NFL Betting: Week 7 observations, takeaways for Week 8 and beyond
Last week felt like a modest week for the NFL. We had a small slate of games and even though some were close, I am not really sure we had any good ones unless you were parlaying Broncos and Bears Moneylines (please reach out if you did that). I have to admit, did not have a strong week as I find the season is getting less predictable, instead of more. Or maybe that is just because I watch a lot of Buffalo Bills games.
Here are the things that caught my eye from Week 7 ...
AFC Not So Wide Open
Baltimore may have looked very strong against the Detroit Lions — see below — but that was also a little bit of the Lions maybe not quite ready to be relied upon. When the season opened it looked like Kansas City was going to be challenged from all sides, but a third of the way in, that seems unlikely. The Chiefs have amazing leadership (on and off the field) and this might be their most complete team. They shut out the Chargers in the second half of their 14-point win.
Betting takeaway ... KC has not always been a fun back for the bettors, but I think that they are going to be very hard to fade the rest of the season.
Eagles Secret Weapon
This is less from the weekend and more from yesterday. Philadelphia is a strong team with a deep roster, and they also seem to be the most proactive team in the NFL these days. Managing the Carson Wentz situation, going deep on UGA players, and lately making a trade for an immediate upgrade in the secondary. General Manager Howie Roseman is a definite advantage for the Eagles.
Betting takeaway ... This is not going to help them in-game in specific ways, but playing in an organization committed to winning makes a difference. Look at how many dysfunctional front offices there are ... its actually a lot.
What Happened, Detroit?
I was on Baltimore to win a close game on Sunday. The -3 they were getting looked pretty solid, and I thought they might win something like 28-24. It never even occurred to me that they would have the game wrapped up by the end of the first quarter. I do not know what happened to the Lions and it makes me nervous that they could lose so emphatically. Was it just a clunker?
Betting takeaway ... Detroit might be undervalued this week. They are on Monday night though so there is a ton of time for the markets to react.
Very Bad Looks
Teams win and lose every week, obviously, but how you do so matters. Contenders like Buffalo and Miami looked like anything but this past weekend, and I had to have a whole section just about the Lions — see above. Even in wins, some teams looked questionable — I am looking at you, Cleveland. There were just a couple of teams who looked like they were really ready to play this past week.
Betting takeaway ... I truly do not know what to make of Buffalo. There is some bad mojo there that maybe even the Bills Mafia can't get rid of.
Back at it ... Full Slate
It might have slipped your notice but the schedule is a little different this season. Normally, once the bye weeks start they do not stop until everyone has had their turn. This season, this week, we are actually getting a full slate of 16 games. That should make it easier for degenerates like us to get even more into the action.
Betting takeaway ... Last week did feel like slim pickings, especially during the day on Sunday. Always remember you can take a pass on some (that was as much for me as it was for you).
More must-reads: