What a weekend for the underdog! Week 6 in the NFL saw a wide array of upsets, including the Jets taking down the Packers at Lambeau Field, the Falcons beating the 49ers by double digits, and the Steelers outlasting the Bucs at home. Not only that, but the Eagles remained undefeated with a win over the Cowboys, and the Giants continued their hot start to the season, moving to 5-1 after beating the Ravens at MetLife Stadium. So, does that mean Denver is destined to upset the Chargers in L.A. on Monday night? That remains to be seen, but the NFL always seems to have your head on a swivel.
While there is still one more game to go, let's take an early look at what's to come in Week 7. Below, we'll take our first glimpse of these matchups and get our impression of the opening lines for these games to see if there is anything they can tell us about who the oddsmakers see coming out on top.
Note: Buffalo, Los Angeles (Rams), Minnesota, and Philadelphia are on the bye in Week 7
Week 7 early odds
(All lines from Caesars Sportsbook, all games on Sunday unless noted)
Saints (2-4) at Cardinals (2-4), Thursday
Opening line: Cardinals -2
This line jumped up to Cardinals -2.5 on the lookahead after initially opening up at 2-points in the spring. That held through the week but did start to dip following Sunday's action in the league and currently stands at Cardinals -1.5. It's currently unclear who'll be the starting quarterback for New Orleans between Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton, and whether or not their collection of receivers (Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Jarvis Landry) will be able to go either. The Saints dropped to 2-4 on the season after falling to the Bengals at home, while Arizona also came out on the losing end and was limited to just three field goals in a loss to Seattle. Recently, Arizona has been a bad bet at home, owning a 1-7 ATS ranking in their eight games at State Farm Stadium.
Browns (2-4) at Ravens (3-3)
Opening line: Ravens -5
Baltimore was a 5-point favorite when this line first opened in the spring and jumped to a 6-point favorite in the lookahead line. Coming out of week 6, this line is again on the move with Baltimore getting another half-point and sitting as a 6.5-point favorite against their AFC North rival. Both of these clubs lost in Week 6, with the Ravens dropping a game to the Giants while the Browns fell to the Patriots at home. Both are also under .500 ATS on the season. That said, this could be a spot to take the Ravens in a bounce-back game at home. After all, they are 5-0 ATS against Cleveland in their last five meetings. They are also 5-1 ATS following an ATS loss.
Buccaneers (3-3) at Panthers (1-5)
Opening line: Buccaneers -5.5
This number has ballooned quite a bit since initially opening at 5.5 back in May. The lookahead on this line last week had Tampa Bay as a 9.5-point favorite and is now sitting as a 10-point favorite coming out of Week 6. The Panthers fired Matt Rhule last week and appear to be on the verge of selling off key parts like Christian McCaffrey if the right offer comes along. They were double-digit dogs going against the Rams last week but failed to cover, falling 24-10. Meanwhile, the Bucs had arguably the most stunning loss of the week, managing just 18 points in a loss to the Steelers. Tom Brady and the offense struggled in the red zone, converting for a touchdown on just one of their four trips. The Bucs have dominated this matchup as of late, covering in their last four meetings and owning a 5-1 ATS record in their last six meetings in Carolina.
Falcons (3-3) at Bengals (3-3)
Opening line: Bengals -9.5
The Bengals were a double-digit favorite essentially throughout the summer in this matchup, but things have changed pretty dramatically since the season got going. The lookahead has Cincinnati as a 7-point favorite and even that has come down to Bengals -6 as of Monday morning. That's likely due to the impressive 6-0 ATS streak that the Falcons have been on to begin the year, which includes a straight-up win over the 49ers in Week 6. Atlanta has been a bettor's best friend this year and will now put that perfect record to the test on the road. In their last four games outside of Atlanta, the Falcons are 3-0-1 ATS. However, the Bengals are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games, so something will need to give here.
Lions (1-4) at Cowboys (4-2)
Opening line: Cowboys -7
Dallas has held as a 7-point favorite since this line opened. It will be curious to see, however, if there is any movement once we get official word on the status of Dak Prescott. He told reporters after Sunday's loss to the Eagles that he plans to return for this game after missing the last month after suffering a thumb injury in the Week 1 opener. The Cowboys have been a strong bet this season even with Cooper Rush under center, owning a 4-2 ATS record. In their past eight losses, Dallas has responded well and is 7-1 ATS under that circumstance. Meanwhile, the Lions, who were on the bye last week, also are above .500 ATS. They are 5-0 ATS against teams with a winning record.
