NFL Analysis
10/10/24
10 min read
2024 NFL Week 6: Expert Picks, Predictions For Every Game
We’ve got another fantastic week of NFL action on deck in Week 6, but there are some notable byes this week — the Chiefs, Vikings, Dolphins, and Rams.
The only two undefeated teams in the league are off, but there are some huge divisional matchups this weekend that will help separate the contenders from the pretenders.
Here are the lines and our predictions for every contest going into Week 6:
Week 6 Expert Picks, Predictions
San Francisco 49ers (2-3) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Spread: 49ers -3.5
Total: 47.5
This is suddenly a massive game in the NFC West, with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks being upset in Week 5. The 49ers have a losing record through five games and an incredibly difficult schedule, with games against the Chiefs, Cowboys, and Buccaneers.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks have now dropped back-to-back games, and their defense is struggling to get off the field. This should be a pretty high-scoring matchup, but Kyle Shanahan has a great track record against the Seahawks. Take the 49ers on the road in a must-win game for San Francisco on Thursday Night Football.
Score Prediction: 49ers 31, Seahawks 24
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) vs. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Spread: Bears -2
Total: 44
This is the first of two London games for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and they're in a good spot after beating the Colts. The offense looked significantly better in Week 5, and Brian Thomas Jr. and Tank Bigsby's emergence helped that unit take off.
They should also get back Evan Engram in Week 6, which will provide a big boost to their offense. This will be Caleb Williams' first overseas game, which could be a tough test for him despite his opponent's 1-4 record. Given their experience playing in London, take the Jaguars to get the upset win against the Bears on Sunday morning.
Score Prediction: Jaguars 26, Bears 23
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) vs. New Orleans Saints (2-3)
Spread: Buccaneers -3.5
Total: 41.5
This is yet another huge divisional matchup in Week 6, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints both coming off losses in Week 5. The Saints are banged up on both sides of the ball, and Derek Carr left the Monday Night Football game with an oblique injury.
Now, he isn’t expected to play, and rookie Spencer Rattler will enter the lineup for a must-win game. The offensive line isn’t healthy, which could be a major problem against Tampa Bay. With the Buccaneers having a major rest advantage here (10 days vs. 6 days), expect them to win outright in New Orleans and cover the 2-point spread.
Score Prediction: Buccaneers 24, Saints 20
Indianapolis Colts (2-3) vs. Tennessee Titans (1-3)
Spread: Colts -1
If Joe Flacco was named the starter for Week 6, the Indianapolis Colts would be an easy pick. Their passing attack just looks so much better and crisper with Flacco under center, but Anthony Richardson is likely to play, and he adds much more variance to this game. As does Will Levis, who is dealing with a neck/shoulder injury that he suffered in Week 4 on Monday Night Football.
Both quarterbacks from the 2023 draft are expected to go, so this game is tough to predict. We will go with the home dog, as the Titans are coming off their bye week and have been excellent on defense this season.
Look for them to lean on that unit to get the win here and improve to 2-3 on the season.
Total: 43
Score Prediction: Titans 24, Colts 20
Washington Commanders (4-1) vs. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
Spread: Ravens -6.5
Total: 52.5
Not only is Jayden Daniels the favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, but he is also a legitimate MVP candidate with the way that he’s played in the first five weeks.
But he’ll have his toughest challenge yet, facing the Ravens in Baltimore. No team might be better suited to stop Daniels than the Ravens, considering their defense has to face Lamar Jackson in practice every week.
Jackson has an incredible record against NFC opponents (21-1), and they should have no problem running the ball at will in this matchup. Expect a close game, but for the Baltimore Ravens to take care of business at home against the red-hot Washington Commanders.
Score Prediction: Ravens 31, Commanders 28
Cleveland Browns (1-4) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
Spread: Eagles -8.5
Total: 43.5
Did the Philadelphia Eagles figure out their defense problems during the bye week? Who knows, but playing Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns should be an excellent elixir.
Cleveland’s offense is getting worse by the week, and the injuries on the offensive line continue to mount. Watson likely can't take advantage of Philadelphia’s secondary, which means this could be another ugly outing for Cleveland.
If the Browns fall short again, expect a change at quarterback before their Week 7 meeting against the Bengals. Take the Eagles to win big on Sunday, especially with A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) likely returning to the field.
Score Prediction: Eagles 31, Browns 17
Houston Texans (4-1) vs. New England Patriots (1-4)
Spread: Texans -7
Total: 37.5
It’s typically not a winning strategy to take road teams when they are 7-point favorites or more, but it’s hard to envision the New England Patriots scoring more than 14 points this week. The good news for the Patriots is that Drake Maye will make his first start, which could inject some juice into New England's offense. But against one of the league's top pass rushes, don't count on it.
The only real question is if the Houston Texans can score in the 20s without Nico Collins (hamstring). New England is rock solid on defense, and the Texans have struggled when Collins isn’t on the field, but this is why they traded for Stefon Diggs.
