Bleacher Report's Expert Week 7 NFL Picks (2025)

As we get deeper into the 2022 NFL season, BleacherReport’s analysts have gained steam, sort of like a bruising running back who findsa breakthrough in the middle of a game. Well, our experts went into "Beast Mode" with a 10-4 week on consensus picks, and two of them individually went 11-3.

Look, no one is here just to avoid a fine. Ourcrew is trying to help you make some extra money. For anyone who read andapplied last week’s analysis, enjoy the rewards, but don’t go anywhere. We havemore money-making picks in store for you.

With Ian Kenyon going out on top (11-3 lastweek), we’re down one panelist. NFL analysts Gary Davenport, Brent Sobleski, Kris Knox and Maurice Moton, editor Wes O'Donnell and B/R Betting host of Winners OnlyWednesdays Greg Ivory will continue to carry the load as a six-manplatoon. Until further notice, we’ll only consider majority picks with at leastfour nods from our group as a consensus pick (even splits won’t count towardthe consensus record).

Now that we’ve squared away thetechnicalities, check out the overall standings for our active experts withlast week’s record in parentheses.

1.Moton: 50-40-4 (11-3)

2.Davenport: 49-41-4 (8-6)

3.Ivory: 45-45-4 (7-7)

4.Knox: 41-49-4 (6-8)

5.O’Donnell: 40-50-4 (4-10)

6.Sobleski: 38-52-4 (9-5)

Consensuspicks: 48-42-4 (10-4)

Linesare from DraftKings asof Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 4 p.m. ET. Check DraftKings for the latest odds info.Information on public betting trends is courtesy of the ActionNetwork. ATS records are provided by TeamRankings.

Editor's Note: Cardinals defeated the Saints 42-34 on Thursday night.

TheArizona Cardinals will try to win their first home game in about a year; they’velost eight straight in front of their fans at State Farm Stadium.

Withthe return of three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who’s servedhis six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy,and the arrival of speedy wideout Robbie Anderson via trade from the CarolinaPanthers, the Cardinals offense will pick up the pace after scoring 17 or fewerpoints in three of the last four weeks.

Whilethe two wide receivers should bolster Arizona’s offense, Knox picked the Saintsto pull out the victory with their X-factor in Taysom Hill.

“Unexpected thingshappen on Thursday night, and I think that will be the case in this one. WhileNew Orleans isn't a great team, I've seen more consistency from the Saints thanthe Cardinals this season. That shouldn't be the case, as Arizona has a 'franchise' quarterback in Kyler Murray while New Orleans has reliedon Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston and a sprinkle of Taysom Hill.

“I think a heavy dose ofHill makes the difference in a very close and sloppy contest. New Orleansnearly upset the Cincinnati Bengals last week. It completes the upset thisweek.”

The Saints will play thisgame without wideouts Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle), which gives the Cardinals a significantedge.

Though we’ve seen surprising twistsin Thursday night games, there's a compelling case to take the Cardinals in this spot.They’re way overdue for a home win and have their best skill player back on thefield in Hopkins.

Predictions

Davenport: Cardinals

Ivory: Saints

Knox: Saints

Moton: Cardinals

O’Donnell: Cardinals

Sobleski: Saints

Consensus: None

Score Prediction: Cardinals 28,Saints 23

Oddsmakersconfused some bettors with this line.

At5-1, the New York Giants have emerged as arguably the biggest (pleasant) early surpriseof the season, winning all five of their games by eight points or fewer. They’llride some momentum going into a matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who havelost three consecutive contests.

Yetthe Jaguars get three points at home.

The publichas jumped on the Giants with 65 percent of thebets coming in for Big Blue. Our crew isn’t going to fade the masses on thisone. In fact, they came to a unanimous decision in favor of New York.

Motonsounds skeptical about the Jaguars defense and how it matches up against a starrunning back and a couple of budding playmakers.

