NFL Week 7 Picks
17
Oct 2012
NFL Week 7 Schedule
The 7th week of the NFL regular season is scheduled as following:
October 18th Match-ups | |||
Time | Home Team | Away Team | |
8:20 PM | San Francisco 49ers | Vs. | Seattle Seahawks |
October 21st Match-ups | |||
Time | Home Team | Away Team | |
1:00 PM | Minnesota Vikings | Vs. | Arizona Cardinals |
1:00 PM | Carolina Panthers | Vs. | Dallas Cowboys |
1:00 PM | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Vs. | New Orleans Saints |
1:00 PM | St. Louis Rams | Vs. | Green Bay Packers |
1:00 PM | New York Giants | Vs. | Washington Redskins |
1:00 PM | Houston Texans | Vs. | Baltimore Ravens |
1:00 PM | Buffalo Bills | Vs. | Tennessee Titans |
1:00 PM | Indianapolis Colts | Vs. | Cleveland Browns |
4:25 PM | New England Patriots | Vs. | New York Jets |
4:25 PM | Oakland Raiders | Vs. | Jacksonville Jaguars |
8:20 PM | Cincinnati Bengals | Vs. | Pittsburgh Steelers |
October 22nd Match-ups | |||
Time | Home Team | Away Team | |
8:30 PM | Chicago Bears | Vs. | Detroit Lions |
There were many upsets last week, including the loss of the Houston Texans against the Green Bay Packers. Let’s see how exciting the 7th week of the regular NFL season will go.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers; 49ers to Win
The Odds
Team | Spread |
Seattle Seahawks | +7½ -115 |
San Francisco 49ers | -7½ -105 |
This matchup is going to be a good one. Two teams with a 4 – 2 record playing for the next win, and it will all depend on which team brings its better A-game.
Seattle Seahawks | San Francisco 49ers | ||
Rank | Offensive | Rank | |
26 | Average Score For | 11 | |
29 | Total Yards | 7 | |
7 | Rushing Yards | 1 | |
31 | Passing Yards | 26 | |
Rank | Defensive | Rank | |
2 | Average Score Against | 3 | |
4 | Total Yards | 1 | |
2 | Rushing Yards | 9 | |
13 | Passing Yards | 2 |
This match will be ultimately settled by which team has the better offense; being able to exploit the small weaknesses in each team’s defense. This is where the 49ers come in with an advantage, they not only are playing at home, but they also have a much superior offense. In terms of defense, both teams are equally fit to stop each other’s plays. The one difference is that with the 49ers having a better passing game with QB Alex Smith, and WR’s Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. These players will be able to get around the Seahawks average passing defense. There may even be a few opportunities for RB Frank Gore to gain some yards and possibly score, but it will be a tough game for runners.
The big difference between these two teams is that the 49ers have been up against, and beat some tougher opponents on the road. They have yet to win a game while playing at home, and with last week’s loss against the Packers, I would have to picture them getting more motivated to win this next home game. This match will be more defensive than anything else, keeping score lower than usual.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Minnesota Vikings; Vikings to Win
The Odds
Team | Spread |
Arizona Cardinals | +6 -105 |
Minnesota Vikings | -6 -115 |
Another great matchup between leading teams, the Cardinals and the Vikings have both been surprising everyone with their great wins, and close losses.
Arizona Cardinals | Minnesota Vikings | ||
Rank | Offensive | Rank | |
26 | Average Score For | 15 | |
31 | Total Yards | 17 | |
27 | Rushing Yards | 8 | |
28 | Passing Yards | 17 | |
Rank | Defensive | Rank | |
4 | Average Score Against | 9 | |
10 | Total Yards | 8 | |
19 | Rushing Yards | 11 | |
9 | Passing Yards | 10 |
The Cardinals and the Vikings have similar defense, but the Vikings outmatch them in stopping the running plays. Along with their greater defensive advantage, the Vikings also have a much better overall offense than the Cardinals. Despite their initial success, the Cardinals seem to play worse against weaker teams; the tough matches they have played and won were by just a small margin. The Vikings will have RB Adrian Peterson taking advantage of their weaker rushing defense, along with the offensive line creating chances for a breakaway. In terms of passing, the Vikings certainly overshadow the Cardinals with QB Christian Ponder and WR Percy Harvin and TE Kyle Rudolph; even Adrian Peterson is an asset in the passing game.