Diggs and Tank Dell should be enough in the passing game for the Texans to win and cover the spread. Don’t expect this to be a pretty win, as the Patriots can run the ball and play sound defense. However, there is a significant talent difference, and that should eventually favor Houston.
Score Prediction: Texans 21, Patriots 13
Arizona Cardinals (2-3) vs. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
Spread: Packers -5
Total: 49.5
Kyler Murray is the NFL’s ultimate spoiler. In any given week, he can play well enough to upset any team in the league. He’s incredibly difficult to defend, and now that the Arizona Cardinals have weapons in their passing attack, they have the ability to score 30 points at a moment’s notice. That's exactly what happened last week as the Cardinals upset the 49ers in San Francisco.
However, this is a tough matchup for the Cardinals in Green Bay against Jordan Love, who is getting healthier by the week. The Green Bay Packers can really run the ball, and their defense can create turnovers at will this season. Look for the Cardinals to put up a good fight in Week 6, but for Green Bay’s talent to win out at the end.
Score Prediction: Packers 31, Cardinals 24
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)
Spread: Steelers -3
Total: 36.5
Pittsburgh has now dropped back-to-back games after a 3-0 start, and it’s mostly been due to its defense. Indianapolis and Dallas shredded them through the air, but they’ll catch a break in Week 6 with the Las Vegas Raiders amid a quarterback controversy. Davante Adams (hamstring) is out, and Christian Watson (foot) was recently placed on the injured reserve list.
The Raiders are decimated with injuries and just don’t have the quarterback or the defense to keep up with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look for the Steelers to bounce back and get a win in Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon.
Score Prediction: Steelers 23, Raiders 16
Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) vs. Denver Broncos (3-2)
Spread: Chargers -3
Total: 35.5
The Los Angeles Chargers were on bye in Week 5, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Justin Herbert has been dealing with a high-ankle injury for several weeks, and both starting tackles have missed time.
The Chargers are a tough team to project moving forward because of all their injuries, but the Denver Broncos have now won three straight, and their defense is playing way above expectations. Expect this to be a low-scoring rock fight in Denver. Take the Broncos to get the win as a home dog in this AFC West showdown.
Score Prediction: Broncos 17, Chargers 14
Atlanta Falcons (3-2) vs. Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Spread: Falcons -6
Total: 47.5
The Atlanta Falcons have looked better every week, and that shouldn’t be a surprise, considering they have a new coaching staff, quarterback, and weapons. Sitting at 3-2, the Falcons are in a good spot to start making a run to the top of the NFC South.
This is another favorable matchup, as the Carolina Panthers just allowed Caleb Williams to throw all over them last week.
Andy Dalton’s play has regressed in the last few weeks, and it’s hard to imagine Carolina scoring more than 20 points on Sunday. Their only chance is to run the ball, and Chuba Hubbard has been excellent this year, but Carolina’s pass defense likely can't hold up long enough to pull off the upset win.
Score Prediction: Falcons 27, Panthers 17
Detroit Lions (3-1) vs. Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
Spread: Lions -3.5
Total: 52.5
The Dallas Cowboys got a much-needed gritty win against the Steelers, but they did not play well in Week 5. They had three turnovers on offense and a blocked kick, nearly giving the game away in dramatic fashion. But they sit at 3-2 with Week 7 bye upcoming.
This will be a very tough test in Week 6 since the Detroit Lions are coming off their bye and fully healthy on both sides of the ball.
Dallas will still be without Micah Parsons, Demarcus Lawrence, and Daron Bland on defense, which means this should turn into a shootout. Look for Dallas to struggle to get stops and for the Lions to score more than 30 with ease in this NFC battle.
Score Prediction: Lions 34, Cowboys 27
Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) vs. New York Giants (2-3)
Spread: Bengals -3.5
Total: 49
The Cincinnati Bengals might be the best 1-4 team in NFL history, with Joe Burrow playing at a Pro Bowl level. That doesn’t mean much at this stage of the season. If the Bengals lose this game, their season is effectively over. And it might end on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants, who played their best game of the season in Seattle in Week 5.
The Bengals can’t get any stops on defense, and the Giants have proven that they can put together long drives to keep their defense off the field. New York should have a big advantage on the line of scrimmage and, therefore, should steal this win in primetime.
Score Prediction: Giants 24, Bengals 23
Buffalo Bills (3-2) vs. New York Jets (2-3)
Spread: Bills -2
Total: 41.5
Well, this game just got a whole lot more interesting after the New York Jets surprisingly fired Robert Salah on Tuesday. Jeff Ulbrich will be the interim coach, but we know who is really running the show in New York.
Will the Jets get the interim coach boost that so many teams get? Maybe, but they also play a really good opponent, the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo has now dropped back-to-back games, and opponents have figured out their offense. They depend on Khalil Shakir, who did not play in Week 5 due to injury. If he is out for this week, there is no one in the passing game that should scare the Jets.
However, can the Jets score 20 more points this week? And can Rodgers play better? We are taking the Jets here in an upset in a game that they have to win to save their season.
Score Prediction: Jets 20, Bills 17