“The Giants have won close games and had to erase double-digit deficits intheir last two outings with the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens, whichmeans the tide will eventually turn in the other direction. However, theJaguars won’t be the team to put a damper on Big Blue’s surprising start.

“Jacksonville’sdefense has crumbled in two of the last three weeks, giving up more than 400total yards and 29-plus points. Giants head coach Brian Daboll will once againfind a way to get the most out of his offense, using Daniel Jones’ mobility to movethe chains and Saquon Barkley’s dual-threat capabilities. Rookie second-roundwideout Wan’Dale Robinson could have a major impact following his first trip topaydirt last week.

“TheJaguars rank third against the run, but Robinson, Barkley and rookie tight endDaniel Bellinger can find holes in Jacksonville’s 21st-ranked pass defense.”

Predictions

Davenport: Giants

Ivory: Giants

Knox: Giants

Moton: Giants

O’Donnell: Giants

Sobleski: Giants

Score Prediction: Giants 23,Jaguars 20

We lastsaw the Detroit Lions walk off the field at Gillette Stadium with zero points. TheNew England Patriots completely shut down the NFC North club's high-poweredoffense.

Infairness to Detroit, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown suited up for that game after a one-weekabsence with an ankle injury, and running back D’Andre Swift, who leads thecharge for the team’s eighth-ranked ground attack, hasn’t played since Week 3because of a shoulder issue. The latter practiced Wednesday.

Witha week to rest on a bye, we could see the Lions score in flurries again.However, Knox focused on Detroit’s inability to make defensive stops as Cowboysquarterback Dak Prescott eyes a return from thumb surgery.

“This pick (and I'dassume, the line) is based on the prospect of quarterback Dak Prescott startingfor Dallas. I think Prescott's return can further boost an offense that hasfound a rhythm in the precision-passing and ground games. Against a Lionsdefense that has struggled to stop everyone it has faced this season, we shouldsee the Cowboys score in bunches.

“The Cowboys'third-ranked scoring defense, meanwhile, should be able to slow the Lionsoffense. With Swift potentially back for Detroit—and with an extraweek of rest—I still expect Detroit to turn this into a bit of a shootout. Thiswill be a close one until a couple of big defensive plays makes it lessso.”

Predictions

Davenport: Lions

Ivory: Lions

Knox: Cowboys

Moton: Cowboys

O’Donnell: Cowboys

Sobleski: Lions

Consensus: None

Score Prediction: Cowboys 35,Lions 26

Followinga sloppy Thursday night 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears last week, theWashington Commanders have had extra time to prepare for a struggling Green BayPackers squad that’s lost consecutive games to the New York football teams.

ThePackers have major issues aside from the departure of wideout Davante Adamsthis past offseason. Their defense, while ranked No. 1 against the pass, hascontinously opened the gate for ball-carriers. Green Bay ranks 27th against therun, giving up an average of 157 yards on the ground over the last three weeks.Also, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia must tighten up his unit afterthe New York Jets blocked a field goal and a punt that they returned for atouchdown last week.

Sobleskihas serious doubts about the Packers in a battle at the line of scrimmage, and he’snot down on the Commanders offense with Taylor Heinicke under center for CarsonWentz, who fractured a finger on his throwing hand.

“Threefactors play into Washington being the pick here. First, the New York Jets'defensive front simply manhandled the Packers offensive line Sunday. Washington'sdefensive line ranks first in pressure rate without blitzing.

“Of thePackers' three wins, two have been decided by three or fewer points. Finally, Wentz's absence doesn't automatically equate to a significantdownturn in the Commanders' offensive play. Heinicke is a capablebackup. Last season, he threw for 268 yards and ran for 95 more against thePackers, albeit in a loss.”

Sobleski’spoints made our crew a bit nervous, but we expect the Packers to hand the balloff to Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon 30-plus times to bludgeon the Commanders’ 25th-rankedrun defense.

While Commandersrunning back Brian Robinson has an inspiring story and a favorable matchup,the Packers have a two-man backfield that will control the game and snap GreenBay out of a funk.

