The Cardinals are still undefeated, the Chargers are the hottest team in the AFC while the Cowboys have put a two-game gap on the next best team in the lowly NFC East! Knowing this, we have provided our NFL picks for the five best contests on Week 6’s schedule!
Our NFL picks do the analysis of the schedule’s top games for you, and then provide you with our best bets from five of Week 6’s games.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears – 1pm EDT
One of the biggest rivalries in the sport is the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. These two storied NFC North sides have played each other 202 times, with the Packers currently holding a slight edge. Following their overtime win in Cincinnati, Green Bay sits on top of the division while Chicago are surprisingly just one game back, at 3-2.
Mike Su
The Packers will be taking on the Bears in a matchup that looks like it will be pretty predictable. The Packers have been an above average team this season despite their poor start against the Saints. The Bears on the other hand have been plagued by horrible offense but are still very much in the hunt for the division lead. This game will be characterised by how well the Packers offense can handle the ferocious Bears defense. The Bears defensive unit sits 7th in the league in points allowed and are in the top half of the league in passing yards and rushing yards allowed.
The Packers offense hasn’t been amazing and ranked in the top half of the league in points per game but in the bottom half in total yards. The Packers should be able to put points on the board but they will need their defense to step up. This should happen as the Packers underrated defense, which ranks in the top half of the league in total yards allowed, plays one of the most anemic offenses I’ve ever seen. The Bears are 3rd last in points scored and dead last in total yards. I think this will be a defense centric match where the Packers win in a low scoring affair.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Under 44.5 (-112)
It’s all love between 5️⃣2️⃣ & 4️⃣… except last Sunday.@surface | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/TiOTbJLUSN
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 14, 2021
Tony Battalio
One of the NFLs best rivalries resumes Sunday as Green Bay heads to Soldier Field in Chicago. Green Bay comes into this game with a record of 4-1, while Chicago is 3-2. Both teams are coming off of big road wins vs Cincinnati and Las Vegas respectively. Green Bay averages 24 points a game and gives up an average of 24 as well. Chicago comes in averaging nearly 17 a game and gives up an average of 20. This should be an evenly matched football game and with a low under set at 45 points I’m taking the over.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Over 44.5 (-108)
Los Angeles Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens – 1pm EDT
What a showdown this will be. The Chargers are the hottest team in the AFC while the Ravens have won four games in a row and are undefeated at home. Both Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson are playing at an MVP level, meaning this matchup will have fireworks throughout.
Mike Su
The Chargers play MVP front runner Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have been doing whatever is necessary to win games and sit at 4-1 with their only loss coming against the Raiders in Week 1. The Chargers are in similarly good form with a 4-1 record as well, including a signature win against the Chiefs. The Chargers have faced 4 of the most potent offenses in the league and have managed to outscore everyone except the Cowboys. Defensively both teams are similar statistically with the Ravens allowing 23.4 points per game while the Chargers have allowed 23.2 points per game.
The key metric though is that the Chargers have allowed a league leading 157.6 yards per game. Although their defense has held up well against many of the best pass heavy teams, they haven’t been great against the runs as evident by their Week 2 loss against the Cowboy’s elite running back duo. Now the Chargers play the Ravens and their insane rushing attack which can attack you in multiple ways on the ground. I think the ground game makes the biggest difference here and the Ravens grind out a low scoring win.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Baltimore Ravens (-162)
Tony Battalio
After thrilling comebacks by both teams last week this is easily my game of the week. Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson both established themselves in the MVP race with their performances as well. Baltimore and Los Angeles both come in with 4-1 records and look like AFC title contenders. They are also nearly identical on both sides of the ball in terms of points per game scored and conceded. For this one I’m taking the Chargers, who are 3 point underdogs. For a better winning value go with the moneyline.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Los Angeles Chargers (+136)
Arizona Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns – 4.05pm ET
The only undefeated team left weren’t quite as convincing against the 49ers on Sunday, but the Arizona Cardinals still got the job done. They now get back on the road to take on the Cleveland Browns, who suffered their second defeat of the season to the red-hot Chargers. Can Arizona keep it rolling or will the Browns add a scalp to their three easy wins?
Mike Su
The undefeated Cardinals play an exciting game against the Cleveland Browns. Although the Browns are 3-2, they are much better than their record suggests. In their first loss against the Chiefs they choked away their lead to lose by 4, while in their second loss to the Chargers, they dropped 42 points just to still lose. The Browns just haven’t been able to make the necessary plays late in the game to seal wins. The Cardinals on the other hand are a totally different story. The Cardinals have beaten the very best in the league. Surprisingly their defense has held up against a multitude of different attacks, from the ground and pound offenses of the Titans, 49ers and Vikings to the pass heavy offense of the Rams.
