NFL Week 7 Picks: Odds and Predictions Before Thursday Night

The Kansas City Chiefs faced a critical game in Week 6 when they went to Oakland to take on the Raiders.

They were 2-2 going into that game against a Raiders team that had been quite resurgent. Oakland appeared to have more offensive weapons with Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, but the Chiefs were professional and played a first-rate road game to earn a 26-10 victory.

The game was reminiscent of the way the Chiefs played in 2015 when they closed the regular season with a 10-game winning streak. Quarterback Alex Smith and his offensive teammates were not spectacular, but they were efficient and got the job done.

The Kansas City defense kept the Raiders offense in check.

Now the Chiefs have a chance to establish some momentum against the offensive-minded New Orleans Saints. New Orleans hung on to earn a 41-38 victory over the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers in Week 6.

Quarterback Drew Brees has been on top of his game this season, completing 66.7 percent of his passes with a 14-4 TD-interception ratio. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is an explosive target who has the speed to burn any defense, while Michael Thomas looks like a fine complementary receiver.

Game	Point Spread	Over/Under	Prediction
Chicago at Green Bay	GB -7.5	46	Chi; under
N.Y. Giants at L.A. Rams (in London)	NYG -2.5	44	NYG; under
Washington at Detroit	Even	49.5	Detroit; over
Minnesota at Philadelphia	MIN -2.5	40.5	Minn; under
Cleveland at Cincinnati	CIN -10	45.5	Cin; over
Indianapolis at Tennessee	TEN -2.5	48	Tenn; over
Baltimore at N.Y. Jets	Even	40.5	NYJ; over
Oakland at Jacksonville	JAC -1	48.5	Oak; over
New Orleans at Kansas City	KC -6.5	50.5	KC; over
Buffalo at Miami	BUF -3	44	Buffalo; under
San Diego at Atlanta	ATL -6.5	53.5	Atlanta; over
Tampa Bay at San Francisco	TB -2.5	46.5	SF; under
New England at Pittsburgh	NE -7	45.5	Pitt; over
Seattle at Arizona	ARI -2	43.5	Sea; over
Houston at Denver	DEN -7.5	40.5	Denver; over

The Saints may have a top-of-the-line offensive team, but they have big problems on defense once again. They rank 31st in yards allowed, and that's the same position they finished last year.

The Saints have split two road games, losing a close encounter with the New York Giants and registering an impressive comeback effort to beat the San Diego Chargers.

While the Saints are noted for their strength on offense and their weakness on defense, the Chiefs are a much more consistent team when they are playing their best football. The win against the Raiders indicates the Chiefs are getting close to that form.

They will run the ball with Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West and Jamaal Charles. Smith has targeted Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce 72 times, and both are credible receivers.

The Chiefs also have a star in the secondary in cornerback Marcus Peters, who has five interceptions in the first five games.

Kansas City is a 6.5-point favorite according to Odds Shark, and they have the power and consistency to wear out the Saints in the second half. Look for the Chiefs to build a lead throughout the game and hang on for a 10-point win.

Buffalo at Miami

The oddsmakers are inviting bettors to take a flier on the Miami Dolphins as they host the Buffalo Bills this week. 

The Dolphins played their best game of the year in beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at home by a 30-15 margin last week. Nevertheless, the Dolphins are three-point underdogs to the Bills.

Many handicappers will look at that line and wonder why the Dolphins are getting points after beating one of the most explosive teams in the league. Yes, the Bills are hot as they have reeled off four straight wins, but they are not in the same category with the Steelers.

Pittsburgh started the season as one of the preseason favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

We think the Dolphins got the best of the Steelers because the visitors were looking forward to their Week 7 game with the New England Patriots. Miami was able to get the best of a team that may not have been completely focused on the task at hand.

The Bills have beaten the Arizona Cardinals, Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in their win streak, and they have gotten excellent production from running back LeSean McCoy. The former Philadelphia Eagle has run for 587 yards, a 5.6 yards-per-carry average and six touchdowns.

McCoy left Wednesday's practice with tightness in his hamstring, according to NFL.com.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has also gotten the job done, as he is completing 62.4 percent of his passes and has an 8-2 TD-interception ratio.

The Bills also have a coming superstar in outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, who has eight sacks and three forced fumbles. He is doing the kind of things the Dolphins expected from defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The former Detroit Lion has 2.5 sacks and has not forced a fumble.

We look for the Bills to go down to South Florida and take care of business once again. The Dolphins will soon see that the Bills are playing with full concentration, and they will win the game by at least a touchdown.

Seattle at Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals have worked their way back to .500 after a slow start, and that means head coach Bruce Arians can get his team focused on the business of playoff positioning. The Cardinals made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game a year ago, but they did not look like that type of team during their first four games.

Victories over the 49ers and New York Jets does not mean all the ills have been healed, but the Cardinals have at least moved in the right direction.

The Seattle Seahawks have been playing like a team that wants to get back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years. They are playing sensational defense this season, ranking first overall in yards allowed.

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

The Seahawks have a pair of terrific linebackers in Bobby Wagner (44 tackles) and K.J. Wright (42 tackles) who are both fast and hard-hitting.

The Seahawks are two-point underdogs as they travel to the desert, but their play has been more consistent than the hosts. 

Look for Russell Wilson to execute better down the stretch than Carson Palmer, and the Seahawks will pick up the road win.