NFL against the spread picks: Finally a great matchup in prime time

I still believe the Arizona Cardinals are a good team. I think the Seattle Seahawks have the potential to be a great team, yet again.

Finally, a good prime-time matchup.

The NFL’s prime-time television ratings are down and we can blame a thousand reasons, but the most important is that the prime-time matchups haven’t been good. In other words: Chicago Bears, please quit ruining our night games. The one on “Sunday Night Football” this week should be our best one so far this year. It could be one of the best games all season.

The 3-3 Cardinals are slowly digging out of a 1-3 hole, and their season will take a big turn on Sunday. A 4-3 record with a win in hand against the best team in the NFC West would be a lot different than 3-4 and trailing the Seahawks by three in the loss column.

I think the Cardinals take a big step and get a win on Sunday. The Seahawks might be the better team, but the Cardinals have the urgency and they’re at home. Either way, let’s just get one great prime-time game this season, OK?

Here are the rest of the Week 7 against the spread picks:

SUPERCONTEST

Bears (+7.5) over Packers (picked Thursday): They don’t let you take back the pick when your starting quarterback breaks his arm.

Chiefs (-6.5) over Saints: I think the Chiefs are hitting a groove. The win last week at Oakland was an important one. And the Saints’ show usually doesn’t play as well on the road.

Titans (-2.5) over Colts: Are the Titans sneaky good? Well, good might be a bit much, but sneaky average? I don’t think the Colts are even average, and I don’t know how you bounce back from the loss they had last week.

Chargers (+6.5) over Falcons: After back-to-back road games at Denver and Seattle, a couple of physical teams, it would be understandable if the Falcons are a bit fatigued. And we all know the Chargers, who have a few extra days of rest after playing last Thursday night, are better than their 2-4 record.

Broncos (-7.5) over Texans: There’s a lot going against Houston here. The Broncos are on a two-game losing streak. They probably will want to make Brock Osweiler look bad. And the Texans’ offense has mostly struggled, and it’s not like it will get well against Denver’s defense. (The spread is 7 on Yahoo Pro Football Pick’em.)

And here are the rest of the picks:

Rams (+2.5) over Giants: Two unpredictable teams play in London. Good luck figuring this one out.

Bengals (-10) over Browns: The Browns have played hard, but I think the Bengals take out some frustration here.

Redskins (pick ’em) over Lions: Good game. I’m starting to buy into the idea that Washington might be pretty good.

Bills (-3) over Dolphins: Be careful here. The Bills are clearly the better team. But their next game? At home against the Patriots. That might be the biggest game in Buffalo this century. It’s a prime look-ahead spot for Buffalo. All that said, I just can’t bring myself to pick the Dolphins, especially without their fantastic safety Reshad Jones.

Jets (pick ’em) over Ravens: As I write this I’m not sure if Joe Flacco will play, but I figure he will. I think the Jets rally a bit after a quarterback change, but I don’t trust either team.

Vikings (-2.5) over Eagles: I’d like to pick the Eagles, a solid home underdog. But I think about their offensive line last week, looking absolutely lost trying to block Washington’s front seven, and I wonder how they’ll even slow down the Vikings’ front.

Jaguars (-1) over Raiders: An interesting game for a pair of teams that had some offseason buzz. The Jaguars looked terrible for most of last week’s win against an even worse Bears team. So I’m not exactly sold on them. But the Raiders have had a ton of travel so far, and it’s never easy for West Coast teams to play early on the East Coast.

Buccaneers (-2) over 49ers: Tampa Bay is banged up, so it’s tough to pick them on the road. But I can’t pick the 49ers getting only two points against anybody.

Steelers (+7) over Patriots: It’s not easy to back Landry Jones, but I think the Steelers rally around him and give a good effort.

Last week: 8-5-2
Season to date: 43-48-2
SuperContest: 2-2-1 last week, 10-19-1 season

Why’s the NFL so hard to love? Plus: Week 7 picks

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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