Betting
10/17/24
12 min read
2024 NFL Week 7: Expert Picks, Predictions For Every Game
After somewhat of a dud in NFL Week 6, get ready for one of the best Sunday afternoon slates of the season. There are several high-quality games that could have a massive impact on the NFL playoffs this year, with several Super Bowl contenders facing off against one another.
In fact, we even have the 2023-2024 Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and the 49ers in the late afternoon spot. It’s going to be a fantastic week of NFL action, and here are our predictions for every matchup going into Week 7:
>> READ MORE: Latest NFL Power Rankings
Week 7 Expert Picks, Predictions
Denver Broncos (3-3) vs. New Orleans Saints (2-4)
Spread: Broncos -1.5
Total: 37
Sean Payton returns home to take on his former team on Thursday Night Football. Unfortunately, this game just doesn’t have a lot of juice outside of that, given all of the injuries on both sides. The Denver Broncos will be without Patrick Surtain II, but the New Orleans Saints are far more beat up.
The Saints will be without Derek Carr and his top two receivers (Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed) in this primetime matchup. They have now lost four straight games and are beat up coming into this contest.
Both squads will be starting rookie quarterbacks, but it’s hard to envision either putting up 20+ points. This likely won’t be the most entertaining matchup of the week.
Score Prediction: Broncos 17, Saints 13
New England Patriots (1-5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)
Spread: Jaguars -5.5
Total: 42.5
This is the second game for the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, and it will be hard for them to play worse than they did against Chicago. The defense was atrocious, and the receivers couldn’t stop making mistakes. It's a massive game for Doug Pederson, who might lose his job with another loss in Week 7.
This is a much better matchup against Drake Maye, who will be making his second career start. Maye showed some promise against the Texans, but the New England Patriots just don’t have a ton of talent.
Even against the Jaguars, the Patriots will be lucky to score 20+ points. Expect this to be a sloppy, low-scoring game with the Jaguars winning but not covering.
Score Prediction: Jaguars 23, Patriots 19
Detroit Lions (4-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Spread: Vikings -2.5
Total: 49.5
The best game of the Sunday afternoon slate features the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings hosting the 4-1 Detroit Lions, who are coming off a massive win against the Cowboys.
However, they lost Aidan Hutchinson (leg injury) for the season, and it remains to be seen what their pass rush will look like without him. The Vikings are coming off a bye and should be well-rested. There is even a chance that T.J. Hockenson (knee) could return to face his former team.
This is a tough game to predict, so we are taking the Lions and the points, hoping their offense will find a way to beat the blitzes Brian Flores will send. This is a huge game that could decide the NFC North and impact who has to play on the road in the playoffs.
Score Prediction: Lions 28, Vikings 27
Tennessee Titans (1-4) vs. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
Spread: Bills -8.5
Total: 42.5
The Jets weren’t the only team to acquire a Pro Bowl receiver this week. The Buffalo Bills added Amari Cooper in exchange for a mid-round pick, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him on the field this week. The Bills needed another weapon for Josh Allen, and with Keon Coleman struggling to get going, Cooper’s ability to separate should help this offense.
This could be a tough matchup for Buffalo because the Titans do have a solid defense that can stop the run and force turnovers. The issue for the Tennessee Titans is that their passing game has been non-existent this season, and time is running out for Will Levis.
If he can’t get things going this week, look for the Titans to consider putting Mason Rudolph in the lineup to jumpstart the offense. Tennessee should keep this game competitive, but the Bills will ultimately win in Buffalo.
Score Prediction: Bills 26, Titans 17
Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) vs. New York Giants (2-4)
Spread: Eagles -3
Total: 43
The New York Giants have been competitive against some good teams, including a win against the Seahawks in Seattle. But can they save their season in Week 7 with a win against the Philadelphia Eagles?
