And the roller coaster continues. Del bounced back from a rough week of picks in Week 5 to post an impressive 9-6 record against the spread in Week 6, including 2-1 in the top three. As a result, we have inched a lot closer to that 50% mark we have been eyeing. A big week this week could finally push Del over the hump.
There are plenty of lopsided matchups across the league this week, which has led to a number of spreads that are around a full touchdown. Hopefully we can get on the right side of the number once again. Here are Del’s Week 7 NFL Picks, with analysis of the top three after the chart. Be sure to check back later in the week when Doc Brown posts his selections.
(ATS = Against the Spread, SU = Straight Up)
For the first pick in the top three this week, I’m going with the Rams getting six points on the road against the Panthers. Both teams were impressive last week, with Carolina dominating the Vikings on the road and St. Louis doing the same to the Texans. The Rams have won back-to-back games after getting off to a 1-3 start and their offense looks to be improving. The last time the Panthers blew an opponent out (a 38-0 win over the Giants in Week 3), they responded with a stinker against Arizona in their next game. I don’t really know who will win this one, but I’m fairly confident it will be close. I’ll take the points.
Another line I like this week is the Broncos laying 6.5 on the road against the Colts. Have you paid attention to all the drama surrounding Jim Irsay’s comments about being disappointed his team only won one Super Bowl in the Peyton Manning era? Manning was asked if he holds any ill will toward the Colts earlier this week, and he passed on an opportunity to put the flames out. That’s not a coincidence. Denver is the better team, and Manning should be extremely motivated to beat his former team. I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns into a blowout.
And finally, I’m going with the Giants — yes, those Giants — at home against the Vikings on Monday night. New York is not going to go 0-16. They probably won’t even go 2-14, so some wins are coming. Josh Freeman should be an upgrade over both Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder when he gets comfortable, but he signed with Minnesota less than two weeks ago. Not to mention, he’s not going to help on defense. The Vikings have allowed 27 or more points in every game this season. They can’t stop anyone, and they won’t stop the G-Men on the road — even if Eli Manning throws a few more picks. Look for the Giants to get in the win column in convincing fashion.
