The NFL season continues after some shocking takeaways from the Week 6 slate.
Every team has now suffered a loss as the 49ers were upset by the Browns 19-17 and the Eagles were defeated 20-14 by the Jets knocking both teams off the undefeated pedestal. It was an especially frustrating loss by the 49ers as it took an impressive effort from backup quarterback P.J. Walker for the Browns and a missed field goal from the 49ers in the closing seconds to ultimately stamp the loss.
There also were several notable injuries across the league. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Tannehill, Damien Harris, David Montgomery, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and more each suffered injuries of varying severity. The injury report will be something to keep an eye on leading up to each game before placing a wager this week.
But every NFL team will be moving forward with their season and looking to put another notch in the win column. While the Panthers, Bengals, Cowboys, Jets, Titans, and Texans will each be sitting out on their bye weeks, here is a look at some of the more intriguing values on the NFL betting board for the matchups that will occur.
⚡ Quick NFL picks for Week 7
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions: Ravens -3 at -109 odds (BetRivers)
- Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants: Commanders -2 at -110 odds (BetMGM)
- Miami Dolphins vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Dolphins ML at +105 odds (DraftKings)
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⭐ Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions: Ravens -3 at -109 odds (BetRivers)
Don’t look now but the Detroit Lions are 5-1 and have sole possession of first place in the NFC North. The 168 points scored by Detroit this season trail only the Dolphins, 49ers, and Bills for the most in the league and they have exceeded early expectations in a major way. However, it should be noted that following their impressive opening week victory over the Chiefs, the path has been fairly easy.
Since this point, they have lost to the Seahawks and then defeated the Falcons, Packers, Panthers, and Buccaneers who have a combined record of 8-14. Detroit will be facing a more difficult matchup against the Ravens, who have a 4-2 record on the year and currently lead the AFC North.
Baltimore enters coming off of a 24-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans in England which marks the franchise’s first international victory. The Ravens have a stingy defense that is allowing just 15.2 points per game which ranks 4th in the NFL. They also are allowing the second-fewest yards per game on the season and lead the NFL in fewest passing touchdowns and net yards per pass attempts. The game may very well be won and lost in this area as the Lions have the 5th most passing yards, 6th most passing touchdowns, and rank 3rd in net yards per pass attempts on the offensive side of the ball.
While the Lions are still on track for a successful season, this feels like a situation in which they are due for a wake-up call. Baltimore is more battle-tested and has more diverse ways in which they can win. Look for the Ravens to continue to lean on Lamar Jackson’s legs and for this to cause issues for Detroit’s defense.
The Lions’ defense has held its own to start this season, but last year they finished 28th in the NFL in scoring defense and dead last in yards allowed. Despite the early signs of success, there are still concerns on the defensive side of the ball that could be exposed by this Ravens offense.
Look for this to be broken up this week and for the Ravens to put some points on the scoreboard in a way the Lions cannot match. Take the Ravens to cover the three-point spread which you can capitalize on at BetRivers for -109 odds.
🏈 Bet on the Ravens at -109 odds at BetRivers 🏈
⭐ Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants: Commanders -2 at -110 odds (BetMGM)
The New York Giants are a bad football team. After an exciting season last year in which they punched their ticket to the playoffs and defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the opening round, the regression is clear. New York is off to a 1-5 start and most recently was defeated 14-9 by the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
This also marks two consecutive weeks in which head coach Brian Dabool has lost it on his starting quarterback due to clock management issues that have resulted in the failure to put up points. Most recently, it was the clock expiring before halftime with the ball at the 1-yard line after Tyrod Taylor audibled into a halfback draw with no timeouts remaining and the clock winding down. Daniel Jones looks likely to remain out this week as well although that could be looked at as either positively or negatively based on his level of play to begin the season.
While the Commanders have had a somewhat rocky start to the season as well, they have looked to be a cleaner football team. They enter with a 3-3 record ranking 15th in the NFL in scoring and 29th in points allowed.
