Week 7 NFL Picks: Predicting Underdogs Sure to Pull Off the Upset

Week 7 began with an underdog almost pulling off an upset victory when the New York Jets fell to the New England Patriots by just two points after a field-goal attempt was blocked as time expired on Thursday Night Football.

While that game didn't exactly end with the favorite going down, others will. After all, we have plenty of highly entertaining matchups on Sunday's slate. With so many evenly matched games and pivotal divisional contests forthcoming, we could be in for some unexpected conclusions.

Every underdog has a chance to pull off the upset in Week 7; however, some of them are very likely to do so. Let's take a look at three contests that will result in a loss by the favored team.

Carolina Panthers (+7.5) at Green Bay Packers

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Here's the first surprise on Sunday. Yes, Aaron Rodgers has been on fire lately, and the Packers are playing at home, but we simply can't deny how dangerous Cam Newton can be when he's at full speed. In Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Newton showed why he's a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.

Against the Bengals, Newton decided to run frequently for the first time this season. That resulted in 107 yards and a score on 17 carries. That's bad news for a Packers run defense that is ranked dead last in the NFL, allowing an average of 154.5 yards per game.

Here's a look at Newton's Week 6 numbers, followed by a scary question posed by the NFL's Twitter account:

A threat through the air as well, Newton is the complete package at the quarterback position. Even though Green Bay has been solid this season against quarterbacks—the team is ranked fifth against the pass—Carolina has some matchup nightmares in tight end Greg Olsen and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.

Olsen is too quick for most linebackers and safeties, and Benjamin's 6'5", 240-pound frame has proved to be a incredibly difficult to cover by smaller cornerbacks—especially in the end zone.

We should expect to see plenty of points scored in this contest, but Newton's ability to gain massive chunks of yards at a time in a variety of ways will prove to be the difference-maker against the Packers defense.

Prediction: Panthers 27, Packers 24

Tennessee Titans (+7) at Washington Redskins

Wade Payne/Associated Press

The Titans haven't looked good at all this season, but there's a big reason why they have a great chance to go on the road and defeat the Redskins on Sunday: turnovers.

Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins has been enigmatic this season. He looked like the real deal at times, but he makes absolutely horrid decisions at others. He may have thrown 10 touchdown passes through five games, but he's also thrown eight picks—including three in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Even head coach Jay Gruden is miffed about his quarterback's knack for throwing interceptions. He was asked about the mistakes during an interview with John Glennon of The Tennessean and came up with several answers:

"

I don't know. If I knew, I wouldn't call those plays. They've come in bunches. The fourth quarters haven't been very good to us and I think those are the most important times for us to make plays and get the win.

I don't know if he's forcing them too much or just maybe hesitating on a couple of them. Sometimes you force them, sometimes you just miss the throws. Some of it's an accuracy issue, some of it's a footwork issue, some of them are just not believing in what he's seeing, and some of them are forced.

"

On the other hand, Titans starting quarterback Jake Locker isn't expected to return to action on Sunday, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. This would indicate backup Charlie Whitehurst will get another start. While Whitehurst hasn't been overly impressive, he's been efficient and has taken care of the ball nicely, throwing just one interception over three games.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt had the same feelings regarding the quarterback, via the Titans' official Twitter account:

Expect the Titans to win the turnover battle on Sunday, as a late Cousins interception gives Whitehurst and Co. a shot at a game-winning field goal.

Prediction: Titans 23, Redskins 20

Kansas City Chiefs (+3.5) at San Diego Chargers

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The Chiefs are headed to San Diego after a much-needed bye week. This team has shown continuous improvement throughout the season, and we can expect that trend to continue after some rest. Not only is the team healthier, but head coach Andy Reid has been pretty good coming off a bye throughout his career, according to ESPN's RJ Bell:

In Week 6, the Oakland Raiders exploited the Chargers' pass defense, as rookie signal-caller Derek Carr threw four touchdown passes. While San Diego does have the league's fourth-ranked pass defense, that could be a little deceptive after facing EJ Manuel, Blake Bortles and Geno Smith in the three games prior to Week 6.

Alex Smith continues to play very efficient football, and he's complemented by a sound running game featuring Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis.

Defensively, Kansas City has been sound against the pass, ranking seventh in the league in that category, despite facing vaunted quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Colin Kaepernick. This defense has the ability to slow down Philip Rivers.

This should be a very hard-fought divisional battle, but a rested Kansas City team has the slight advantage coming into San Diego. Expect this one to be decided in the game's final minutes.

Prediction: Chiefs 31, Chargers 30