Giants (5-1) at Jaguars (2-4)
Opening line: Jaguars -1
After opening as a 1-point favorite in the spring, Jacksonville moved to a field-goal favorite in the lookahead and that's held through the events of Week 6. New York is one of the surprise teams of the season after jumping out to a 5-1 record, which includes a 5-1 ATS record as well. As a home dog against Baltimore, the Giants were able to get the straight-up win on Sunday and continue to play extremely well under Brian Daboll. Meanwhile, the Jaguars dropped their third-straight game on Sunday as they allowed the Colts to drop 34 points against them to move them down to 2-4 (SU and ATS) on the season. The Jaguars are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 home games. With that in mind along with how well the Giants are playing, it may be the move to grab the points here. That said, New York is 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games.
Colts (3-2-1) at Titans (3-2)
Opening line: Titans -1
The lookahead had this opening line bumped a half-point to 1.5 and that's since jumped up even more with Tennessee now sitting as a full field-goal favorite at home. The Titans were on the bye in Week 6, while the Colts earned a much-needed AFC South win over the Jaguars on Sunday. Indianapolis will be looking to snap what has been a 0-4 ATS record against the Titans, while also making ground in the division race. That will not be such an easy task, however, as the Titans are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games at Nissan Stadium.
Packers (3-3) at Commanders (2-4)
Opening line: Packers -3.5
The Packers opened as a 3.5-point favorite, but the lookahead line had them laying 5.5 points on the road. This number went as high as Packers -7 as of Saturday but has since come back down to Packers -5. Green Bay's offense continues to look disjointed and managed just 10 points in a loss to the Jets at Lambeau Field. This season, the Packers are 2-4 ATS but will get a chance to rebound as they take on a Commanders team that may be without Carson Wentz after he fractured a finger on his throwing hand. The Commanders are 1-4 ATS in their last five games, while the Packers are 1-4 ATS on the road.
Jets (4-2) at Broncos (2-3)
Opening line: Broncos -8
The preseason expectations for the Broncos had this line open up at -8, but as the season has gone underway it's fallen to Broncos -3.5. Following Sunday's action that featured a Jets win at Lambeau Field, this line has moved down to Denver -3 as of Monday morning. Of course, there could be swings in this line as Denver takes on the Chargers on Monday night, but the Jets have been a tough out this year, which makes taking the field goal pretty enticing. New York is 5-1 ATS in their last six road games, while Denver is 1-2 ATS at home this season.
Texans (1-3-1) at Raiders (1-4)
Opening line: Raiders -7.5
Las Vegas was a 7-point favorite on the lookahead line and with both of these teams on the bye in Week 6 that held coming out of the weekend. Despite a 1-3-1 SU record, the Texans have covered 75% of their games played this season. As for Vegas, they are 2-3 ATS and 0-5 ATS in their last five games following a bye week. The Texans meanwhile are 4-1-1 in their last six games on the road.
Seahawks (3-3) at Chargers (3-2)
Opening line: Chargers -7.5
L.A. was a 7.5-point favorite when this line opened in May and still held that mark in the lookahead last week. However, that has since come down to -7 as they take on a Seattle team that is a respectable 3-3 on the year and just held the Cardinals to three field goals in a win on Sunday. With the Chargers playing Monday night, there is the possibility that this line moves a bit more dramatically depending on how that game plays out. This season, the Seahawks are 1-2 ATS on the road.
Chiefs (4-2) at 49ers (3-3)
Opening line: Chiefs -1.5
Kansas City was a 1.5-point favorite in the lookahead last week but has since jumped out as a 3-point favorite following Week 6. This comes after both of these teams walked out of Sunday's action with losses. While the Chiefs fell to the Bills in a tightly contested game, San Francisco's loss to the Falcons is the most jarring. They committed three turnovers on the day, including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. That said, San Fran does trend favorably here as they are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are now 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
Steelers (2-4) at Dolphins (3-3)
Opening line: Dolphins -4
Miami jumped out as a 6-point favorite in the lookahead line last week and that has increased to Dolphins -7 coming out of Week 6. Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be back for this game, giving the Dolphins some more stability under center after being ravished by injuries over the last month. Miami has been a good bet at home this season, owning a 2-1 ATS record. In their last nine games at Hard Rock Stadium, the Dolphins are 7-2 ATS. As for Pittsburgh, they put together an impressive win against the Buccaneers, but have struggled on the road and have failed to cover in six of their last eight games as the away team.
Bears (2-4) at Patriots (3-3)
Opening line: Patriots -6
New England's dominance over the previous two weeks may be instilling some confidence in bettors. This 6-point spread that opened in May held on the lookahead last week, but the Patriots have since jumped out as a 7.5-point favorite over Chicago. While the quarterback situation for Bill Belichick's team is still uncertain, their defense has mauled their opponents as of late, including a four-turnover performance against the Browns on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Bears had extra time to prepare for this game after facing the Bears last Thursday. New England is 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games overall, while Chicago is 1-3-1 ATS over that same stretch.