Predictions

Davenport: Packers

Ivory: Packers

Knox: Packers

Moton: Packers

O’Donnell: Packers

Sobleski: Commanders

Consensus:Packers -5

Score Prediction: Packers 27,Commanders 20

Youmay be hesitant about laying double-digit points with a team that’s ranked 20thin scoring and only eclipsed 21 points in a lopsided loss at home.

However,our crew believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will bounce back from an upset lossto the Pittsburgh Steelers in a big way because the Carolina Panthers felldeeper into a downward spiral last week.

In Week6, the Panthers allowed the struggling Los Angeles Rams to score more than 20points for the first time since Week 2. Furthermore, Carolina has dropped consecutivegames by 14-plus points. Lastly, since Tom Brady signed with the Buccaneers in2020, Tampa Bay has thumped Carolina by at least 14 points in all four games.

Motonthinks Brady will put together a stellar performance after he had choicewords forhis teammates.

“Aftershouting at his offensive linemen Sunday, Brady and his 300-pound pass-protectorsget on the same page, and the 45-year-old signal-caller has his best passingperformance of the season against a team that fired its head coach a littlemore than a week ago.

“Panthersquarterback PJ Walker completed 10 out of 16 passes for just 60 yardsagainst the Rams in Week 6. He’ll struggle to move the ball in a matchup with theBuccaneers’ seventh-ranked pass defense. Tampa Bay cruises in a get-right road victory.”

Predictions

Davenport: Buccaneers

Ivory: Buccaneers

Knox: Buccaneers

Moton: Buccaneers

O’Donnell: Buccaneers

Sobleski: Buccaneers

Consensus: Buccaneers-11

Score Prediction: Buccaneers 27,Panthers 14

Bettorswho have sided with the Atlanta Falcons have made a lot of money. As a mildly surprisingcompetitive squad, they have a perfectrecord against the spread and head into Week 7 tied with the Tampa BayBuccaneers for first place in the NFC South (minus the tiebreaker in thehead-to-head loss).

Meanwhile,the Bengals have begun to hit their stride over the past few weeks, winningthree of the last four games and scoring at least 27 points in those victories.

Whilemost of our panelists see Atlanta going 7-0 against the spread, O’Donnell laidthe points with a surging Cincinnati squad.

“It'stime for the reigning AFC champions to turn that dial up to 11. Returning backto home turf for only the third time this season, and off a two-game road trip,they host an Atlanta team that is 6-0 ATS. That has to end, though. The Falconsaren't that good, and this is a brutal matchup for a defense that has given upthe mostyards through the air this season while registering only eight sacks.

“JoeBurrow, Ja'Marr Chase, a fully heathy Tee Higgins, and (gasp) maybe even a more consistent JoeMixon sighting shouldkick-start the offense into high gear ahead of a very favorable schedule for the next month.Here come the Bengals.”

TheFalcons will play this game without starting cornerback Casey Hayward (shoulder), soperhaps O’Donnell is right and we see Higgins post gaudy receiving numbers toput the Bengals over the top by more than a touchdown.

Predictions

Davenport: Falcons

Ivory: Falcons

Knox: Falcons

Moton: Falcons

O’Donnell: Bengals

Sobleski: Falcons

Consensus: Falcons +6

Score Prediction: Bengals 28,Falcons, 24

TheBaltimore Ravens don’t have any issues early in games, jumping out to sizeableleads, but they’ve allowed teams to hang around, and that’s come back to bitethem. The AFC North club has squandered double-digit leads to the MiamiDolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants.

Withthat said, we’re unanimous in our consensus in favor of the Ravens. Moton brokedown why the Browns don’t have what it takes to make a late run for a backdoorcover.

“Unlikethe Dolphins and Bills, the Browns don’t have an explosive offense. Sure, theycan run the ball down their opponent’s throat, but teams usually abandon theground attack while down multiple possessions because of the urgency in a raceagainst the clock.

