NFL Week 6 Predictions: Projections for the Early Lines, Spreads and Odds

Week 5 isn't in the books just yet, but that doesn't mean it's too early to take a look forward to a Week 6 slate of matchups that will bring huge implications for the rest of 2014.

Many of the divisional races have yet to sort themselves out, but a few could begin to take shape in Week 6. A whopping seven of the 14 games on tap for the weekend feature teams in the same division.

Elsewhere, there are a number of teams with early-season success that will be tested like never before this season and disappointing squads hoping to turn the tide. 

They're almost assured to sway in one direction or the other before kickoff, but here's a glance at the opening spreads for Week 6 along with early predictions. 

Date	Away	Home	Spread	Pick ATS
Oct. 9	Indianapolis Colts	Houston Texans	IND -2	Colts
Oct. 12	Jacksonville Jaguars	Tennessee Titans	TEN -6	Titans
Oct. 12	Baltimore Ravens	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	BAL -3.5	Ravens
Oct. 12	Denver Broncos	New York Jets	DEN -6	Broncos
Oct. 12	Detroit Lions	Minnesota Vikings	DET -3	Lions
Oct. 12	New England Patriots	Buffalo Bills	Even	Patriots
Oct. 12	Carolina Panthers	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -7	Panthers
Oct. 12	Pittsburgh Steelers	Cleveland Browns	CLE -2	Browns
Oct. 12	Green Bay Packers	Miami Dolphins	GB -2	Packers
Oct. 12	San Diego Chargers	Oakland Raiders	SD -7	Chargers
Oct. 12	Chicago Bears	Atlanta Falcons	ATL -3	Bears
Oct. 12	Dallas Cowboys	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -8.5	Seahawks
Oct. 12	Washington Redskins	Arizona Cardinals	ARI -4	Cardinals
Oct. 12	New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI -3	Giants
Oct. 13	San Francisco 49ers	St. Louis Rams	N/A	49ers

Note: Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com, last updated Oct. 5 at 11 p.m. ET

Best Bets

Detroit Lions (-3) vs. Minnesota Vikings

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

An angry Detroit Lions team looking to make up for last weekend's letdown defeat to Buffalo will face division-rival Minnesota on the road in Week 6, and the outcome could prove ugly.

Winning three of their first four games of the Jim Caldwell era, the Lions promised to contend for the NFC North and turn things around after last year's sour ending. But things took a considerable step back in a home loss to the previously struggling Bills and new starting quarterback Kyle Orton.

Meanwhile, the Vikings have been blown out by virtually every decent team they've faced. Save for surprisingly impressive victories over St. Louis and Atlanta, Minnesota has been outscored a whopping 92-26 in its three losses.

Teddy Bridgewater might make his return for the Vikings in Week 6, but they'll be throwing him into the fire with Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and the rest of the Lions' scary front four chasing him down. The Lions rank in the top six against both the run and the pass, beginning to put last year's defensive woes to bed.

Add onto all of that Matthew Stafford going up against a secondary that has given up the second-most yards in the league, and you have a recipe for disaster for Minnesota fans.

Denver Broncos (-6) vs. New York Jets

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

When you pit one of the game's best quarterbacks of all time against arguably the NFL's most struggling secondary, the results typically aren't pretty—at least for the latter side. Such will be the case when the Denver Broncos travel to the Big Apple for Week 6.

All of the signs of early-season promise around the New York Jets have since been washed away via four straight losses—the last of which was a 31-0 debacle at San Diego. Quarterback Philip Rivers had his way against the Jets secondary, throwing for 288 yards and three touchdowns. 

As for the Broncos, well, Peyton Manning threw his 500th—and 501st, and 502nd and 503rd—touchdown of his career on Sunday in a 41-20 win against the Arizona Cardinals. That gave the NFC West foe their first loss of the year.

The Jets' daunting front four keeps the team in games on the defensive end more often than not, but even it struggled against the Chargers by giving up 114 yards to Branden Oliver. 

Denver might not be able to pound the rock like that with Montee Ball "out for a while" according to Denver Post's Mike Klis, but that shouldn't be a problem with Manning facing a team that has allowed three of its five opponents to throw for more than 280 yards.

Carolina Panthers (+7) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

USA TODAY Sports

Before Week 5, it would have been easy to write this game off as an easy Cincinnati Bengals win considering the direction both teams were headed in. 

But that's why you play the game.

The Carolina Panthers topped the Chicago Bears at home before the Bengals laid an egg on Sunday Night Football against the New England Patriots, and suddenly this game got a whole lot more interesting. That's especially so when you look at the lopsided spread that features Cincinnati up by a touchdown.

Everybody was buying high on the Bengals after their 3-0 start, but those triumphs came against teams with a combined record of 6-9. Their run defense had been fantastic until the Patriots—with one of the league's most struggling offensive lines—scampered for over 200 yards against them on Monday.

That may not be as much of a problem against a Panthers team that is undergoing incredible turmoil with injuries at the running back spot. But Cam Newton got the passing game rolling in Week 5 and tight end Greg Olsen led the way with two touchdowns. That bodes well going up against a Cincinnati squad that just allowed big days for two Patriots tight ends.

The Bengals will come in with a chip on their shoulder after last weekend's performance and should pull out the win, but this one will be much, much closer than the spread predicts.