Quarterback Sam Howell has had some ups and downs but has mostly been the bright spot for this Commanders offense. As a whole, the tram ranks 9th in passing touchdowns and Howell has thrown for 1,500 yards on the season.
Eric Bieniemy continues to put his fingerprints on the offense with their 37-3 blowout loss at the hands of the Bills being the only game they have been held under 20 points. While the defense is the point of concern for Washington, they have their work cut out for them against a team that is struggling to move the ball at a historic rate.
The Giants have yet to score an offensive first half touchdown and have been limited to just five offensive touchdowns overall. Their 11.8 points per game rank dead last in the league and there is plenty of blame to go around. This will be a matchup in which a disappointing offense will look to get right against a porous defense, but there has been no evidence to suggest they are capable.
Normally it would be recommended to stay away from divisional matchups, but this is the same Giants team that was shocked 40-0 by the Cowboys in the opening week. The bottom line is the Giants are a poor football team and the Commanders are better equipped to get this victory. You can wager on them on the -2 spread and feel confident the Giants will be unable to match their scoring ability. Take advantage of this at BetMGM where you can take the 2-point spread at -110 odds.
🏈 Wager on Commanders -2 at -110 on BetMGM 🏈
⭐ Miami Dolphins vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Dolphins ML at +105 odds (DraftKings)
The Philadelphia Eagles have yet to look like the reigning NFC champions and Super Bowl contenders they are expected to be. Yes, they hold a record of 5-1 but they are coming off a frustrating 20-14 loss to the New York Jets and have been unable to fully put a team away all season.
With the expectation that they would continue to be a defensive-minded team, their 20.7 points per game allowed ranks 16th in the NFL. They also rank 29th in passing touchdowns allowed, 29th in interceptions forced, and 22nd in defensive score percentage. Perhaps even more concerning, Jalen Hurts has shown some early signs of regression following a near-perfect Super Bowl season.
Through the opening six games, Hurts has thrown seven interceptions which trails only Jimmy Garoppolo for the most in the NFL. Through the entire 2022 season Hurts threw just six total interceptions.
With the Eagles having a beat-up secondary and the team struggling to create pressure at the level that is expected, this feels like a perfect opportunity for the Miami Dolphins to put some serious points on the board. They need little help in this area as Miami’s 37.2 points per game already lead the NFL.
In addition, they rank 1st in passing yards, passing touchdowns, net yards per pass attempt, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and score percentage. Tyreek Hill is off to a historic tear, tallying 814 yards receiving through the first six games of the season, and has a perfect opportunity to continue this success.
So far this season Eagles CBs Avonte Maddox and Zech McPhearson have already suffered season-ending injuries. James Bradberry has missed one game already and Darius Slay’s status is in doubt for this matchup after he missed last week with a knee injury. This isn’t even factoring in that Lane Johnson left last week with an ankle injury and the Eagles offense did not look the same without their All-Pro tackle.
The bottom line is the Eagles are beat up and have yet to find their stride this season. Expect the Dolphins to continue their string of impressive play and to carry this into Philadelphia. The Eagles will straighten things out before the season ends but don’t expect it to be in this matchup.
You can take the Dolphins to cover the two-point spread at -110 odds if you want the additional insurance but count on an outright victory as the Dolphins add a nice notch to their growing Super Bowl contender resume. You can bet on the moneyline at +105 odds on DraftKings Sportsbooks.
🏈 Take the Dolphins moneyline DraftKings at +105 odds 🏈
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About the author
Sean Barnard
Sean Barnard has worked in sports media for the past five years. He has spent time as the 76ers Lead Writer for Philly Sports Network, Associate Editor at CluchPoints, Eagles Beat Reporter for YardBarker, and more. He also owns and operates his own Podcast Network called Pick Swap Media and is a radio host on Fox 102.5 The Gambler presented by iHeartMedia. Sean has written over 1500 articles and recorded over 500 podcasts and is just getting started. Based out of the Philadelphia region in the United States, Sean is a lifelong passionate sports fan who can be reached on Twitter at @Sean_Barnard1 where he rattles off basketball breakdowns and other news.
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