What we're witnessing currently in the NFL might simply be the most parity that we've seen in the league in quite some time. Just when the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills looked like the class of football, they've now lost two straight coming into Week 7. Just when the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs looked lesser than early in the year, they're trending back to the top with winning streaks. And that makes our NFL picks and predictions all the more difficult as we head into a new week, one that could be ripe with upsets.
There's no question, we still need to get back on track with our NFL picks this season, especially against the spread. I believe we're now at three consecutive losing weeks ATS, which isn't what you want. But we're not that far off, especially as we continue to put together a nice straight-up record. This week, though, it's all about identifying the right lines that look fishy and could be the perfect position for an upset, and I think we've done that with our Week 7 picks.
So with that, let's get into a truly fun slate of games with only two teams on bye as we make our NFL Week 7 picks with predictions for every game both straight-up and against the spread. Here's to returning to our winning ways!
2025 NFL Picks Straight-Up Record: 56-37 (Last Week: 9-6) | ATS Record: 39-54 (Last Week: 6-9)
Note: All lines are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
NFL Week 7 predictions: Picks straight-up and ATS for every game
NFL Week 7 Matchup | Straight-Up Pick | ATS Pick |
|---|---|---|
Steelers at Bengals (TNF) | Steelers | Bengals +5.5 |
Rams at Jaguars (London) | Rams | Rams -3 |
Patriots at Titans | Patriots | Patriots -7 |
Panthers at Jets | Panthers | Panthers -1.5 |
Raiders at Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs -11.5 |
Eagles at Vikings | Vikings | Vikings +2.5 |
Dolphins at Browns | Dolphins | Dolphins +3 |
Saints at Bears | Bears | Bears -5.5 |
Colts at Chargers | Colts | Colts +1.5 |
Giants at Broncos | Giants | Giants +7 |
Commanders at Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys +1.5 |
Packers at Cardinals | Packers | Packers -6.5 |
Falcons at 49ers (SNF) | Falcons | Falcons +2.5 |
Buccaneers at Lions (MNF) | Buccaneers | Buccaneers +5.5 |
Texans at Seahawks (MNF) | Seahawks | Seahawks -3.5 |
Teams on bye in Week 7: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills
There's no two ways about it, this feels like one of the most dangerous slates that we've see in some time as there could be nearly a half-dozen upsets in Week 7 from where I'm sitting. Not only are there a boatload of road favorites like the Eagles, Steelers, Panthers, and several others in tough spots after travel, but there are also some teams that just seem to be trending far more than the line would indicate right now.
Making NFL picks in a week such as this is, frankly, a bit harrowing — especially when we've been limping through the first third of the season with our predictions against the spread. However, this feels like the week where we can get some of our licks back, assuming that we have the right upsets in mind. Speaking of, as we break down some of the more notable picks from Week 7 more in-depth, we start with a tough call to make in Minnesota.
Toughest NFL Week 7 prediction to make
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings (+2.5)
The likely return of J.J. McCarthy looms large for the Vikings as they host the reigning Super Bowl champions in this one, especially since the second-year signal-caller looked less than stellar (to put it nicely) the last time we saw him prior to his ankle injury. At the same time, though, the Eagles come into this game on the heels of two straight losses, including getting their doors essentially blown off by the young, upstart Giants on Thursday night last week.
While McCarthy's variability (and even unconfirmed status) do give me some pause, taking Minnesota actually has much more to do with the Eagles in this game. The Philly offensive line simply isn't playing at the championship level that we've come to expect in recent years, which is limiting Jalen Hurts and the offense severely overall. Brian Flores has the horses up front to take advantage of that, especially off a bye, and the flip side is Kevin O'Connell should be able to attack an imperfect secondary and overall Philadelphia defense.
I don't expect this to be a runaway for the Vikings by any stretch of the imagination, but the writing might be on the wall that things are going to crumble, even if just for now, with the Eagles. Minnesota is an opponent against whom the cracks in the foundation will get exposed.
Easiest NFL Week 7 pick on the board
New England Patriots (-7) at Tennessee Titans
Maybe you're looking at Cam Ward and the Titans with the notion that they're about to enter a dead-cat-bounce type of situation after the firing of head coach Brian Callahan. In many cases, particularly with a young quarterback I like in Ward, I might be inclined to agree with you. As the Patriots come to town with interim head coach Mike McCoy at the helm, though, I can't quite get there with Tennessee making this one as competitive as the faithful fans in Nashville would like.
For starters, are we absolutely sure that McCoy just isn't part of the problem with what was happening under Callahan? I'm certainly not, especially based on his head coaching track record across four years with the Chargers when things were disastrous in LA. Then there's also the fact that the Patriots appear to be gaining steam and confidence behind Drake Maye with each passing week all the while getting healthier.
The coup de grâce for all of this, however, is Mike Vrabel returning to Tennessee. If ever there was a head coach who was showing up to prove a point against a team that questionably fired him, Vrabs seems like the type to have New England more than prepared to make a statement on Sunday.
The pick that probably has you scratching your head
New York Giants (+7) at Denver Broncos
At the risk of getting over my skis here, I'm all-in on what the Giants are starting to build behind the Jaxson Dart-Cam Skattebo combo. But situationally, I can't for the life of me figure out why the Broncos are a full-touchdown favorite in this matchup.
Let's just look at what we know here. For starters, the Broncos played in London last Sunday and are now traveling not just back to the states, but across the country back home as well. The Giants, meanwhile, are amply rested after winning on Thursday night last week before they make this trip. Meanwhile, it also feels like Denver's recent resurgence might be slightly artificially inflated. The three-game winning streak includes blowing out the lifeless Bengals pre-Flacco trade, a four-point home win over the now-limping Eagles, and an ugly two-point win over the Jets. Is any of that really all that impressive, or at least enough to erase the memories of the Broncos' early-season mediocrity?
When you combine all of that with the simple fact that the Giants defense is still stout and now the offense is finding its footing with the infusion of young blood on that side of the ball, New York is much more live to pull off this upset than the line gives them credit for. Maybe they don't win outright, even though I'm picking it, but I do know that seven points seems like entirely too many for Denver.