that team that they need to hold onto. While CMC could be shipped off, Carolina needs to weather the storm that is the 2022-23 season and look ahead to fixing their QB room. Expect Brady to target whichever one of his WR (Evans or Godwin) is lined up away from Jaycee Horn. Brian Burns will look to make an impact- if he can consistently get off the ball and beat his assignment Brady is a sitting duck in that pocket. Even if Brian Burns can wreck the game, Fournette and White’s pass-catching ability out of the backfield will quickly penalize those who fly up the field and forget the importance of their contain obligation. Bucs win.
Green Bay Packers(3-3) @ Washington Commanders (2-4)
A week after losing Carson Wentz, the Commanders welcome a struggling Packers team to town. The Packers are favored by 5.5 points and the O/U is 41.5. Had Carson Wentz been playing this game, it could have been pretty exciting. Taylor Heinicke will look to fill Wentz's spot and provide similar production, but the Commanders have a multitude of issues to blame for being 2-4. With Heinicke under center, their offense will more than likely move toward a west coast style approach. Expect to see a lot of WR attacking the strong side flats. I would also try to get J.D. McKissic lined up against their LBs. Quick, horizontal pre-snap motions from their speedy receivers to identify a man or zone should be implemented to help Heincke identify what he is looking at. The Commander O line is not good, so Rashaad Gary will be hunting Heincke every single play. These reads will have to be quick and the Packers will more than likely cause mistakes because of that. This will set Rodgers up with extra possessions and short fields. While the Packers would love to run the ball and control the game, the front 7 of the Commanders match up well. The game will be won on 3rd down through the air. With Randall Cobb not currently playing, Romeo Dobbs and Robert Tonyan will have to come up big as security blankets on these plays. The Packers Win but the Commanders cover.
Detroit Lions (1-4)@ Dallas Cowboys(4-2)
Dak Prescott will be active for this game, the Cooper Rush truthers have returned to calling him “just a backup”. The Cowboys are 7-point home favorites and the O/U is a healthy 49 points.. Dallas is coming off an L to a divisional opponent that they spent all week trashing. While the Cowboys' defense is the best aspect of their team, their engine is Dak. They play well for him, and with the health of the hand about to be tested, they will more than likely lean on Zeke and Pollard to move the ball. If Dak is forced to throw more than 18-20ish times, the Cowboys could be in trouble. The Lions are coming off of a bye week and one of their worst performances a week prior to that bye week. Jared Goff is going to have to play a near-flawless game in order to make up for his Lions' defense. A crucial element here is the Lions' offensive line, they are a top unit in the NFL. If they can replicate what Philly did by forcing Micah Parsons to make split-second decisions and slow his feet down there will be receivers open. The Cowboys' run defense is nothing to boast about either. A heavy dose of Williams and Swift should open up play action and double moves for the receivers on the outside. We all know what happens when “superstar ” corner Trevon Diggs gets hit with a double move. If Goff can protect the ball against a hungry Dallas defense and use their aggressiveness against them, the Lions Win.
Atlanta Falcons (3-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-3)
The Falcons proved me wrong long last week as they handled the 49ers! Week 7 of the NFL season brings the Falcons to Cincinnati with a combined O/U of 47.5 points. The Bengals are favored by 6 points. This should finish out as an exciting game but there is also the possibility of a complete dud for both involved parties. The Falcons will continue to run the ball as the Bengals have a respectable secondary. They will really miss Coradalle Patterson in this game, his skill set out of the backfield would have been a tough assignment for the Bengals' LB core. Aj Terrel is one of the best corners in the league and will predominantly be on Jamar Chase, an assignment that most of the time does not work out for the defense. If the Bengals can get Joe Mixon going they will handle this game easily. If Grady Jarret and the Falcons' front 7 can stuff the run then they will force Joey Shiest to sit in the pocket and let his routes develop they have a puncher's chance. The Bengals get results on the ground and win the game.
Cleveland Browns (2-4)@ Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
The final game of the 1 pm window is another divisional dogfight. The Ravens are 6.5-point favorites at home and the O/U is stamped at 45.5 points. Week 6 showed us a breakout game for Kenyan Drake and the Ravens are really hard to beat when they are able to run the ball at will. They have struggled with backfield consistency. The Browns are the same story, except their backfield has not struggled with consistency; it has been the QB play for them. This game will more than likely have an explosive play for a TD as the box will typically be filled with 8 defenders when the play-calling script is neutral. I expect to see a lot of cover 1 or cover 0 from both defenses in obvious passing downs to force a hot read and short gain, or better yet turnovers. Whichever team can execute play action better and get one of their pass catchers hot will take the game. I give an advantage to the Ravens.
