NFL Week 7 Picks Against The Spread

Washington +6 over NY Giants- I’m not sure if the Redskins win, but they should cover if they can run the ball with Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris and control the clock. New York usually plays teams close at home and Washington has a good deal of success against the Giants, though I do expect Big Blue to win. However, if New York gets its passing game going against the weak Skins secondary, it could get ugly.

Buffalo -3.5 over Tennessee- As long as the Bills focus on running the ball and Ryan Fitzpatrick takes care of the ball, they should win this toss-up of a game. Chris Johnson should be limited and the Buffalo pass rush may even show up today.

Minnesota -6.5 over Arizona- The Cards are without their QB and top two running backs, so it’ll be tough for this team to consistently score. Adrian Peterson should have a very good game, and I’ll be excited to see the Percy Harvin-Patrick Peterson matchup.

Indianapolis -1.5 over Cleveland- The Browns’ pass defense gave up a bunch of yards, but forced turnovers in a win over Cincinnati in Joe Haden’s return to the lineup. However, I expect Andrew Luck to have a good bounce-back game in a Colts win.

Baltimore +7 over Houston- This should be a close game despite all the players the Ravens lost on defense, and that’s because of Joe Flacco’s no-huddle acumen. The Texans defense had a ton of trouble last week against Aaron Rodgers, and some of those struggles should continue today.

Green Bay -5 over St. Louis- The Rams have really good cornerbacks, but Aaron Rodgers is back in top form after his amazing game in Houston last week and St. Louis doesn’t have enough quality defenders to cover all the Packer receivers. Look for the pass rush to swarm Sam Bradford.

Dallas -2 over Carolina- The Cowboys should be able to contain the running game, but it’s up to Felix Jones and Tony Romo to carry the offensive load. Dallas has won eight straight against the Panthers, and that should barely continue in a low-scoring affair.

New Orleans -2 over Tampa Bay- The Bucs can’t really defend the pass, they’re 31st in the NFL, and are playing Drew Brees. That could be a problem; one that Josh Freeman won’t be able to overcome despite two hot WRs in Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams.

New England -10.5 over NY Jets- With no reliable backup to Shonn Greene, the Patriots will know that the Jets will want to establish the run. New England will be able to throw the ball around and control the clock with the re-establishment of the ground game.

Jacksonville +6 over Oakland- The way these two teams play, it’s hard to see either team winning by more than a TD. Expect a big game from Maurice Jones-Drew and a turnover from Carson Palmer that will keep it close.

Pittsburgh -1 over Cincinnati- The Steelers defense is not what it used to be, but I’m betting on Ben Roethlisberger in a matchup of two really good AFC North QBs. Heath Miller and Mike Wallace should have stellar games and Andy Dalton could still be snakebit from last week’s loss in Cleveland. Expect the Steelers to win in a game in the 20-range in scoring.