The Giants will be without star LT Andrew Thomas (foot), and that could be a major problem against Philadelphia. They also don’t have the cornerbacks to matchup with a healthy A.J. Brown, and he could wind up being the difference in this game.
The Giants did beat the Eagles in a key game late last season, but don’t expect the same result this time around. The Eagles need this win to keep pace with the Commanders, and they should be able to limit Daniel Jones and the Giants to 17 or fewer points.
Score Prediction: Eagles 23, Giants 16
Houston Texans (5-1) vs. Green Bay Packers (4-2)
Spread: Packers -3
Total: 47.5
Could this be a potential Super Bowl preview? It’s certainly possible, as the Houston Texans will lock up the AFC South by Thanksgiving and should host multiple playoff games. And with Green Bay’s defense leading the NFL in takeaways, you can’t rule it out in the NFC, either. Both teams have stud quarterbacks and defenses that can help win games.
This is a tough matchup for Houston with Nico Collins (hamstring) out of the lineup. If he were fully healthy, it would be hard for the Green Bay Packers to get enough stops in this contest. But they just aren’t quite the same on offense without their No. 1 receiver.
Look for Jordan Love and the Packers to ultimately get the win at home in another fantastic 1:00 PM ET matchup.
Score Prediction: Packers 27, Texans 23
Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-5)
Spread: Bengals -6.5
Total: 43
This spread started at Cincinnati Bengals -5 but immediately moved to -6.5 once Amari Cooper was traded to the Bills. Cleveland’s offense was the worst in the NFL before the Cooper trade, and now, it has lost its No. 1 receiver. This seems like a matchup where the Bengals should cruise, but the Cleveland Browns have been a difficult opponent for Joe Burrow.
The Bengals have lost six straight games in Cleveland and are just 1-8 against the spread in their last nine games against AFC North opponents. We’ll take the Bengals to win, but due to the Browns' defense, we expect this to be a very close game. The Bengals will be a public pick this week, so be careful with this spread.
Score Prediction: Bengals 20, Browns 17
Seattle Seahawks (3-3) vs. Atlanta Falcons (4-2)
Spread: Falcons -3
Total: 50.5
If you like points, this is the game for you. Kirk Cousins has been red hot in the last few weeks, and the offense is starting to come together. The best sign for the Atlanta Falcons is that their rushing attack is starting to take off, with Tyler Allegier and Bijan Robinson putting up big numbers in Week 7. If their offense can continue to be this balanced, they will be a tough matchup for any team in the NFC.
However, this is a good spot for the Seattle Seahawks to have a tough Week 6 loss to the 49ers. They have had 10 days to prepare for the Falcons, and their rushing attack should get going in this matchup. Atlanta has one fantastic cornerback in A.J. Terrell, but the Seahawks have three receivers that win in 1-on-1 matchups. We like the Seahawks to bounce back in a high-scoring contest in Atlanta.
Score Prediction: Seahawks 31, Falcons 27
Miami Dolphins (2-3) vs. Indianapolis Colts (3-3)
Spread: Colts -3.5
Total: 43.5
The expectation is that Anthony Richardson (hip) will likely be back for Week 7 after missing most of the last three games. Joe Flacco filled in admirably, but the run game suffered when he was in the lineup. It certainly didn’t help that Jonathan Taylor has also missed the last two games, but Richardson’s mobility makes the offense tough to defend, even if he is off as a passer.
The biggest question in this game is whether Mike McDaniel figured out how to put together a passing game during the bye week. Tyler Huntley is expected to start again, but this will likely be a week where the Miami Dolphins try to establish the run.
Expect a low-scoring game, but we are taking the Dolphins in an upset. They should be able to show off their speed in a dome.
Score Prediction: Dolphins 20, Colts 16
Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) vs. Los Angeles Rams (1-4)
Spread: Rams -7
Total: 43.5
The line for this matchup opened with the Los Angeles Rams favored by 5.5 points, but it has since jumped after the Las Vegas Raiders traded away Davante Adams to the Jets. Some wondered if Adams might return for this week, but this is obviously not the case.
