Week 7 NFL Picks: Vegas Betting Odds, Over/Under Spreads and Line Projections

Bettors might feel sluggish heading into Week 7.

For good reason, too, with how Week 6 treated everyone. Predictable events such as the Arizona Cardinals taking down the New York Jets worked out. But favorites such as the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and even Chicago Bears took losses despite most playing in what looked like games with obvious outcomes.

Plenty of chances to recoup the losses—or add to gains, for the wizards out there—exist in Week 7. The house might have come out big a week ago, but it remains as exploitable as ever early in the week.

Here is a look at the full Week 7 slate, the early lines and some tips.

NFL Week 7 Odds

Matchup	Spread	O/U	Predicted Winner
Chicago at Green Bay (TNF)	GB -9	46.5	GB 34-20
N.Y. Giants at L.A. Rams	NYG -2.5	44	NYG 23-20
Washington at Detroit	DET -1	48.5	WAS 27-23
Minnesota at Philadelphia	MIN -1.5	40	MIN 23-14
Cleveland at Cincinnati	CIN -10.5	46	CIN 30-20
Indianapolis at Tennessee	TEN -1.5	48	TEN 24-20
Baltimore at N.Y. Jets	E	42.5	BAL 27-20
Oakland at Jacksonville	JAC -1.5	49	OAK 28-24
New Orleans at Kansas City	KC -7	50.5	KC 30-21
Buffalo at Miami	BUF -2	44.5	MIA 27-24
San Diego at Atlanta	ATL -6	53	ATL 28-23
Tampa Bay at San Francisco	E	47.5	SF 23-20
New England at Pittsburgh	NE -2	46	NE 34-24
Seattle at Arizona	ARI -2	43.5	SEA 24-20
Houston at Denver (MNF)	DEN -6.5	41.5	DEN 24-17

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Toughest Decision: Minnesota (-1.5) at Philadelphia

It doesn't seem to get much more difficult than this.

Does a bettor roll with the undefeated Minnesota Vikings under the unexpected guidance of quarterback Sam Bradford? Or is it smarter to roll with the Philadelphia Eagles at home despite two straight losses? 

Either way seems solid, right? The Vikings have bested notables such as the Packers and New York Giants while Bradford has completed an eye-popping 70.4 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and no interceptions. His defense has yet to allow more than 16 points in a game.

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

Philadelphia started the season on a surprising three-game tear thanks to strong performances by rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. He's thrown seven touchdowns to one interception, though the Eagles have now come up short in two consecutive weeks.

For now, bettors need to lean on Minnesota. There's an outside chance Wentz posts another monster game and the defense that only let up a maximum of 14 points over three wins returns. But Minnesota, road game or not, has downright dominated all teams encountered.

There's another angle here, too. Philadelphia has lost two games out of a Week 4 bye. The offense, led by an unknown at quarterback, has now registered five games of film. No more surprising other teams—and especially not a defense like the one Minnesota will bring to town.

Prediction: Vikings 23-14

Avoid If Possible: Seattle at Arizona (-2)

NFC West battles aren't easy on the teams—or bettors.

The aforementioned Cardinals destroyed the Jets in 28-3 fashion on Monday Night Football. There, the Carson Palmer-led offense leaned on running back David Johnson, who ran 22 times for 111 yards and three scores.

To showcase what an odd season it has been, the dominant showing only brought the Cardinals to .500.

"We've won two in a row," Arizona head coach Bruce Arians said, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We're still just a .500 ballclub, but I like the way we look right now."

Seattle, meanwhile, was lucky to escape the Atlanta Falcons by all of two points despite playing at home. Alas, a victory in which Christine Michael rushed for 64 yards and two scores on 18 carries brought the Seahawks to 4-1.

For those brave enough to take on this line, keep in mind Seattle traveled to Arizona last year and scored a 36-6 victory. The margin won't be anything close to that again this year, but Arizona has been inconsistent at best, and the three wins haven't come against impressive competition (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Giants).

Had Seattle lost to the Falcons, it might seem easier to justify rolling with the Cardinals. But the Seattle defense has only surrendered more than 20 points in a game once while finding an offensive stride as of late with 37, 27 and 26 points. Consistency can trump a home-field advantage, no matter how familiar both sides are with one another.

Prediction: Seahawks 24-20

Good Way to End the Week: Houston at Denver (-6.5)

This looks like one of the more confusing lines on paper because the Denver Broncos have lost two games in a row. 

It's somewhat fair. Denver played without starting quarterback Trevor Siemian in a Week 5 loss to Atlanta, then played well in a road loss to the San Diego Chargers last Thursday.

The Houston Texans, though, haven't impressed at all. A few weeks removed from a 27-0 beating at the hands of the New England Patriots in Week 3, the team took a 31-13 loss to the Vikings before needing overtime to escape the two-win Indianapolis Colts, 26-23.

Bettors can forget the revenge narrative as Brock Osweiler returns to face his former team. The Houston quarterback has been a major disappointment thus far, completing just 59 percent of his passes on a paltry average of 6.2 yards per completion with eight touchdowns and interceptions.

Already familiar with Osweiler, Denver will have a field day with his offense. Denver 7's Troy Renck captured the feelings around the organization:

A strong defensive performance will give the Denver offense the time it needs to get back on track. Siemian has seven touchdowns to three interceptions and continues to work his way back from injury.

The Broncos will accomplish this on the ground. Houston has already allowed eight rushing scores and coughs up an average of 126.3 rushing yards per game. This gives Denver a chance at home to get Siemian back fully comfortable under center without much in the way of pressure.

It's the perfect environment to cap off Week 7 with a win.

Prediction: Broncos 24-17

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.