Trade talks are finally starting to heat up in Week 7. In a single day, two-star wideouts were shipped to new squads, with Davante Adams reuniting with Aaron Rodgers at the New York Jets, and Amari Cooper pairing with the hottest quarterback in the NFL in Josh Allen. This is why the NFL is the greatest reality TV show in the world, and you can bet there are some very happy fantasy owners out there at the moment. To that point, make sure to check out the fantasy rankings on our website.
In other news, Week 6 was loaded with exciting outcomes, including Caleb Williams continuing to show why he was the number one overall pick, Derrick Henry and Lamar getting the better of Jayden Daniels and the red-hot Commanders, and the Detroit Lions handing Jerry Jones and the Cowboys their worst loss in decades. It was a very enjoyable slate of games in the end, but this weekend's are even better. So, with that being said, let’s take a look at what’s to come in Week 7.
Game Previews and Betting Suggestions
1. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets
- The Bet: Pittsburgh to cover +1.5 (-110)
- Gridiron AI prediction: 71%
In Gridiron AI’s strongest prediction this week, we have the Pittsburgh Steelers covering a 1.5-point spread against the New York Jets at home. Despite what most experts believed going into the season, it’s the Steelers who are finding success and the Jets who are in free fall after 6 weeks of football. Currently sitting at 4-2 the Steelers have made the inexplicable decision to bench Justin Fields in favor of Russell Wilson, who is now fully recovered from the injury he suffered in training camp. Still, this team forces close games against every opponent, and the quarterback switch shouldn’t have too much impact in this one.
The key element in this matchup is of course going to be TJ Watt, who should be able to terrorize Rodgers and this Jets O-line on Sunday. Last week, Rodgers was battered and bruised by the Bills, getting sacked three times and hit many more as Left Tackle Tyron Smith whiffed on multiple blocks. If this is to continue in Week 7 against the Steelers, a more skilled defense by every measure, New York doesn’t stand a chance.
It’s likely to be a close game with both offenses struggling to score, but there’s a reason why Mike Tomlin has had his job for 18 seasons, and Robert Saleh just lost his. The Steelers are more disciplined and will make fewer mistakes in the critical moments. Even if Davante Adams were to suit up this week, Rodgers won’t have the time to complete passes deep downfield due to the pressure. Also, we can’t give too much credit to the Jets for forcing a close game against the Bills, after completing an incredibly lucky hail mary just before halftime. They simply are not on the same level as the top-end teams in the AFC right now, and while the Steelers might not necessarily be a super-bowl contender, they will take care of business easily in this one. Gridiron AI agrees, giving them a 71% chance to cover this week.
2. San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- The Bet: San Francisco to cover -1.5 (-110)
- Gridiron AI prediction: 70%
Even though the Chiefs are currently undefeated and the Niners are just at .500, it's San Francisco who’s favored to win this matchup by a whole point and a half according to Vegas. You have to give the Chiefs credit, they’ve stepped up to the plate every game this season, taking down big teams like the Ravens, Bengals, and Falcons, but the sustainability of these wins are questionable. Mahomes has been largely stifled, throwing for just 6 touchdowns and as many interceptions so far this season. Additionally, he’s averaging an underwhelming 247 passing yards per game, which would be the lowest mark in any season of his career so far.
After the injury of Rashee Rice and considering the regression of Travis Kelce, this Chiefs offense once again lacks firepower. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kareem Hunt are doing their best to wind back the years, and, in fairness, both delivered very well prior to the bye week, but this offense needs a spark. Perhaps, now that Xavier Worthy has benefitted from the bye, he can get more involved?
Offensive personnel woes have not been a problem for the San Francisco 49ers, who are essentially in the opposite position. Even with CMC out, this team has tons of talent, and should continue to get better as the season goes on. The combination of Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo has been a more than suitable replacement in McCaffrey’s absence, and the trio of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk continues to be one of the deadliest receiving corps in the league, with any one of them liable to go off each week.
Even though they are just 3-3, this team is going to be just fine come playoffs, and they should give Kansas City their hardest challenge yet, with last year’s Super Bowl serving as a little extra motivation. On the defensive side, Fred Warner continues to make plays every game that looks straight out of Madden, so the odds for him to pick off Mahomes this week are likely. San Francisco’s DBs do have some things to clean up in the coming weeks, but against an incredibly thin Chiefs wide receiver unit, it shouldn’t be an issue in this one. That’s why Gridiron AI gives a 70% chance for the Niners to take this one by 1.5 points.
