LAST WEEK’S RECORD FOR WEEK 6: (11-3)

THURSDAY NIGHT RECORD:(4-2)

FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES(0-1)

MONDAY NIGHT RECORD:(5-2)

NFL WEEK 7 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

DENVER BRONCOS(3-3) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS(2-4)

The Saints and the Broncos have screwed me all year with their shenanigans. The Saints injury list reads out like a Santa Clause list. Including without their starting QB Derek Carr. The Saints have lost 4 straight games. The Broncos are going through growing pains with their rookie QB, Bo Nix. I like the Broncos defense who are one of the top units in the league. The Saints defense has gone to complete shambles giving up 51 points to Tampa Bay last week.

My X-factor is the return of Sean Payton to New Orleans. Plus factor in that Broncos have won 3 out their last 4 games.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS(1-5) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS(1-5)

This is a pair of 1-5 teams battling on a neutral site. The Jaguars played in London last week and have stayed there while New England flew over the pond. The Patriots unleashed their rookie quarterback, Drake Maye, who played well in his first start for the Patriots. These are two bad teams, but I expect Maye to play well in his second start. I like Trevor Lawrence better in this match up as he has been getting better each week. The victories are not there yet for the Jaguars. Maye and the Patriots will score points off a leaky Jacksonville defense. I suspect this game to be an offensive shoot out with the Jaguars saying Cheerio to the Patriots at the end.

OUR PICK: JAGS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(3-3) AT ATLANTA FALCONS(4-2)

The Seahawks and the Falcons are heading in opposite directions. Seattle has lost three straight games. The Falcons have won 3 straight games. Another long flight across the country for Seattle. The Falcons offense is rolling like a well-oiled machine and the Seahawks defense is easier than a whorehouse in a bad neighborhood. Captain Kirk Cousins is playing well. I like the Falcons at home and they have the better defense to make this decision rather easy.

OUR PICK: FALCONS

TENNESSEE TITANS(1-4) AT BUFFALO BILLS(4-2)

The good news for the Titans is Mason Rudolf, former Steelers QB, gets the start. The Bills are finally at home after three straight road games where they won only one game. Rudolf filled in for Will Levis once this season and the outcome turned into the Titans’ only victory. I expect a better offensive performance for the Titans. I expect a better offensive performance from the Bills who will be on high after escaping New York with a victory on Monday night.

Even though the Jets technically play in Jersey. The Bills defense is getting healthier with guys returning. Then Buffalo made a trade landing the Browns’ top receiver, Amari Cooper, could be a nice jump start to that Bills offense we saw in the first three weeks of the season. Cooper will draw attention and Josh Allen will find someone open for the winning score.

OUR PICK: BILLS

CINCINNATI BENGALS(2-4) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS(1-5)

The battle of Ohio with two bad teams. The Bengals are trying to dig themselves out of an early season gigantic hole they dug themselves. The Browns’ season has been horrific. The Yankees just wiped out the Guardians in the baseball world. You know every Cleveland sports fan has awaken seeing this in a drunk stupor.

The thoughts of it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now these Cleveland fans are left with Deshaun Watson. Back to the drunk stupor because life was better. The Bengals have a solid offense. Watson is bad, Joe Burrow is better. The Browns are already waving the white flag dealing Amari Cooper to Buffalo. I like the Bengals in this state rivalry.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

HOUSTON TEXANS(5-1) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS(4-2)

Jordan Love versus CJ Stroud may be a great game here. The Texans, that sexy pick from experts, being a AFC heavy weight is panning off. Meanwhile the Packers in that loaded NFC North division is something you can’t sneeze at. On paper this looks like a shoot out. Both teams have a pretty good defensive unit. This will be a close game. Going with the home team on this pick as Love will just do a tad more than Stroud for a victory dance at Lambeau field. As Packers keep pace with the Lions, Vikings, and Bears… Oh my!!!

OUR PICK: PACKERS

MIAMI DOLPHINS(2-3) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS(3-3)

If the Dolphins can hover around the 500 mark as they await the return of Tua Tagovailoa to save their season, you never know. The Colts are the better team with Joe Flacco behind center. It’s that simple. The Dolphins have former Ravens QB Tyler Huntley starting behind center. I like Flacco better. The Colts have won without their number one running back, Jonathan Taylor. Both teams will score points because their defenses are terrible. Flacco gets the last laugh.

OUR PICK: COLTS

DETROIT LIONS(4-1) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS(5-0)

I believe any NFC North match up this season may be must see television. The Lions visiting Viking-land will be epic. The Lions have won three straight. The Vikings have not lost yet. Jarred Goff and Sam Darnold have had solid seasons so far. The Lions in that blow out win over the Cowboys lost their best defensive player in Aidan Hutchinson.

