.Three NFL experts from the Prime Time Sports Talk staff came together to share their picks for Week 7.
These three writers will continue to make their picks for the entire season, earning two points for any correct win-loss outcome and an additional three points for correctly predicting the exact score. (Failure to accurately predict a tie will be treated as a loss.) A cumulative points total and record will be listed at the bottom of every article. An archive of all 17 regular-season and four playoff editions can be found here.
Mike Fanelli, Joe Heller, and Andersen Pickard contributed to this article.
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Mike Fanelli: Eagles 24, Giants 16
Despite finishing the game without a Week 1 starter, Carson Wentz almost pulled off the comeback victory over the Ravens. Meanwhile, the Giants could barely beat a 1-5 Washington team that has played three quarterbacks this season. Expect Wentz to do enough to get the Eagles the win.
Joe Heller: Giants 20, Eagles 17
The Giants will ride the momentum from their first win and pull off an upset on Thursday night. Their back-to-back victories will have them vying for first place in the NFC East.
Andersen Pickard: Eagles 21, Giants 13
The Eagles have looked like a solid football team as of late despite their messy roster. Meanwhile, the Giants could barely beat a pitiful Washington team last week. Although the absences of Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz will hurt, the Eagles should still cruise to victory.
Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints
Mike Fanelli: Saints 34, Panthers 20
After a nice three-game winning streak, the Panthers fell short to the Bears last week. Now they face the Saints, who are coming off their bye week and will have Michael Thomas for the first time since Week 1. Saints have no trouble winning by double-digits.
Joe Heller: Saints 31, Panthers 27
As long as he can refrain from punching a teammate, Michael Thomas will be back on the field. He will be the deciding factor in this divisional matchup. Teddy Bridgewater and the Panthers will keep it close.
Andersen Pickard: Saints 27, Panthers 20
This should be a close game, similar to what we saw from Saints-Chargers in Week 5. Yet again, though, the Saints should prevail and emerge victorious, especially if Michael Thomas returns to action for New Orleans.
Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
Mike Fanelli: Bills 42, Jets 14
Coming off a frustrating loss to the Chiefs, expect the Bills to come out focused. The Jets are the last winless team in the league, and it will remain that way for at least one more week. The Bills win by more than three touchdowns.
Joe Heller: Bills 31, Jets 17
The perfect remedy for a team coming off back-to-back losses is a game against a winless team. Josh Allen gets back to a 300-yard passing day and the Bills will win big. The Jets will fall to 0-7.
Andersen Pickard: Bills 34, Jets 14
This game has the potential to be closer than people are expecting, but only if Josh Allen gets out to a quiet start like he did last week against the Chiefs. With that said, he should excel against the Jets, giving the Bills no reason to worry en route to a three-score win.
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Fanelli: Browns 28, Bengals 24
The Browns realized last week that they aren’t in the same class as the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, they can still beat up on the little brother in the state of Ohio. The Bengals put up a fight, but the Browns win by more than a field goal.
Joe Heller: Bengals 24, Browns 20
Joe Burrow will lead his team to an upset over a battered Baker Mayfield and the Browns. Running back Joe Mixon will have more rushing yards than Kareem Hunt.
Andersen Pickard: Browns 21, Bengals 17
Joe Burrow will struggle early on against the Browns’ defense, but he’ll bounce back in the second half and force a close game. Nevertheless, Cleveland will hold strong and defeat Cincinnati.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Football Team
Mike Fanelli: Cowboys 26, Washington 20
Both of these teams looked awful last week. The difference is that the Cowboys got destroyed by a good Cardinals team. Meanwhile, Washington couldn’t defeat the previously-winless Giants. The Cowboys hope Ezekiel Elliott can hold onto the ball this week and pull off the victory.
Joe Heller: Cowboys 21, Washington 17
The Cowboys will rebound after their Monday night debacle and get back in the win column with a win in the nation’s capital.