3. LA Rams vs. Las Vegas Raiders
- The Bet: LA to Cover -5.5 (-110)
- Gridiron AI prediction: 70%
This is a matchup that doesn’t need to be overcomplicated. Sure, the Raiders currently have a better record at 2-4, but LA coming off a much-needed bye week is favored to crush Las Vegas. The reality of the situation is, that one of these teams has a potential Hall of Fame quarterback and the other has Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew. Not to mention, this week might be the return of Cooper Kupp, which will undoubtedly give a major boost to the Rams' offense. Maxx Crosby is going to be able to make an impact on this game, but how much can one player actually do? The Rams should be able to establish a solid run game by giving the ball to their workhorse running back, Kyren Williams, who has been incredibly efficient this year, punching in 6 touchdowns in his 5 games so far.
On the other side of things, the Raiders just dealt away their best player on offense, Davante Adams, who wasn’t particularly involved thus far, but the move certainly won't help matters. Look for Brock Bowers to get peppered with targets moving forwards, and a few more sightings of Jakobi Meyers.
Even though their records are similar, these teams are in two different stratospheres of competitiveness, especially considering the Rams were viewed as contenders before the season and are only in this spot because of detrimental and highly unfortunate injuries to several of their best players. With that being said, the Rams have still been competitive in almost all of their games. They gave the Lions a run for their money in week one, beat the 49ers in week 3, and lost close ones against the rising Bears and well-established Packers in their last two games. If a few things would’ve gone more in the Rams' way, this team could easily be sitting above .500 and competing for a division title, whereas the Raiders are nowhere near being competitive. Gridiron AI backs all that up, giving LA a 70% chance to win by nearly a touchdown.
4. Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants
- The Bet: Philadelphia to cover -3.5 (-110)
- Gridiron AI prediction: 68%
The Eagles are one of the teams that’s hard to put a pin on in 2024. After a big loss to Baker Mayfield and the Bucs in Week 5, Philly rebounded in their last game by taking a hard-fought W at home against Cleveland. Still, it would be wrong not to have concerns about the long-term success of the team at this point, but a matchup against the New York Giants is the perfect scenario to keep the momentum going. Last week, against a Bengals defense that was previously allowing 29 points per game, the Giants scored a measly 7 points. There is no question about what this New York team is; when Daniel Jones is your leading rusher you know something is very wrong. Still, the emergence of Tyrone Tracy is something to be excited about, and perhaps something that can give this team a boost moving forward.
Jalen Hurts desperately needs a get-right week, and having AJ Brown back for the second straight week helps tremendously. Against the Browns, AJ had a great stat line, hauling in six receptions on nine targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. With Brown back as a passing target, this offense becomes much less one-dimensional than simply relying on Saquon as the primary bell cow, and will cause problems for the Giants’ defense even if Hurts isn’t playing at his peak. It can be worrying when a team with so much star power isn’t playing like they should, but the New York Giants do not have any offensive talent to begin with. Ownership is going to blow this team up in the offseason, likely getting rid of Jones and Daboll, because they simply aren’t competitive. For those reasons, our AI model has the Eagles favored with a 68% chance to cover in this one.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New England Patriots
- The Bet: Jacksonville to cover -5.5 (-110)
- Gridiron AI prediction: 68%
For the final prediction of the week, we have the Jags taking down the Drake Maye Patriots by 5.5 points or more. Maye actually had a promising start, throwing for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns on 22 of 33 attempts Sunday, though he did have the two interceptions. Still, as a Patriots fan, you have to be pretty happy about how he played, especially since it came against a tough Houston defense. The only problem is that New England’s defense got steamrolled by a Nico Collins-less Texans offense.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense certainly aren’t that, as they have shown plenty of issues this season, but it is worth noting that they’ve had a ridiculously difficult schedule. In their one easier game thus far against the Indianapolis Colts in week 5, Lawrence and the offense were cooking, posting 37 points in the victory. Lawrence and his receivers are still capable of putting it together when needed, and Doug Pederson is going to know how to take advantage of a rookie quarterback in his second start on the opposing end. The Jags are likely going to be getting the ball with good field position all day long, as Drake Maye has shown a tendency to turn the ball over already and the rest of the Pats offense has also had ball security issues. Not to mention, the offensive line struggles mean there should be plenty of opportunities for sacks.
Taking a closer look at the New England side, they are probably going to look better against the run based on how Tank Bigsby played last week, and considering Travis Etienne is injured, but it might not be enough. Almost all of their points last week came in garbage time, and they managed to go down 40 points without Stroud even throwing for more than 200 yards. This team is simply not talented enough, and that’s why Gridiron AI gives the Jags a 68% chance to cover this week.