Week 7 NFL Picks: Breaking Down the Weekend's Most Interesting Clashes

NFL football is usually intriguing, but then there are games that no one wants to watch. Apparently, local T.V. stations in Jacksonville have to explain why they are showing games played by the Jaguars and, apart from maybe the local fans and fantasy owners, no one is interested in watching the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the lowly Atlanta Falcons.

Therefore, this entire list of Week 7 picks is comprised of just those games that football fans everywhere want to see—the most interesting clashes of the weekend. All betting lines provided by Vegas Insider.

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5)

Yes, the Texans are 2-4 after losing their last four straight games, including a crushing loss to the previously 2-3 St. Louis Rams last week. What makes this game interesting is it offers football fans a look at one team on the rise and one team that doesn't have much farther to slide—which is always good television.

The Chiefs should easily cover the 6.5-point spread against the Texans thanks to Jamaal Charles carrying the load, which he's comfortable doing according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today:

Fun fact: Kansas City has won four straight and five of their six games this season by nine points or more, with the only close win coming in a 17-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Texans 17

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5)

The Ravens are certainly not the same team from a year ago that won the Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers and the 2005 or 2008 Super Bowl teams aren't exactly walking through the door for the Steelers, but this is still a divisional showdown that has to be watched twice annually.

Baltimore has hobbled (too soon, Ray Rice?) to a 3-3 record, but are coming off a 19-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Holding the Packers to less than 20 points is a feat that shouldn't go unmentioned, though.

As for the Steelers, hobbling doesn't even begin to describe the start to their season. But after starting off 0-4, they finally pulled one out against the New York Jets and will be looking for their first winning streak of the season against the Ravens.

The Ravens should win this game outright if Joe Flacco and his offensive weapons can find a way to gash the Steelers defense for a few big plays with the way their defense is playing as of late.

Though it's not very likely to happen, it would be nice to see Ben Roethlisberger score at least one touchdown so he can try out his new touchdown dance he discussed with ESPN's Mike Golich and Mike Greenberg earlier this week:

Prediction: Ravens 17, Steelers 13

Denver Broncos (-7) at Indianapolis Colts

This game, right here, is the one that every NFL fan is waiting for. Peyton Manning playing prime-time football against his former team with the likelihood of him putting up potentially 50, nay 60 points against the Colts.

And while Indianapolis is coming off one of its worst performances of the year against the San Diego Chargers, a short week after playing on Monday Night Football and a long travel from Cali back to Indy, Andrew Luck has a lot to prove and will likely have his best game of the year.

Another fun fact: Andrew Luck has never lost at home as an underdog with the Colts, according to Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports and R.J. Bell of pregame.com:

While the numbers comparison between Manning and Luck doesn't seem to add up, the Broncos defense, who does get Von Miller back this week, hasn't lived up to the billing this season and is susceptible to another offensive onslaught like we saw against the Cowboys.

Prediction: Broncos 38, Colts 35