Week 7 gives bettors 14 games to chew on, and the board has a little bit of everything. Some spots look straightforward, others feel a lot messier, but there are angles worth attacking across the slate.
Start with Chicago, where the Bears look very different with Caleb Williams back in the lineup. That matters, and so does a defense that has been better than it’s getting credit for this season.
Pittsburgh gets a strong matchup against a Saints run defense that has been the worst in the NFL. That opens the door for the Steelers’ ground game, and Jaylen Warren’s 5.5 yards per carry this season stands out. He should help carry Pittsburgh to a win in France.
San Francisco also looks set up well. Atlanta’s secondary is banged up, and Brock Purdy is playing like an MVP candidate. That combination should give the 49ers plenty of room to score.
Cleveland is another side that makes sense on the spread. The Browns are simply a better version of the Titans, with a slightly better quarterback and a stronger defense. Tennessee is only appealing in this kind of spot when it’s catching more than a field goal.
Minnesota draws a favorable setup too. The Vikings’ defense can put the Colts’ offense in a blender, and their run defense is the best in the NFL. Add in their blitz ability and Daniel Jones could have a long day, as long as Minnesota’s offense does enough to back it up.
The Dolphins have dealt with one of the toughest schedules in the league to open the year, and this is easily their softest opponent so far. That at least gives Miami a chance to make this one competitive.
Tampa Bay is another team worth a look. The old rule with NFC South teams still applies: the second you start believing in them, bet against them. But the Buccaneers’ defense has quietly been one of the better units in the NFL, and that can keep them in the game.
Baltimore’s situation looks tougher if Lamar Jackson is out again. That would leave the Ravens facing a Bengals team coming off a BYE and playing solid football on both sides of the ball.
Houston brings a defense that should get back on track, and C.J. Stroud has been playing at an extremely high level over the past few weeks.
With no faith in J.J. McCarthy, this projects as an ugly game for the Giants.
Denver also stands out. The Broncos have faced the toughest schedule in the league so far, and now they get an Arizona team that ranks last in the NFL in net yards per play. With that in mind, the spread feels surprisingly low.
Detroit is in a good spot coming out of its BYE. Brian Branch is back in the secondary, and that gives the Lions’ defense a major boost moving forward. This is the time to buy stock in Detroit.
The Rams are dealing with injuries, but they should still be bigger favorites against the Raiders. Las Vegas is worse than its record suggests, its defense has slipped into bottom-10 territory, and it still can’t run the ball. If Kirk Cousins starts to regress, things could get ugly there fast.
Kansas City may be the best team in the NFL, and Seattle is struggling on offense. The Seahawks can’t run the football, Sam Darnold is turning into a pumpkin, and Kenneth Walker is set up for a big one against his former team.
Dallas is the one team that gives pause. The Cowboys’ defense has been one of the worst in recent NFL history, which makes it hard to lay points with them, especially on the road in a divisional game. That concern sticks even with the Eagles dealing with a lot of injuries.
In Other News...
Jahmyr Gibbs Faces A Familiar Packers Problem At The Worst Time
Jahmyr Gibbs has been one of the NFLs most dangerous finishers this season, and Detroit is leaning on him again as it tries to get back on track in the division. The Lions head into another meeting with Green Bay looking for their first win over the Packers since 2024, and Gibbs will be central to that push after emerging as the offenses touchdown leader.
The matchup, though, has not always brought out his biggest rushing afternoons. In six career games against Green Bay, Gibbs has averaged 48.2 rushing yards and scored twice, even as the Packers run defense has been merely average this season. Detroit knows what it needs from its backfield, but this remains one of those rivalries where production has been harder to bank on than the name on the stat sheet suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Run Defense Just Got A Brutal Week 7 Twist
The Lions run defense is about to get a very different test in Week 7. Josh Jacobs has been activated to the Packers roster, giving Green Bay a needed boost after he missed the entire season to this point and the offense sputtered to the bottom of the league on the ground. For Detroit, the timing matters because this matchup now looks less like a chance to feast on a struggling rushing attack and more like a battle against a back who can change the feel of a game.
Jacobs return comes after his off-field situation shifted enough to clear the way back onto the roster, and Green Bay suddenly has a player it has been missing all season. For the Lions, it adds a layer of urgency to a unit that has built its identity on controlling the line of scrimmage. The Packers may still be trying to find their footing, but this is no longer the same rushing opponent Detroit was preparing for a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Have A Tom Kennedy Replacement Decision Still Hanging Over Sunday
Tom Kennedys injury leaves the Lions with a straightforward special teams problem and a familiar name ready to step in. Detroit special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said DeAndre Carter brings the kind of experience the team wants in the return game, and the veteran is the logical option to take on both punt and kickoff duties after Kennedy goes down.
The wrinkle is procedural, not positional. Carter is still on the practice squad, so Detroit has to make a roster move before he can actually suit up on game day, either by signing him to the active roster or elevating him for the matchup. For now, the Lions have a clear answer in mind, but the final paperwork still has to be sorted before Sunday. [Read more 🡒]