This game will certainly be evenly matched, but in the end the Vikings will come out on top due to their superior offense and defense. The one aspect that will make this game into an average scoring game is the defense and their great ability to stop their opponents.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers; Cowboys to Win
The Odds
Team | Spread |
Dallas Cowboys | -2 -115 |
Carolina Panthers | +2 -105 |
These two teams have not had a great season so far, but the Cowboys have been proving they are still in the game. With this next win they will be at an even 3 – 3 record and hopes of getting more wins are in sight.
Dallas Cowboys | Carolina Panthers | ||
Rank | Offensive | Rank | |
24 | Average Score For | 25 | |
6 | Total Yards | 23 | |
20 | Rushing Yards | 13 | |
6 | Passing Yards | 22 | |
Rank | Defensive | Rank | |
20 | Average Score Against | 21 | |
2 | Total Yards | 23 | |
14 | Rushing Yards | 23 | |
1 | Passing Yards | 19 |
The Cowboys have been struggling since the beginning of the season, but it looks like they are finally getting back on track and playing like a NFL team should be. The Cowboys have a much better passing offense, as they have many different players that Tony Romo or Kyle Orton can depend on when making their passes. To the contrary, the Panthers have a slightly experienced quarterback, who likes to run with the ball as much as he likes to pass it. This is where the Cowboy defense will come in handy, as they will be able to shut down the Panther passing game, making them rely on their rushing. Even if the Panthers have home field advantage, it will do them no good if they are unable to stop the Cowboy offense.
These two teams have shown poor ball handling skills, as they tend to turn over the ball quite often, so this game will be a back and forth between them. The Cowboys will win in the end, but it will still be a close match.
New York Jets vs. New England Patriots; Patriots to Win
The Odds
Team | Spread |
New York Jets | +11 -120 |
New England Patriots | -11 EVEN |
The Patriots, even with their 3 – 3 record, have been able to match up quite well against the tougher opponents; losing only by a small margin. The Jets on the other hand have had problems when they are up against top ranking teams, on the road and at home.
New York Jets | New England Patriots | ||
Rank | Offensive | Rank | |
20 | Average Score For | 1 | |
30 | Total Yards | 1 | |
15 | Rushing Yards | 4 | |
30 | Passing Yards | 3 | |
Rank | Defensive | Rank | |
19 | Average Score Against | 15 | |
18 | Total Yards | 22 | |
28 | Rushing Yards | 6 | |
5 | Passing Yards | 28 |
Both teams have weak defenses, other than excelling in one particular area. The Jets are good at the pass coverage, while the Patriots do a good job at stopping the running plays. The one big difference is that the Patriots offense tends to do all of the heavy lifting, as can be seen by their high scores each match. QB Tom Brady isn’t one of the best in the league for nothing, being able to throw quite accurately and often to his many wide receivers. They even have a great running lineup with RB’s Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden. With this powerful combination, overcoming the Jets defense will be no problem. The Patriots defense, although lacking, will still be able to stop the Jets at their best offensive aspect, their rushing.
The Patriots have been making strides at getting better, as they started their season in a slump. They are looking more and more like the powerhouses they were in previous seasons. This match will end with the Patriots victory, and it will be done by a large margin. Each time they play teams with weaker offense and defense than they have, they always make sure to outscore them by at least 10 points.
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears; Bears to Win
The Odds
Team | Spread |
Detroit Lions | +6 -110 |
Chicago Bears | -6 -110 |
Despite their one loss against the Green Bay Packers, the Bears have been proving why they are regarded to as one of the strongest defenses in the NFL.
Detroit Lions | Chicago Bears | ||
Rank | Offensive | Rank | |
12 | Average Score For | 2 | |
2 | Total Yards | 20 | |
19 | Rushing Yards | 10 | |
2 | Passing Yards | 23 | |
Rank | Defensive | Rank | |
24 | Average Score Against | 1 | |
9 | Total Yards | 3 | |
12 | Rushing Yards | 1 | |
16 | Passing Yards | 14 |
Even though the Lions have a superior offense than the Bears have, the Bears still manage to win their games by large margins and the main reason for that is thanks to their amazing defense and special teams. As most know, the Bears rely heavily on their defense to win games, and so far that is exactly what has been happening. The defensive line has been able to effectively stop the rushing plays, as well as effectively stopping the quarterback; as they already have 18 sacks. With the Lions offensive line not being able to protect their QB as good as they should, will be all the motivation the Bears need to take their offense apart.
The Bears have been able to achieve high scores despite their reliance on their defense, and the Lions seem to score low when they are against tough defensive opponents. This will work in favor of the Bears as they win, with a high final score and by a good spread.
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