Week 6 NFL Game Picks

Story posted October 12, 2017 in CommRadio, Sports by DJ Bauer

NFL Game Picks: Week 6

Week 5 was another crazy one in the NFL. Jacksonville crushed the Steelers, Deshaun Watson threw five touchdowns again, and Aaron Rodgers led his team to victory with just 1:13 left on the clock. Let’s take a look at what Week 6 has to offer:

Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) @ Carolina Panthers (4-1)

This Eagles team looks legit. Carson Wentz is continuing to climb the ladder of elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Panthers got off to strong start in Detroit and never gave up the lead after that. Both of these teams are 4-1 and among the best in the NFL. Thursday night’s game could easily be one of the best this week.

The pick: Philadelphia, 27-22.

Miami Dolphins (2-2) @ Atlanta Falcons (3-1)

Miami earned what is perhaps the ugliest win of the season against Tennessee last Sunday, and Atlanta is coming off a week of rest. On paper, this looks like an absolute mismatch, especially with Julio Jones looking healthy. This game probably won’t be a total blowout, but it’s obvious that Atlanta should win this one.

The pick: Atlanta, 32-19.

Green Bay Packers (4-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (3-2)

Aaron Rodgers has proved once again why he’s the best quarterback in the league. Even with injuries plaguing the Packers, they keep on winning games. Minnesota, on the other hand, looked a little shaky against Chicago last Monday night. This is a divisional game, so it really could go either way, but Green Bay just looks like the better team.

The pick: Green Bay, 21-12.

Detroit Lions (3-2) @ New Orleans Saints (2-2)

Matthew Stafford and company almost completed the comeback against Carolina last Sunday, but just couldn’t get it done in the end. The Saints are coming off a bye week and should be fresh for this game. Perhaps this is finally the game where the dynamic home offense returns to form. All things said, this game is truly a toss-up.

The pick: New Orleans, 31-30.

New England Patriots (3-2) @ New York Jets (3-2)

Who would have thought that both of these teams would be 3-2 heading into this game? New England’s defense has struggled all season, though they did prove successful in Tampa last Thursday, and Josh McCown has defied expectations at QB for the Jets. Despite this, it seems highly unlikely that New York comes away with a win here.

The pick: New England, 35-20.

San Francisco 49ers (0-5) @ Washington Redskins (2-2)

The 49ers are better than their record says. Since Week 2, San Francisco has lost every game by three points or less. It seems like they’re due for a win, but they’re playing a Washington team that will be refreshed coming out of the bye week. Sorry ‘Niners fans, but it’s quite likely this team will start 0-6.

The pick: Washington, 19-15.

Chicago Bears (1-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (3-2)

Mitchell Trubisky did about as well as you could expect a rookie quarterback to do in his debut, although his team did lose in the end. The Ravens continue to be inconsistent, but the win over Oakland last week should serve as a morale booster. This is another one where either team could win, but Baltimore is the favorite at home.

The pick: Baltimore, 24-14.

Cleveland Browns (0-5) @ Houston Texans (2-3)

The Browns will be starting Kevin Hogan over DeShone Kizer for at QB for this game, but it likely won’t matter in the end. Their defense will have to go against the red-hot Deshaun Watson, the guy they passed on in the previous draft. In all likelihood, Watson will continue his fantastic debut season with a win against Cleveland.

The pick: Houston, 39-10.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-3)

What a disappointment for Tampa Bay, who could have easily won against New England last Thursday with some better field goal kicking. What an even bigger disappointment for Arizona, who was dominated in Philadelphia. The Cardinals have struggled severely without David Johnson. Perhaps the addition of Adrian Peterson will help, but it most likely won’t.

The pick: Tampa Bay, 18-9.

Los Angeles Rams (3-2) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)

The Rams’ loss to Seattle at home last Sunday is definitely disappointing, but it shouldn’t be a sign of worry for this talented Los Angeles team. Jacksonville’s defense paved the way for a victory in Pittsburgh, and Leonard Fournette has more than lived up to his pre-draft expectations. Here’s an underdog candidate for game of the week.

The pick: Los Angeles, 29-26.

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)

The Steelers have been incredibly inconsistent. One week it’s domination over a division rival, and the next it’s Ben Roethlisberger throwing five picks in a terrible loss. Kansas City, meanwhile, has been consistently good, and remains the only team with a perfect record. Pittsburgh will probably make this an exciting game, but the Chiefs are favorites at home.

The pick: Kansas City, 23-20.

Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) @ Oakland Raiders (2-3)

It’s apparent that the loss of Derek Carr has been incredibly detrimental for the Raiders, and Amari Cooper’s slow start has not been helpful either. Los Angeles finally pulled out its first win of the season in New York, and, considering how awful Oakland has looked these past three weeks, it shouldn’t be surprising to see a Chargers win.

The pick: Los Angeles, 17-13.

New York Giants (0-5) @ Denver Broncos (3-1)

Giants fans already want the season to be over. All four of the G-Men’s starting receivers are out for an extended period of time, and the defense is nothing special. Eli Manning may be a Hall of Fame quarterback, but he can’t win games by himself. Denver is going to be fresh off a bye week. Sunday night’s game doesn’t look like a favorable one for New York.

The pick: Denver, 33-13.

Indianapolis Colts (2-3) @ Tennessee Titans (2-3)

Tennessee definitely felt the absence of Marcus Mariota in their loss to Miami last week. They want him back quickly, and, depending on how he feels, it’s possible that he returns for this game. Indianapolis is doing okay under Jacoby Brissett, but if Mariota’s back in time for this one, Tennessee ought to win on Monday night.

The pick: Tennessee, 27-20.

Byes: Buffalo Bills (3-2), Cincinnati Bengals (2-3), Dallas Cowboys (2-3), Seattle Seahawks (3-2).

 

DJ Bauer is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at metakoopa99@gmail.com.