The Vikings are well rested and at home sounds like a recipe for winning. I like the Lions head coach, Dan Campbell, pushing all the right buttons with his team by losing Hutchinson and overcoming the Vikings. Sometimes when you’re playing well and too well like the Vikings, a bye week can hurt you more than help. I like Lions overcoming this hurdle, taking over first, and giving the Vikings their first lost of the year.

OUR PICK: LIONS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(3-2) AT NEW YORK GIANTS(2-4)

The Giants and Eagles have played bad football, but combined they are 5-6 so they are finding ways to win games. Eagles barely won against a bad visiting Browns team at home. The Giants offense was a no-show versus the Bengals on Sunday night. Looks like the G-Men will get one of their play makers back in wide receiver Malik Nabors. This is one game I would not want to watch on the docket. Is Jalen Hurts due for a big game for the Eagles? Do you trust a pretty good Giants defense? I don’t trust Daniel Jones for the Giants behind center.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS(2-4) AT LA RAMS(1-4)

This game is a clunker. The Raiders traded away Davante Adams, first of all. What kind of message are you sending to this Raiders team? The Rams have played in some close games but have only one win to show for it. The Rams were a playoff team last year. The Raiders defense was solid last year. My pick will be based off the QB. The Raiders are probably riding with Aidan O’Connell over Gardner Minshew, which is not a huge upgrade. The Rams are at home and still have Matthew Stafford who should be able to get it done.

OUR PICK: RAMS

CAROLINA PANTHERS(1-5) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS(4-2)

The Commanders got a true measuring stick of this Jayden Daniels-led team versus the Ravens last week. Even with a loss the Commanders hung with one of the top AFC teams for 4 quarters. Meanwhile the Panthers. Bad defense. Andy Dalton and that Panthers offense will score some points. Not enough to compete with the Commanders. I like Washington getting the easy rebound and reestablishing themselves with a W.

OUR PICK: COMMANDERS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS(5-0) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS(3-3)

The rematch of the Superbowl!!! The Chiefs have not lost a pep in their step as they are 5-0 out of the gates this season. The 49ers are a different story. They have piled up a ton of injuries. They have ridden the struggle bus to a 500 record. The Chiefs are coming off a bye week. Andy Reid’s teams historically have dominated coming off the bye week. The Chiefs defense is plying well. The 49ers defense is not playing well. Everything seems to favor the Chiefs. This should be an easy go with Kansas City. This is the NFL, nothing right now is set in stone. We know the script will have the Chiefs winning it all at the end. The script needs dramatic scenes. The 49ers win a big game for that dramatic flare and gives the Chiefs their first loss of the year. They can’t win them all.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

NEW YORK JETS(2-4) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS(4-2)

The Steelers are making a move at their quarterback position benching Justin Fields for a healthy Russell Wilson. Confused? I certainly am. Then the Jets are getting the band back together as they are forming the Packers east coast team. The Jets land one of Aaron Rodgers’ old weapons from Green Bay by getting Davante Adams from the Raiders. Rodgers had his best game in a Jets uniform in a loss on Monday night to the Bills. How will Wilson do in his debut in the black and gold? Will the Steelers get Wilson from the Seahawks days or the Broncos days? Will the Steelers fans will be up in arms? Both teams have good defenses. The Steelers are better coached than the Jets team who shoot themselves in the foot regularly. Is the Jets owner relying too heavy on Rodgers with the firing of their head coach before the Bills game and now getting Adams? This Jets team seems like a house of cards ready to be blown down by the Steelers defense. I just don’t trust Rodgers. I don’t trust Wilson either. Mike Tomlin has gotten a 4-2 record with Fields as the starter. Watch Wilson play better than that Denver Wilson, but not his old Seattle self as the Steelers pull off a close one.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

TWO MONDAY NIGHT GAMES

BALTIMORE RAVENS(4-2) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(4-2)

This will be an interesting game between the Ravens and Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield lit up the Saints as the Buccaneers put 51 points on the scoreboard. The Ravens dealt with the rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the Commanders for a victory. The Ravens have won 4 straight after losing the first two games out of the gates. Who has the better defense? The Buccaneers did give up a ton of points to back up quarterback last week. The Ravens are not that stout unit they were last season. You have to give the Ravens defense the nod. This should be a great game. At the end I stand by Lamar Jackson who has a career record of 22-1 against NFC teams. I go Ravens.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

LA CHARGERS(3-2) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS(2-4)

Every time you look at the scoreboard, it seems the Chargers get a win somehow. The Chargers are very quietly a 3-2 team. The Cardinals’ 2 wins have come against teams in their own division. I like Justin Herbert having a successful game over the Cardinals’ bad defense. Kyler Murray is too up and down for my taste. I like Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers defense that can keep Murray in check. This is not a very exciting game, but I like another quiet Chargers victory to end week 7.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS