NFL Picks Week 7: Updated Lines and Final-Score Predictions for All Games

In a hectic league where nothing on Sunday is what it seemed on Saturday, every week of the NFL season produces at least one team proving it is for real.

The Dallas Cowboys snatched that ultimate statement victory in Week 6, debunking the one sure thing everyone thought still existed by upending the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. With that, they went from possible playoff sleeper to a Super Bowl contender everyone needs to take seriously.

With no undefeated teams left after six weeks, more NFL teams can make a rightful claim for the crown than in Westeros. At the other end of every statement win is a deflating defeat, so maybe football has the someone-dying-every-week thing down pat as well.

Week 7's slate is loaded with marquee matchups that can swing either way. Come Monday, we'll applaud the new "it team" that showed it must be taken seriously. The winners of the three contests below will top those discussions.

Home	Away	Line	Prediction
New England Patriots	New York Jets	NE -10.5	27-10 NE
Buffalo Bills	Minnesota Vikings	BUF -5	17-9 BUF
Baltimore Ravens	Atlanta Falcons	BAL -7.5	31-27 BAL
Jacksonville Jaguars	Cleveland Browns	CLE -5.5	28-17 CLE
Green Bay Packers	Carolina Panthers	GB -7.5	34-23 GB
Chicago Bears	Miami Dolphins	CHI -3	23-20 MIA
Indianapolis Colts	Cincinnati Bengals	IND -3	30-27 IND
Detroit Lions	New Orleans Saints	DET -2.5	24-20 NO
St. Louis Rams	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -7.5	23-12 SEA
Washington Redskins	Tennessee Titans	WAS -6	27-20 WAS
San Diego Chargers	Kansas City Chiefs	SD -4	24-17 SD
Dallas Cowboys	New York Giants	DAL -7	28-14 DAL
Oakland Raiders	Arizona Cardinals	ARI -3	30-13 ARI
Denver Broncos	San Francisco 49ers	DEN -7	24-20 DEN
Pittsburgh Steelers	Houston Texans	PIT -3	24-23 PIT

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

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The Carolina Panthers are this season's most baffling enigma. First, they jumped out to a 2-0 start with a convincing victory over the Detroit Lions. Then they got clobbered by a pair of AFC North adversaries in the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Just when they started to look down and out, they knocked off the Chicago Bears and tied the Cincinnati Bengals, who were propped up as a top title contender often in September. All in all, they're 3-2-1 with a minus-16 point differential.

Despite the negative stigma attached to ties, head coach Ron Rivera realizes it beats a loss, per the team's official Twitter page.

Heading into the season, a lacking pass offense loomed as Carolina's passing offense. So, of course, that's the only unit not ranked No. 20 or worse. 

Category	YPG	NFL Rank
Pass Offense	257.0	12
Rush Offense	86.8	28
Pass Defense	252.3	20
Rush Defense	140.2	27

The Green Bay Packers aren't perfect either. They rank last in rushing defense, and Eddie Lacy is averaging 3.8 yards per carry during what was expected to be a monster season. Yet after dropping two early road losses at Seattle and Detroit, the Packers have won three straight games.

Having Aaron Rodgers sure helps. NFL on ESPN marks his incredible precision since surrendering an interception at Seattle to start the season.

He should have little trouble carving up a defense that has surrendered 34 points per game through its last four bouts. Now that the Packers are facing a rushing defense outside the top 10 for only the third time, Lacy and James Starks should reinvigorate the ground game as well.

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

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How different would this game look if it happened during Week 4, when the undefeated Bengals led the league in point differential, while the Indianapolis Colts stood at 1-2 with a lone win over the Jacksonville Jaguars?

Since then, the Bengals have fallen on the wrong side of the New England Patriots vengeance before watching an errant Mike Nugent cost them a victory over the Panthers. The kicker expressed disappointment in his untimely missed field goal, per Sports Illustrated.

Cincinnati engaged Carolina in a shootout despite missing A.J. Green, who sat out the draw due to an injured toe. According to ESPN's Bob Holtzman, the Bengals will likely also have to play this huge AFC showdown without their star wide receiver.

That loss will hurt more against the No. 13-ranked defense. An 89-yard Giovani Bernard touchdown run, along with a 97-yard Adam Jones kick return, kept the Bengals alive last Sunday, but such deep plays are unsustainable.

As for the Colts, they quickly turned a sour 0-2 start into a strong 4-2 stretch, scoring 138 points during those victories. Andrew Luck is finally playing like the superstar he was always advertised as, posting career highs in completion percentage (66.2), yards per attempt (7.64) and quarterback rating (99.6). 

ESPN Stats & Info prorated his sensational start through 16 games, and the results are eye-popping.

Considerable fortune in close games oversold the Colts in previous years, but this year's iteration is legit with a solid defense and an improved Luck. The Colts will have a golden platform against the Bengals to prove their legitimacy.

San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos

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This Sunday night showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos still functions as a possible Super Bowl preview, yet neither squad has impressed by their raised standards.

For the Broncos, matching last year's 457.3 offensive yards and 37.9 points per game was never a worthwhile goal. Nobody would hold them to break any records they just shattered, but they now possess the league's No. 9 offense, with 389 yards per contest. They remain near the top of the pack in points scored, but they trail the Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, simply giving them a great offense rather than a transcendent one.

The 49ers once again flex an elite defense, and the No. 15 offense actually represents a vast improvement over 2013's No. 24 mark. They can thank Colin Kaepernick's 64.0 completion percentage, which towers above last season's 58.4 percent.

But would Jim Harbaugh celebrate much over a 4-2 start with a plus-18 point differential that ties the Kansas City Chiefs for No. 13?

The Broncos enter this behemoth bout as the favorite, so it would be just like this year's NFL for the 49ers to pull off a mid-level upset that douses the league in more chaos. Who's the NFL's top team if that happens? 

It's certainly a distinct possibility if Justin Smith and the front seven can pressure Peyton Manning. The other side of the field, however, presents just as much of a concern, with Denver posing the fourth-ranked rushing defense. Without a steady running attack from Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde, San Francisco won't be able to keep up on the scoreboard.