NFL Picks Week 7: Favorites That Will Cover the Spread

I don't know about you, but I tend to avoid going with teams that are laying double-digit points on the line in any game, especially when you're talking about Week 7 in the NFL, where nobody's healthy and desperation is starting to set in for a number of teams who got off to bad starts.

That doesn't mean that you should avoid favorites altogether, as a number of squads have games on tap that find them favored by single-digits, numbers that are far more manageable and realistic to achieve.

With that in mind, I give you three favorites who will take care of business in Week 7 NFL action.

*All lines courtesy of Vegas Insider.

Buffalo Bills (-3) vs. Tennessee Titans

Both teams have defenses that struggle to stop opposing offenses, whether it be on the ground or through the air—which means that both offenses will be able to put points on the board.

The key here will be which defense can get to the opposing quarterback more frequently, and the edge goes to the Bills.

Buffalo's defense has 15 sacks on the season, 11th in the NFL, while Tennessee's offensive line has allowed only 11 sacks on the season, the 10th-best mark in the league.

However, nine of those 11 sacks have come with Matt Hasselbeck under center, and Buffalo should be able to get to Hasselbeck early and often, disrupting what the Titans want to do on offense.

While it might not result in turnovers, their ability to get to Hasselbeck will force some three-and-outs, giving Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills offense solid field position.

Take the Bills giving a field goal at home.

Houston Texans (-4) vs. Baltimore Ravens

While Terrell Suggs is looking to get back on the field Sunday against the Texans, he figures to be somewhat limited—and his presence alone cannot make up for the loss of both LB Ray Lewis and CB Lardarius Webb on the Ravens defense.

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Sources: Ravens LB Terrell Suggs (tore Achilles in April) is targeting & expecting to play Sunday vs. Texans (via @adamschefter)

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2012

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Houston has too powerful an offense, whether it be Arian Foster on the ground or Matt Schaub through the air, for the Ravens depleted defense to keep in check.

Take the Texans giving four points in this one.

 

Chicago Bears (-6) vs. Detroit Lions

Detroit's defense may rank 11th against the run this season, allowing 96 yards per game and only one rushing touchdown on the season, but they're about to meet their match in Bears' RB Matt Forte.

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LM: #Bears RB Matt Forte has rushed for 678 yards and 4 TDs vs. Lions, most in both categories vs. any NFL team.

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 19, 2012

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Couple that with the fact that Matthew Stafford has been anything but impressive under center for the Lions while the Bears defense has been on point all season long, ranking first against the run and 14th against the pass, and it's easy to see why taking the Bears giving six is the way to go.