NFL Picks Week 7: Oakland Raiders and More Home Locks

Are these teams going to win because they are playing at home? No. They are going to win because they are the better team.

Don't get me wrong, when the week is over, I am sure that some teams will win largely because they were playing in front of their home fans. But at this point, you could hardly call any of those games locks.

So again, these teams won't win because they're at home. They will win because they are the much better team. Of course, the home field advantage isn't going to hurt anything.

Oakland Raiders

I'm not sure what kind of immediate dividends Carson Palmer will bring. Before anyone gets too excited, they need to remember that he hasn't played a game since last January.

But that's why this is the perfect week for this trade to happen. Actually, I guess a bye week would be the perfect week. But this week, they play the Chiefs in Oakland. That's not a bye week, but it's the next best thing.

The Raiders will rely heavily on Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, which will do them just fine in this one.

The Chiefs are on a two-game winning streak, but those two teams have a combined one win. The Raiders will make quick work out of the depleted defending division champs.

Dallas Cowboys

I've given this game a lot of thought this week. But here's the prevailing thought from this game:

Even if Tony Romo plays as bad as his biggest critics believe, the Cowboys will still win by two touchdowns.

The Rams may have been a little over their heads with a 7-9 season in 2010. This season has been a little deceptive, as they have had a brutal schedule to start and have been racked with injuries.

The problem is that a trip to Dallas wouldn't seem to be a break in any way. A depleted group of defensive backs will have a hard time against Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints have certainly had their issues this year, even though they sit at a very respectable 4-2. Conversely, the Colts have been competitive in most games, but still sit at 0-6.

The Superdome is always one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. The fans there are rabid, and the Saints are a team built for a dome.

Of course, the Colts are also a dome team, they just don't have Peyton Manning. That will be the problem here.

It's not that the Saints will shut the Colts out, but there is no way that they will outscore the Saints.