NFL picks: Week 6

These two NFC East rivals could desperately use a win and on a short week. The Eagles have major issues at running back after Jay Ajayi (knee) was lost for the season, but the line has already moved in their favor after opening at 2.5 points. The Giants lost a heartbreaker vs. Carolina on Sunday and have been inconsistent offensively. Philadelphia's lack of a running game could be a problem, but at this point Carson Wentz is more trustworthy than Eli Manning.

Miami visited Cincinnati as huge underdogs in Week 5 and led 17-0 in the third quarter yet still lost against the spread due to two touchdowns by the Bengals. They're now in a swift two-game slide and face a Bears team coming off a bye. The Bears played their best game of the year before the bye, beating Tampa Bay 48-10, and Khalil Mack very well could wreck a struggling Dolphins offensive line.

Washington has arguably been the most inconsistent team in football so far and completely laid an egg at New Orleans on Monday night. They were similarly ineffective vs. Indianapolis in Week 2 then came back in Week 3 to pound the Packers. But the health of Washington's offensive weapons is a huge concern that could make Carolina's job easy.

The first of three games in London this season will be Sunday, as the Seahawks take on Oakland. The Seattle offense impressed vs. the Rams in Week 5 with Seattle starting to get healthy, while Oakland continues to struggle. Marshawn Lynch could have some extra motivation playing his former team, but the Oakland offensive line hasn't done a good enough job creating holes for him, and the team averages less than 4 yards per rush.

The Colts were more competitive than expected on Thursday at New England despite several key injuries, and the defense has started to come around. The Jets ran over, around and through Denver's defense in Week 5, but the Colts have held teams to just 4.0 yards per carry this season. Putting the game on rookie Sam Darnold's arm remains risky.

The Texans certainly have the offensive weapons to succeed, but an ineffective offensive line and running back play have limited them to only 23.0 points per game. Unless the defense can kick in with some takeaways, it could be difficult for Houston to cover 8.5 points.

Cincinnati leads the AFC North and is looking to end a streak of six straight head-to-head wins by the Steelers. The Bengals were saved by their defense last week vs. Miami and have been against good running games. James Conner is coming off arguably his best game of the season in clearly Pittsburgh's best game of the year, a 41-17 win over Atlanta.

The Chargers blew out Oakland in Week 5 but visit a hot Browns team that just defeated Baltimore 12-9. It can be said that the Chargers haven't beat a legitimate opponent yet, with wins coming vs. Buffalo, San Francisco and Oakland, but Cleveland's offense might not be ready to expose the Chargers' weakness against the pass.

Atlanta's defense was blown out at Pittsburgh in Week 5, and the Bucs are coming off a bye. However, Tampa Bay lost big at Chicago prior to the bye and has some major issues in the secondary that Matt Ryan and Co. should be able to expose. Vegas expects this to be a track meet, with a total of 57.5 points.

Minnesota is coming off a huge win at Philadelphia, and Arizona won its first game of the season on Sunday vs. San Francisco. The Cardinals offense is coming along a bit with Josh Rosen under center, with 17 points vs. Seattle in Week 4 and 28 points last week. They're big underdogs for good reason but are developing enough offensively to keep the game close.

Five weeks into the season, Denver is still the only team in football to not have a win against the spread (0-4-1). The Broncos were blown out at the Jets last week but could get a pass if Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks are unable to go this week for L.A. The Rams barely edged Seattle, and Denver is arguably a tougher place to visit.

Dallas head coach Jason Garrett is already on the hot seat after his team lost at Houston in overtime, and a matchup against the vaunted Jacksonville defense could be a recipe for disaster. The line has already moved in the Jags favor after opening at 2.0 points.

Tennessee's lack of offense continues to be a major problem that might not be rectified this year given the team's lack of receiving options. All three of the team's wins were by a field goal, one coming in overtime. Baltimore has been the top points-scoring defense so far this season, which isn't a good recipe for the Titans.

Kansas City remains undefeated against the spread, but the train could be derailed this week due to several key defensive injuries. The Chiefs are expected to be without star pass rusher Justin Houston and are quickly running out of safeties. The Patriots offense hasn't looked great yet but should be able to remain ahead if Tom Brady has time to throw. The question is whether the Patriots have figured out a way to stop Kareem Hunt after getting gashed by him in Week 1 last year.

Green Bay found it tough to generate offense in Week 5 due to its wide receiver injuries and Mason Crosby's struggles. The kicker needs to figure out his issues quickly, and it's worth remembering that San Francisco is just one week removed from playing the Chargers tough on the road.