Week 7 Picks!

I have been able to put together two great weeks out of the last three to climb myself back into the gambling race this season. I went 9-5-1 last week, and I suffered two awful beats-gambling wise. The first one was the Geno Smith pick-six to Aqib Talib to allow Denver to cover the 8.5 point spread. The second one was the Kirk Cousins pick-six to allow Arizona to cover the spread late. Both were bad beats and both were examples why you should never, ever gamble. With that said, we are hitting the middle of October, and things are coming into focus. In the AFC, it is more wide open than last year. Denver, San Diego, Indy, Cincy, Baltimore, and New England remain legitimate contenders this year. In the NFC, Dallas and Philly have emerged in the East. Chicago, Detroit, and Green Bay are battling it out in the North, nobody wants to take control of the South, and Seattle, San Francisco, and Arizona are all fighting it out in the West. It still feels like one of those crazy years where anything is going to happen. Here we go with the picks for Week 7....

Last Week's Record: 9-5-1
Overall Record:41-45-5
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

INDY (-3) over Cincy: I'm still not sold on the Bengals. I know they are good, but I need to see more from them. The Colts are coming in at 4-2, but they haven't really beaten a great team. Big game in the AFC here, but I'll take the Colts at home.

WASHINGTON (-5) over Tennessee: The Skins aren't as bad as their 1-5 record says, but they need to get RG III back healthy because Kirk Cousins has basically topped out at this point.

CHICAGO (-3) over Miami: I can't figure out the Bears this year, but they haven't won a home game yet, so I think they will break out of that slump this week.

JACKSONVILLE (+6) over Cleveland: The Browns come in flying high at 3-2 on the heels of a beatdown of the Steelers. The Jags are winless, but I have a feeling they shock the Browns here and pull the upset.

Seattle (-6) over ST. LOUIS: The Seahawks traded away Percy Harvin on Friday afternoon, but I don't think that will have much of an impact on their offense. Look for them to play a great game in St. Louis after they lost at home to Dallas last week.

Carolina (+7) over GREEN BAY: I just can't figure out the Panthers at all this year. I don't know how to pick their games. I think the Packers will win this week, but look for Carolina to keep this one close.

BALTIMORE (-6) over Atlanta: At 2-4, the Falcons look to be in a freefall, and it might cost head coach Mike Smith his job. The Ravens are 4-2, and they are always very solid at home. I can't see the Falcons pulling the upset on the road in this spot.

Minnesota (+7) over BUFFALO: I don't trust either of these teams, and I guess I'll just go with the underdog here. I'm putting my faith in Teddy Bridgewater to get the backdoor cover.

DETROIT (-2) over New Orleans: The Saints just don't look the same this year. Something is off with Drew Brees too. The Lions can't be trusted-especially after they lost at home to the Bills two weeks ago at home-but I think they get amped up for this one and put the Saints in a hole at 2-4.

SAN DIEGO (-3) over Kansas City: The Chargers will not get caught looking ahead to Denver next week, and they will take care of their AFC West rivals at home to get to 6-1.

NY Giants (+7) over DALLAS: For some odd reason, I am taking the G-Men on the road in Dallas. The Cowboys come in at 5-1 and off a huge road win at Seattle. This is classic letdown spot, and I think the Giants take advantage.

Arizona (-3) over OAKLAND: How can you pick the Raiders in this spot? Carson Palmer returned last week, and he looked pretty good for the Cards, so look for them to take care of business in the Black Hole on Sunday.

PITTSBURGH (-3) over Houston: The Steelers were embarrassed by the Browns last week, and I would expect a big-time effort from them at home on Monday Night Football. At 3-3, the Steelers are at a crossroads here, and I would expect to see them be at their best against the visiting Texans.

DENVER (-6) over San Francisco: This is going to be a very tough game for Denver because they have trouble containing QBs like Colin Kaepernick. He is going to kill them at times on Sunday night. The reason why I like the Broncos here is that they are at home in primetime, and it is a big-time opponent coming in. Also, they are facing a very beat-up 49ers team, and I think they can take advantage of that. Plus, Peyton Manning is only 3 touchdowns away from Brett Favre's all-time TD pass record. You know Manning is going all out to get that record on Sunday night in primetime.

Final Score: Broncos-28 Niners-20