New York Jets (4-2) @ Denver Broncos (2-4)
The DraftKings sports book line has the Broncos favored by 1.5 points, with an O/U of a disgusting 38.5. The New York Jets are second in the AFC east behind arguably the best team in football the Buffalo Bills. The Jets have shocked opponents and have not shown any signs of not being able to continue. Meanwhile, the Broncos are quickly becoming this season's punching bag. Breece Hall has emerged as THE guy for this offense, they are going to try and feed him the ball every opportunity they can. His backup-Michael Carter is no slouch either, filling in quite nicely for Breece while he rests. The Jets have kept the ball out of Zach Wilson's hands and are 2-0 since he returned. Meanwhile, the Broncos have continuously put the game/ball in Russell Wilson's hand. The Broncos are about to play their 7th game and have not put up more than 23 points in a game. Melvin Gordon who was splitting time with an emerging star Javonte Williams has now been benched for an RB who was signed off the STREET. Nathaniel Hackett and his staff wouldn't give Javonte Williams a workhorse role but they can sign someone off the street to a workhorse role. The only reason the Broncos are favored is that their defense is good enough to give them a chance in every game. Fire Hackett and we can talk. Jets Win.
Houston Texans (1-3-1) @ Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
Las Vegas is a 7-point favorite at home and the O/U here is 45.5 points. Although both teams are last in their division they will be given a chance to gain some ground in this matchup. The Raiders will finish with a better record than Broncos but would have to get scorching hot if they look to make noise against the Chargers or Chiefs. That 1-point L last week to the Chiefs had to sting. Meanwhile, the Texans division is wide open with no clear favorite. While DeVante Adams is the best player on the field, LV Raiders RB Josh Jacobs has broken his own rushing record in back-to-back opportunities. The Texans are going to have to have to tackle Josh Jacobs 20-25 times and that is going to get exhausting. The Raiders are at their best when Jacobs has a full workload and they are a much better team than their record reflects. The Texans have struck gold with their rookie running back Dameon Pierce. The Raiders are also going to get sick of hitting this guy 20-25 times. Maxx Crosby of the Raiders and Jerry Hughes of the Texans will look to contain the run and keep the explosive runs to a minimum. When the Ball has to be put in the air in crucial scenarios. Raiders Win.
Seattle Seahawks (3-3) @Los Angeles Chargers( 4-2)
The Chargers will host the Seahawks and have been marked as 6-point favorites heading into this matchup. The O/U is a juicy 51 points and is the largest of the Week 7 slate. Justin Herbert is going to pass for 275 yards or more and absolutely carve this defense. With Keenan Allen on track to return he could be on track for a massive day. The Chargers have missed him as he is their primary way of collecting first downs. On the other side of the ball 2015 Russel Will... I mean Geno Smith is playing outstanding football. He had a slow day last week against Arizona but they were in control of the game for the majority of the time and fed their running back. Geno is gonna have to put on a show this week because Herbie fully loaded is going to throw the ball all over the field with a lot of success. Chargers Win.
Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
The 49ers will look to bounce back after suffering a tough loss at the hands of the Falcons. The Chiefs are favored by 3 points and the O/U is 48.5. Other than Travis Kelce, it is impossible to guarantee who will also produce. Last week JuJu Smith-Schuster went for over 100 yards and a touchdown and for the first time this season he will look to string together back to back WR1 performances for his team. The Chiefs are in desperate need of a star WR to help Mahomes stretch the field and attack the sidelines. Last week, Brandon Aiyuk was one bright spot in a rather dark and poor performance from the entirety of the team. The 49ers are one of the, if not the most injured teams in the league and with constant subs in and out of the line-up it is hard to get settled into routine. The Chiefs will play down to the competition early but eventually pull away though superior QB play. Chiefs Win.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) @ Miami Dolphins (3-3)
Tua Tagovailoa is slated to return to action and it could not come at a better time. The Dolphins are 7 point home favorites as they welcome Kenny Pickett and the Steelers into Hard Rock Stadium. This will be the first time Tua see’s live NFL action after suffering a brutal concussion against the Bengals in week 4. The Dolphins looked like one of the best teams in the league getting off to a hot 3-0 before dropping three straight. Expect Tua to come out to a national spotlight on a Sunday night primetime game and BALL. The Steelers defense, historically and recently, has been none to be stifling. Without T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is listed as questionable, the Steelers are going to have to lean on rookie QB Kenny Pickett to keep up with the pace of scoring. They need to get Najee Harris the ball early and establish their run game. If the Steelers cannot get their run game going and the score indicates a passing game script for Pittsburgh, the Dolphins are going to try and force Pickett into tough reads. Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill should be lining up for a big day. Dolphins get QB1 Back and cruise to a victory on primetime.
Monday Window
Chicago Bears (2-4) @ New England Patriots (3-3)
Week 7 wraps up with the Bears heading over to Foxborough to take on the Patriots. The Patriots are favored at home by 7 points and the O/U is set at 40 points even. Mac Jones is projected to return to action this week. Justin Fields has been steadily improving but he is not at the point where he has done enough to upset the Patriots on MNF. Same approach here for both teams. They are going to lean on their RB’s to get the majority of the yards on 1st and 2nd down. Rhamendre Stevenson has really thrived when he has gotten the full workload. Damien Harris has a chance to return this game but with the recent success of his backfield partner he could have relinquished his early down back role. The Bears need to get the ball to Darnel Mooney as he is by far their most explosive player. Unless there is a total collapse and the Patriots forget how to play football they will wrap up the week with a victory. Patriots Win.
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