This team will face another run heavy team in the Browns and may face some difficulty containing the best running back duo in the league. Offensively, the Cardinals may struggle as well against the Browns’ great secondary. Overall, the Cardinals have a slight edge on the Browns when it comes to team statistics. The Browns are 11th in points allowed and 6th in points scored, while the Cardinals are 6th in points allowed and 4th in points scored. This will be a tight game, and may be a sneakily defense heavy matchup. However, I think the Cardinals make it close against a Browns team that hasn’t performed well in the clutch.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Arizona Cardinals +3 (-105)
Built for this.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 13, 2021
Tony Battalio
The Cardinals come in still unbeaten at 5-0 while the Browns suffered a heartbreak loss and head into this game at 3-2. Make no mistake about it, despite sluggish performances from both teams they are still Super Bowl contenders. Even when the seemingly inhuman Kyler Murray has a rough game, Arizona always finds a way to win. As for Cleveland, they are a few mistakes away from being 5-0 themselves. Both teams put up points at will so the over is a safe bet in this one.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Over 49.5 (-105)
Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos – 4.25pm ET
While a match up between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos may not have grabbed your attention at the start of the season, through five games both sides sit a game above the Chiefs in the AFC West standings. If Kansas City were to lose to Washington, on the road, earlier in the day, the winner of this game would go two games above the defending AFC Champs and help their Wild Card chances greatly.
Mike Su
After a rocky week where the Raiders’ head coach resigned due to an email scandal, the Raiders will be looking to try to pick up a win against the Broncos. Both of these teams sit on 3-2 records but the main difference is that the Broncos’ 3 wins come against the 3 worst teams in the league while the Raiders have beaten 3 good teams including the Ravens. The Raiders also are far better offensively than the Broncos, but the Broncos possess a far better defense.
The Broncos have the 2nd ranked scoring defense, the 6th best rushing defense and the 6th best passing defense in the league. They are facing an offense that relied heavily on the offensive genius of Jon Gruden. On top of that, the Broncos are heading to Mile High Stadium which is notoriously hard to adjust to for players due to the thinner air. With Gruden gone I think the Raiders struggle and get beaten by a strong defensive effort by the Broncos in a low scoring matchup.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Under 44.5 (-114)
Tony Battalio
The old saying is controversy creates cash but in today’s world it creates drama and that’s exactly what the Las Vegas Raiders are right now. I’m not saying Gruden’s exit will affect a team that should be heavy favorites in my opinion, but it will certainly not help. Denver had cruised through an easy schedule en route to 3-0 and then met two AFC North elites and now sit at 3-2.
Vegas also started 3-0 against better competition but now also sits at 3-2. This will be an AFC West battle between two teams looking to keep ground with the Chargers and separate themselves from the surprisingly last place Chiefs. With all the Raiders struggles lately, I think they use this one to get back on track.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Las Vegas Raiders (+152)
Dallas Cowboys @ New England Patriots – 4.25pm ET
The red-hot Dallas Cowboys roll into Gillette Stadium to face the reeling New England Patriots. While Dallas has won four straight games, the Patriots have won just one of their last three games and they almost lost to the helpless Texans on Sunday. Will this simply be another big win for Dallas or does Bill Belichick have a trick or two up his sleeve for this matchup?
Mike Su
The Cowboys head to Foxborough to try and beat the Patriots. The Cowboys have established themselves as one of the better teams in the league this season. They nearly beat the Buccaneers, and have won 4 straight games since that loss. Offensively the Cowboys have been on a tear averaging over 40 points per game over their last 3 games. Over the course of the season they have averaged 34 points per game which is second in the league. Despite Dak’s strong play, the Cowboys have dominated on the ground with the league’s second best rushing offense.
However the Cowboys will be playing the league’s 5th best scoring defense, and one of the best defensive minds in the league. However, I think that although the Patriots may be able to slow down the Cowboys, they won’t be able to stop them as the Cowboys are lethal in the air and on the ground. The Patriots on the other hand will be facing Dallas’ top 5 rushing defense and will likely struggle to run the ball which is an important part of their offensive scheme. With the inability to run the ball and the dominance of the Cowboys offense, I think the Cowboys win this easily.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Dallas Cowboys -3.5 (-105)
Bill Belichick has always loved a good special teams play.
But the double-punt in last week’s Seahawks game?
That one caught him off guard. pic.twitter.com/p2xgRVLStP— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 13, 2021
Tony Battalio
It’s all set to be the Dak and Mac show on Sunday. Dallas have Super Bowl hopes and the Patriots are starting to show great improvement for the first time in the post Tom Brady era.
Dallas comes in sitting at 4-1 while New England is 2-3, both have also lost to Brady’s Bucs this season in last minute thrillers. Expect the Cowboys to lean heavy on Zeke and Dak, while New England relies on Damien Harris and Mac Jones. While the Patriots have looked better each week I still don’t think they are to the level of the Cowboys, so Dallas seems like a lock in this situation.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Dallas Cowboys -3.5 (-105)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
