Must-Bet Games & Free Picks for NFL Week 6

By the time the sixth week of the NFL regular season comes, we usually know a lot about where teams are headed. There are some exceptions of course — last season, Minnesota started 5-0 and missed the postseason, and at Week 6 the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers looked headed down the drain, before starting on lengthy winning streaks that would propel them into the playoffs. Let’s take a look at some NFL betting picks from this second week in October.

Must-Bet Games & Free Picks for NFL Week 6

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Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers

When: Thursday, October 12th. 8:25pm ET Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte TV: CBS Radio: SportsRadio 94WIP (Philadelphia) / WBT 1110 AM (Carolina) Live Stream: NFL Live  Opening NFL Week 6 Odds: Panthers -4 Two questions surround this game: Will the Panthers’ defense rebound from their awful performance last year, when they failed to respond to the departure of Josh Norman? Will the Eagles get sharper play from quarterback Carson Wentz? Wentz started the season playing well as a rookie last year, but then opponents started to figure him out. He’ll either show some better savvy with his decision-making, or he will sink into that mire that hits a lot of quarterbacks in their sophomore season. The strong finish that Wentz brought to the 2016 campaign bodes well for him. But what about that Panther defense? And what about Cam Newton? Will he finally leave that Super Bowl hangover behind? I see the Panthers winning this game and covering — but I wouldn’t give a touchdown here if the line spreads.

Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens

When: Sunday, October 15th. 1pm ET. Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore TV: FOX Radio: 105.9FM (Chicago) / WBAL News Radio 1090 (Baltimore) Live Stream: NFL Live Opening NFL Week 6 Odds: Ravens -7 If you’ve been reading my NFL week-by- week previews so far, you know that I’m a believer in the resurgence of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who looked like he was still shaking off post-injury rust for most of 2016. I see him coming back out for the 2017 campaign full of confidence, while I see the Bears as still a work in progress, and that’s the kindest way I can put it. I’m not that excited about either quarterback they have in camp, and the Marc Trestman years ate away at a defensive identity that the Bears have yet to recover. I see the Ravens winning and covering.

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

When: Sunday, October 15th. 1pm ET. Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis TV: FOX Radio: WTMJ-AM 620 (Green Bay) / KFXN-FM (Minnesota) Live Stream: NFL Live Opening NFL Week 6 Odds: Packers -1.5 Always a proud NFC North matchup, this game (at least at this point) will feature one of the game’s all-time clutch quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers) against one of the game’s fragile psyches (Sam Bradford). The Vikings might have turned the offense over to Teddy Bridgewater by this point, in which case I’d probably like the Vikings to pull off this win. With Bradford at the helm, though, I see the Packers winning by a touchdown or more.

New England (-9.5) at N.Y. Jets (Sunday, October 15)

When: Sunday, October 15th. 1pm ET. Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford TV: CBS Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (New England) / ESPN New York 98.7 FM (NY) Live Stream: NFL Live Opening NFL Week 6 Odds: Patriots -9.5 Let’s see. The Jets have Josh McCown, Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty at quarterback. The Patriots have a Super Bowl trophy, Tom Brady, and an attitude that never, ever lets up. Unless some major injury bug has hampered the Patriots, this will turn into a laugher as the visitors deliver a rout.

N.Y. Giants (+3) at Denver (Sunday, October 15)

When: Sunday, October 15th. 8:30pm ET. Where: Sports Authority Field, Denver TV: NBC Radio: WFAN 660 AM (NY) / 94.1 FM (Denver) Live Stream: NFL Live Opening NFL Week 6 Odds: By Week 6, Denver will have figured out some sort of synergy on offense — they’re too well-coached not to. Their defense will be humming, which means that Eli Manning will be on the run — and make some poor decisions that end up in the hands of the Denver secondary. I see this turning into a lower-scoring affair, because the Broncos are more about scrums than barnburners, and I see the Broncos winning and covering at home.

Indianapolis (+3) at Tennessee (Monday, October 16)

When: Monday, Oct. 16, 8:30 PM ET Where: Nissan Stadium TV: ESPN Radio: FM 107.5 (Indianapolis) / WGFX 104.5 FM (Tennessee) Live Stream: WatchESPN Opening NFL Week 6 Odds: Titans -3 Andrew Luck will be looking across the field at the new face of the AFC South in Marcus Mariota when the two teams take the field for this game. The Colts haven’t really solved their defensive issues, and they don’t have a running back to match DeMarco Murray. Mariota has shown considerable savvy (when he hasn’t had to run for his life), and the Titans’ contributions to their offensive line will give Mariota the time he needs — and the Titans will win and cover.