“Furthermore,the Bills and Giants forced crucial late-game turnovers while on the comeback trail to beat the Ravens.The Browns have just five takeaways—only five teams have fewer.

"With the 23rd-ranked passing attack and maybe one extra possession, Cleveland would struggle to overcome an early deficit. Take Baltimore to start andfinish strong against a division rival at home.”

Predictions

Davenport: Ravens

Ivory: Ravens

Knox: Ravens

Moton: Ravens

O’Donnell: Ravens

Sobleski: Ravens

Consensus: Ravens-6.5

Score Prediction: Ravens 35,Browns 24

Perhapssome people buried Matt Ryan’s NFL career prematurely. Through the first fiveweeks of the season, he took a ton of hits, which undoubtedly impacted hispassing performances.

Ryanhas never showcased great athleticism with the mobility to escape defenders, so he needssolid pass protection. After multiple tweaks along the offensive line, the Colts keptthe 37-year-old quarterback relatively clean in the pocket, and he had a record-settingperformance against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.

Sobleskiwent in-depth about how impressive Ryan looked and why that factored into hisdecision to take the Colts.

“Maybethe most amazing stat coming out of Week 6's action is the fact Indianapolisdropped back to pass 58 times against the Jacksonville withoutsurrendering a single sack. Considering Matt Ryan had been the league's mostsacked quarterback going into that contest, the turnaround against a talentedyoung defensive front bordered on a miracle. Indianapolis seems to befinding its footing with a reworked offensive line and Ryan finally gettingcomfortable.

“Afterall, the veteran quarterback set a franchise record Sunday with 42 completions.Running back Jonathan Taylor should be back in the lineup after practicing lastweek but not being completely ready to play against the Jags.”

On the flip side of Sobleski's case, we sided heavily with the Titans, who had an extra week to prepare for this matchup while on a bye. Secondly, running back Derrick Henry ran for a season-high 114 yards with a touchdown against the Colts in Week 4.

Predictions

Davenport: Titans

Ivory: Titans

Knox: Titans

Moton: Titans

O’Donnell: Titans

Sobleski: Colts

Score Prediction: Titans 27, Colts23

Aftera Monday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime,the Denver Broncos will attempt to right the ship at home against the upstartNew York Jets, who have won three consecutive road games with their first 4-2 start since2015.

The Jets have a defense that travels well with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, linebackerC.J. Mosley and rookie first-round cornerback Sauce Gardner leading the charge ateach level of the unit.

In basically a pick ‘em game, Davenport sided with the team with the more accomplishedquarterback in desperation mode. Don’t hold him to this pick if the Broncoshave to start backup signal-caller Brett Rypien in place of Russell Wilson, who’sday-to-day with a hamstring injury.

“A Jets team no oneexpected anything from in 2022 is good, and a Broncos team hyped as a SuperBowl contender in the offseason is bad,” Davenport said. “Up is down. Down isup. Dogs and cats are getting married and having pittens and kuppies. The worldhas gone mad.

“Here's the thing. Forall the talk about how great the Jets are playing defensively, the Broncos areevery bit as good on that side of the ball. Maybe better. So long as RussellWilson can walk, he's going to play Sunday in a game the Broncos absolutelycannot lose if they have any hope of salvaging their season. And as putrid asthe Broncos have been offensively, if it comes down to a battle of Wilsons, I'mtaking the one with the Super Bowl ring—even if the volleyball from CastAway currently has a higher passer rating than both of them.”

Predictions

Davenport: Broncos

Ivory: Broncos

Knox: Jets

Moton: Jets

O’Donnell: Jets

Sobleski: Jets

Score Prediction: Jets 17, Broncos15

With the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans coming off a byeweek, we could see a close game between two well-prepared teams.

Nonetheless, quarterback Derek Carr has a better supporting cast of playmakers thanTexans signal-caller Davis Mills. Even if tight end Darren Waller doesn’t suitup or isn’t close to 100 percent because of a hamstring injury, Davante Adams, HunterRenfrow, Mack Hollins and Josh Jacobs should outpace Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and DameonPierce.