Andersen Pickard: Cowboys 24, Washington 14
We could be in for a messy divisional clash on Sunday as the Cowboys oppose the Football Team. Neither team looked good last week, but Dallas has at least proven that their offense can win them games. Dallas edges out Washington in their first of two matchups this year.
Green Bay Packers vs. Houston Texans
Mike Fanelli: Packers 34, Texans 27
Coming off an ugly loss to the Buccaneers, expect the Packers to be focused. Meanwhile, the Texans almost pulled off the upset victory over the Titans. However, the Packers are Super Bowl contenders while the Texans are struggling to win in a bad division. Packers win by a touchdown.
Joe Heller: Pakcers 34, Texans 31
With both teams coming in off of a loss, this one will likely be a shootout from start to finish. Aaron Rodgers will pull out the victory on the road late in this game, dropping the defending AFC South champs to 1-6.
Andersen Pickard: Packers 38, Texans 35
The Texans will be on the losing end of a shootout for the second straight week. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones will bounce back after a horrendous outing in Tampa Bay.
Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons
Mike Fanelli: Falcons 38, Lions 31
After the Falcons got their first win of the season last week, these two teams have a combined 3-8 record. However, they have two of the more underrated quarterbacks in the league. In a battle of Matthews, expect Matt Ryan to get the win over Matthew Stafford, thanks to the Lions having no answer for Julio Jones.
Joe Heller: Falcons 31, Lions 27
Matt Ryan, with a rejuvenated Julio Jones at his disposal, will win a shootout against Matthew Stafford and the Lions. The Lions will play well but come up just short.
Andersen Pickard: Falcons 34, Lions 24
After starting 0-5, the Falcons will win their second straight by defeating the Lions at home. Todd Gurley and Julio Jones will both have big games as Atlanta cruises to a two-score victory.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans
Mike Fanelli: Steelers 28, Titans 24
This game was supposed to happen in Week 4, but with the Titans’ COVID-19 situation, we get this clash in Week 7. In a battle of the two remaining undefeated AFC teams, we get to see which quarterback can come out on top. Despite losing Devin Bush for the season, the Steelers have a much better defense and slow down Ryan Tannehill just enough to get Ben Roethlisberger the victory.
Joe Heller: Titans 27, Steelers 24
This game between a pair of undefeated teams is finally being played. The Steelers are solid against the run and shut down the Browns’ rushing attack last week. However, few teams have been able to stop or slow down Derrick Henry. He will eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark, which is a rarity against the Steelers, and lead the Titans to a 6-0 start.
Andersen Pickard: Steelers 21, Titans 18
As long as the Steelers can keep Derrick Henry in check, they should win this game. It will be extremely close, though, as Tennessee’s offense has been firing on all cylinders lately.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals
Mike Fanelli: Seahawks 34, Cardinals 31
After a blowout victory over the Cowboys on Monday night, the Cardinals are riding their momentum into this matchup with the undefeated Seahawks. However, Russell Wilson isn’t Andy Dalton, and the Seahawks won’t turn the ball over four times. Kyler Murray keeps pace with Wilson, but the MVP front-runner pulls make one more play than the youngster and gets the victory.
Joe Heller: Cardinals 31, Seahawks 30
It’s never easy to pick against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, even more so coming off the bye. However, after the Cardinals dominated the Cowboys in Dallas, they will hand the division leaders their first loss of the season.
Andersen Pickard: Seahawks 31, Cardinals 20
Sunday’s game will say a lot about Seattle’s season-long outlook. However, these are the Seahawks. It’s DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Chris Carson, Russell Wilson, and co. They’re not going to lose.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
Mike Fanelli: Chiefs 34, Broncos 20
The Broncos almost gave away their victory to the Patriots last week. Meanwhile, the Chiefs were about to run the ball up and down the field against the Bills. Even with Drew Lock back, these teams aren’t anywhere near on the same level. Chiefs win by two touchdowns.