The Raiders were blown out by the Steelers last week, while the Rams are coming off a much-needed bye week. Both teams have a bunch of injuries, so this game is tough to predict.
However, taking the better coach and quarterback usually isn’t a bad bet. And if Cooper Kupp returns to the lineup, the Rams can move the ball through the air. Take the Rams to win and cover.
Score Prediction: Rams 27, Raiders 17
Carolina Panthers (1-5) vs. Washington Commanders (4-2)
Spread: Commanders -7.5
Total: 52
This feels like a bit of a trap line, with the Washington Commanders *only* getting 7.5 points against the Carolina Panthers. Carolina has struggled to keep up in recent games, losing by double-digits in three straight contests. Andy Dalton's play has dropped off since their win against the Raiders, and it's fair to wonder if Bryce Young might return to the lineup soon.
Meanwhile, the Commanders look to be the cream of the crop in the NFC East and hung with the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 6. Jayden Daniels might be the NFL MVP, yet this line feels relatively low. We like the Commanders to win outright, but avoid this spread if possible, as it seems a bit fishy.
Score Prediction: Commanders 31, Panthers 23
Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) vs. San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
Spread: 49ers -1.5
Total: 46.5
The game of the week is our Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams should be well rested coming into this contest, with the Chiefs returning from a Week 6 bye and the 49ers playing on Thursday Night Football. This is a really big game for the 49ers, as they sit at 3-3 with a difficult schedule upcoming.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are 5-0 and have a huge lead in the AFC West. Andy Reid has a fantastic track record coming off a bye week, but the 49ers are the more desperate team here. Take the 49ers to win at home and avenge their Super Bowl loss.
Score Prediction: 49ers 26, Chiefs 20
New York Jets (2-4) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
Spread: Jets -1.5
Total: 36.5
Well, this game just got a lot more interesting with the New York Jets acquiring Davante Adams. It remains to be seen if he’ll play on Sunday Night Football as he deals with a hamstring injury and is new to the offense, but the expectation is that he’ll see at least a few snaps.
This is a must-win game for the Jets. They need to avoid going 2-5 to start the season. But Pittsburgh’s defense will give them quite the test, especially if Aaron Rodgers isn’t 100 percent healthy.
The Jets are the most desperate team, but the Pittsburgh Steelers should create enough pressure on Rodgers to steal this game. Take Pittsburgh to win at home in primetime.
Score Prediction: Steelers 20, Jets 16
Baltimore Ravens (4-2) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)
Spread: Ravens -3.5
Total: 48.5
At some point, Lamar Jackson will lose to an NFC team again, right? He is 22-1 in his career against the NFC and just had another impressive win against the Commanders in Week 6.
This could be the week as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the defensive tackle to slow down Derrick Henry and the offense to win a shootout. The Baltimore Ravens defense has been leaky in the secondary, and Baker Mayfield has played some of the best football of his career.
Take Tampa Bay as a home dog this week and expect them to pull off the upset in what could be an emotional game for the team returning home after the hurricanes.
Score Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Ravens 24
Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) vs. Arizona Cardinals (2-4)
Spread: Chargers -2.5
Total: 43.5
This is the second of two Monday Night Football games in Week 7, and it should be a fantastic one, with both teams having star quarterbacks.
The Arizona Cardinals couldn’t run the ball against Green Bay, which significantly hurt their offense. But this could be a much better matchup for them this week, as the Los Angeles Chargers don’t have the defensive backs to slow down the Cardinals.
The health of Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) will certainly be worth watching this week, but the Cardinals are a tough matchup against most teams because of how dynamic Kyler Murray can be. Take the Cardinals as a home dog against the Chargers, who are still dealing with a bunch of injuries on both sides of the ball.
Score Prediction: Cardinals 24, Chargers 20