Ivory isn’t going to argue against the consensus pick.

"Which Raiders team are we going to get? With most of the Raiders losses coming in heartbreaking fashion, I believe this is a great spot for them to turn their season around. The Texans have a 1-3-1 record, and they're 3-1-1 against the spread, but I think the impact of Adams and perhaps Waller (if he practices this week) playing results in the Raiders turning the tide to cover."

As the lone wolf of the group, Davenport picked the Texans withthe thought that the extra week off will level the playing field between a coupleof one-win squads.

Davenport: Texans

Ivory: Raiders

Knox: Raiders

Moton: Raiders

O’Donnell: Raiders

Sobleski: Raiders

Consensus: Raiders-7

Score Prediction: Raiders 30,Texans 21

Followinga 28-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers will try torebound with some home cooking, but they’ll also need time to recover frominjuries. They played through the previous game withoutseveral starters. While that’s not an excuse to lose, the absence of somuch talent can certainly sway the outcome.

Ivory spoke on why he likes the Kansas City Chiefs in this matchup.

"Although the Chiefs' 4-2 record doesn’t seem far off from 3-3, they're head and shoulders above the 49ers offense with the ability to explode at any given time to get points on board," he said.

"We must consider that the Chiefs may have just played the Super Bowl contending Buffalo Bills and played them well for most the game. As of Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, 83 percent of the public money is on Kansas City, and I’m following suit. Give me Mahomes to pick apart the 49ers banged-up defense."

Edge-rusher Nick Bosa (groin), left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and safety Jimmie Ward (hand) practiced with limitations Wednesday, so the 49ers may see a few starters back on the field Sunday, but Moton explained why he made a clear-cutdecision to back the Chiefs.

“Withthe highest-scoring offense, the Chiefs can run through healthy teams, letalone a squad with several key players questionable at best. Up against Kansas City’s fourth-ranked aerial attack, the 49erswon’t come within a field goal of knocking off the Chiefs with a nicked updefensive line.

“For the 49ers to have chance against the Chiefs, Nick Bosa and Arik Armsteadmust suit up to pressure quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the pocket. If one or both don't play, San Francisco would have to rely on a banged-up secondary that’s already withoutcornerback Emmanuel Moseley (torn ACL) to slow down a prolific offense.

“Lastly,Kansas City’s fourth-ranked run defense should fare well against head coachKyle Shanahan’s ground attack, which is the bread and butter of his offense.Overall, this is a bad matchup for an injury-riddled 49ers squad. Chiefs win bya touchdown.”

Predictions

Davenport: Chiefs

Ivory: Chiefs

Knox: Chiefs

Moton: Chiefs

O’Donnell: Chiefs

Sobleski: Chiefs

Consensus: Chiefs-2.5

Score Prediction: Chiefs 30, 49ers24

Afteran overtime victory over the Denver Broncos in a 19-16 slugfest, the LosAngeles Chargers will have to ramp up their scoring rate if they want to hangwith the Seattle Seahawks, who rank eighth in points.

You would've been laughed out of the room with that analysis a month ago.

Well,on the field, Geno Smith has cooked way better meals than Russell Wilson, who’sstruggling in Denver, and Seattle rookie second-round running back KennethWalker III looks like the real deal.

Smithhas thrown for 1,110 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception over the previousfour weeks. As the lead ball-carrier in place of Rashaad Penny, who’s on injuredreserve with a fractured fibula, Walker has racked up 185 yards and twotouchdowns on the ground over the last couple of weeks.

We’vesided with the Seahawks because the Chargers will have their hands full on ashort week, and wideout Keenan Allen may not be quite himself after a five-gameabsence with a hamstring injury.

On the flip side, O’Donnell chose to walk alone with the expectation that Los Angelesshifts into a higher gear.

“I'mflying solo with this pick for a reason: I refuse to believe Seattle's successis sustainable while believing the best is yet to come for the Chargers. That'seasy to say for a trendy preseason favorite in Los Angeles that has battledinjuries and largely underperformed by most expectations but is still 4-2.