Joe Heller: Chiefs 34, Broncos 17
Both teams are coming into this game on the heels of victories. The Chiefs will debut Le’Veon Bell in their crowded and successful backfield. This one will slip away from the Broncos quickly.
Andersen Pickard: Chiefs 27, Broncos 19
The Chiefs will score four touchdowns while Denver will record just one, yet a quartet of Brandon McManus field goals will make the score look close. Don’t be fooled, though. The Chiefs are red-hot and will remain aggressive throughout the entirety of Sunday’s thrashing in Denver.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Mike Fanelli: Chargers 30, Jaguars 27
Neither team has won since Week 1, yet the Chargers are heavy favorites. That’s because the country is backing Justin Herbert and his hot play so far. With the bye week, the Chargers had extra time to prepare for this game. Expect them to get their first win under Herbert on Sunday.
Joe Heller: Chargers 27, Jaguars 20
This year’s unlikely rookie starter opposes last year’s version. Justin Herbert will get his first NFL victory at home. Gardner Minshew will make a costly mistake late in this one.
Andersen Pickard: Chargers 24, Jaguars 17
Justin Herbert will extend his incredible rookie season with his first NFL victory at home. Los Angeles will get their second win of the year, edging out Jacksonville by one touchdown.
San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots
Mike Fanelli: Patriots 23, 49ers 20
The Patriots are under .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2002. Meanwhile, the 49ers are one of the most injured teams in the league. This game is Jimmy Garoppolo‘s first in New England since being traded a few years ago. Expect Bill Belichick to have a few tricks up his sleeve as he makes Garoppolo’s return to New England unpleasant.
Joe Heller: 49ers 27, Patriots 24
The 49ers will deliver the Patriots another loss. Luckily for Bill Belichick, the Jets are in the division, keeping New England in the No. 3 slot. 49ers tight end George Kittle will score a pair of touchdowns.
Andersen Pickard: Patriots 31, 49ers 22
The Patriots will dominate the 49ers on Sunday, exposing their dismantled defense while exercising trick plays and decoys to improve to 3-3. If the Patriots can shut down Deebo Samuel and hinder George Kittle, they should have no trouble winning.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Mike Fanelli: Buccaneers 27, Raiders 20
Coming off a dominant performance against the Packers, expect the Buccaneers to come out flat to start the game. However, they are the superior team and should have no trouble defeating the Raiders by a touchdown.
Joe Heller: Raiders 24, Buccaneers 20
Jon Gruden’s team pulled out an upset prior to their bye week. Now, he’s gearing his current team to face his former squad. The Raiders will be all the rage throughout the league after they defeat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers just one game after beating Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Andersen Pickard: Buccaneers 28, Raiders 21
Fueled by Rob Gronkowski and Ronald Jones, the Buccaneers’ offense will run all over the Raiders’ porous defense in both the passing and running games. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay defense will look to hinder Derek Carr in a similar fashion to how it shut down Aaron Rodgers last Sunday.
Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams
Mike Fanelli: Rams 24, Bears 23
Is it time to declare the Bears real contenders? We will find out after Monday night’s game. The Rams are 4-2 this season, but all four wins have come against the awful NFC East. This game could go either way, but with the Rams playing at home, they pull off the one-point victory.
Joe Heller: Rams 20, Bears 13
Monday night’s matchup features the top two defensive players in the NFL. Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack and their respective supporting casts will make this an exciting game to watch. With points being at a premium, the edge goes to the Rams.
Andersen Pickard: Rams 23, Bears 20
These two teams are literally identical. Okay, not quite. However, both were expected to struggle this season but instead exceeded expectations. And both will take the field on Monday night looking to prove that they are contenders and not pretenders after a semi-easy schedule to start the season. Los Angeles’ proven offense gives the Rams the edge on national TV.
Point Totals
Mike: 126
Joe: 118
Andersen: 112
Records
Mike: 63-28
Joe: 59-32
Andersen: 56-35
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