NFL Picks Week 6: Game-by-Game Advice for Current Vegas Spreads

Does any team in the NFL feel better about itself than the Atlanta Falcons?

While Atlanta has had plenty of talent the last two years, former head coach Mike Smith had some terrible luck with injuries, and his defense simply fell apart. This was certainly a team capable of playing much better, and rookie head coach Dan Quinn has been able to rally the Falcons to play their best football on a weekly basis.

In their 25-19 win over the Washington Redskins in Week 5, the defense made the key play when Robert Alford picked off his second pass of the game in overtime and ran it into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

When the defense can make the game-winning play and the offense has a three-pronged attack with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones (hamstring, questionable) and Devonta Freeman, the Falcons are difficult to stop. If Jones can't go or is not at 100 percent, Roddy White and Leonard Hankerson will have a chance to make plays.

It will be especially difficult for the Saints to stop all their weapons. New Orleans is coming off a one-sided loss at previously dormant Philadelphia, and the Falcons should not have any problems attacking the Saints' 32nd-ranked defense.

Drew Brees lacks the weapons to trade points with a high-powered team such as the Falcons. According to Odds Shark, Atlanta is a three-point favorite, and the Falcons should be able to win this rivalry game even though they are on the road.

Game	Line	Selection
Atlanta at New Orleans	Atl -3	Atlanta
Cincinnati at Buffalo	Cin -1	Cincinnati
Denver at Cleveland	Den -4.5	Cleveland
Chicago at Detroit	Det -2.5	Chicago
Houston at Jacksonville	Hou -1	Houston
Kansas City at Minnesota	Minn -3.5	Minnesota
Washington at N.Y. Jets	NYJ -6	Washington
Arizona at Pittsburgh	NL	Pittsburgh
Miami at Tennessee	Tenn -2.5	Tennessee
Carolina at Seattle	Sea -7.5	Carolina
San Diego at Green Bay	NL	Green Bay
Baltimore at San Francisco	Balt -1	Baltimore
New England at Indianapolis	NE -9.5	New England
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia	NL	Philadelphia

Vikings have a chance to continue Chiefs' misery

How good a salesman is Kansas City head coach Andy Reid at this point in his career? If the answer is not "exceptional," his Chiefs could be in huge trouble against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and for the rest of the season.

Not only have the Chiefs lost four games in a row to find themselves in last place in the AFC West, but All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles tore his ACL in the Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears. He is the Chiefs' best player, and the loss was devastating.

How will Reid convince his players the season is not lost?

The Vikings come into this game well-rested off the bye week and have the kind of aggressive defense that would have relished playing against Charles. Without him in the lineup, the Chiefs will struggle.

The Chiefs don't have the defense to bail out the offense. Kansas City has the 26th-ranked overall defense and is 27th against the pass. As long as the Minnesota offensive line can keep Teddy Bridgewater upright, he has a chance to have his best passing day of the year.

He also has a running back named Adrian Peterson to soften up the already-soft Chiefs defense. 

The Vikings are 3.5-point favorites and should not have a big problem covering here.

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Look for Pats to continue to roll in revenge game for both teams

The New England Patriots blew out the Indianapolis Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship Game last January. Little went right for the Colts in that game, yet they had the Patriots on the defensive—once the game was over.

That's because the Colts complained about underinflated footballs that the Patriots were using. That started the Deflategate controversy that dogged the Patriots throughout the offseason and made Tom Brady defend his reputation.

So, the Colts were humiliated in the last meeting between the two teams, while the Pats are resentful over the controversy.

Both teams would like to stick it to each other. However, they don't come into this game under similar circumstances.

The Colts are hoping that Andrew Luck can return to the lineup from the sore right shoulder that kept him from playing in the last two games. Luck practiced on Monday, but there are no assurances that he will play.

Even if he does play, he has been under siege throughout his first three games. It seems unlikely that the Colts will start protecting him in this game.

Meanwhile, the multifaceted Patriots offense has been rolling. Dion Lewis has upgraded the running game, and the Rob Gronkowski-Julian Edelman combination is devastating for defensive backs.

Look for the Patriots to cover the 9.5-point road spread.