“Takingthe points like the rest of the panel makes sense, but I need to make somemoves at this point in the season by riding with the teams that I expect betterthings from, and L.A. is near the top of that list.”

Predictions

Davenport: Seahawks

Ivory: Seahawks

Knox: Seahawks

Moton: Seahawks

O’Donnell: Chargers

Sobleski: Seahawks

Consensus: Seahawks+6

Score Prediction: Chargers 33,Seahawks 31

Lastweek, as eight-pointunderdogs, thePittsburgh Steelers pulled off an improbable win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneerswithout two of their top defensive playmakers in edge-rusher T.J. Watt (tornpectoral/knee scope) and ball-hawking safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee). Mitch Trubisky hadto take over for rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, who suffered a concussion inthe third quarter of that game.

InWeek 7, the Steelers have a slightly smaller line to cover, but they still facea high degree of difficulty on the road with Tua Tagovailoa possiblyback under center with speedy wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle onthe perimeter.

Davenportdidn’t pick the Steelers to pull off consecutive upset wins, but he expects Pittsburghto fight down the wire in a close battle.

“Apparently, theexpectation is that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will fix all that ails Miami, andthe belief is that Pittsburgh's upset of the Buccaneers was a fluke. But issuesat quarterback aren't the only reason the Dolphins have lost three straightgames, and Pittsburgh finally appeared to find some offensive rhythm last weekagainst a Tampa defense that's a fair bit better than Miami’s unit.

“Who knew Chase Claypoolwas still on the team?

“This isn't to say thatthe Steelers are going to win outright. But the whole 'Mike Tomlin haszero losing seasons' thing exists because his Steelers do…not…fold.Pittsburgh will at least keep this one close—and close is all it will take.”

To Davenport’s point,the Dolphins must tighten up their 27th-ranked scoring defense, or else theymay find themselves in a Sunday Night Football nail-biter.

Predictions

Davenport: Steelers

Ivory: Steelers

Knox: Dolphins

Moton: Dolphins

O’Donnell: Dolphins

Sobleski: Dolphins

Consensus: Dolphins -7

Score Prediction: Dolphins 26,Steelers 17

TheNew England Patriots may have a quarterbackcontroversy with rookie fourth-rounder Bailey Zappe’s impressive three-gamestretch, throwing for 596 yards, four touchdowns and an interception with a 72.9percent completion rate.

Forcomparison, the Mac Jones has thrown for 786 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions in three outings. The Patriots scored 50 points with him under center. He suffered a high ankle sprain at the very end of the team’sWeek 3 contest with the Baltimore Ravens. Zappe took over for Brian Hoyer, whoexited after two offensive possessions in Week 4. With the first-yearsignal-caller at the helm, New England has scored 88 points (not counting thefield goal drive with Hoyer).

Motonthinks the Patriots may have found a winner at quarterback, and they’llcontinue to roll against the Chicago Bears.

“Noone can argue with results. The Patriots move the ball well with Zappe—much betterthan they did when Jones ran the offense. Maybe the rookie is just a flash inthe pan, but he’s a major part of the reason why New England has dominated itslast two opponents by a combined score of 67-15.

“Zappe’ssterling completion rate helps the Patriots sustain drives and keeps his defense off thefield. New England will beat Chicago with complementary football. Patriots tailbackRhamondre Stevenson should mow through the Bears’ 29th-ranked run defense as therookie passer picks his spots in another blowout win.”

Thoughthe Bears have a stout defense that ranks 11th in points allowed, they’vescored the second-fewest points and racked up the fifth-fewest yards headinginto Week 7. Take the Patriots to cover with several points to spare.

Predictions

Davenport: Patriots

Ivory: Patriots

Knox: Patriots

Moton: Patriots

O’Donnell: Patriots

Sobleski: Patriots

Consensus: Patriots-8

Score Prediction: Patriots 31,Bears 13

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