Well, just like every other season, this year is starting to really fly bye. We are already entering Week 6 and it will only get faster from here on out. Nevertheless, we still have plenty of time to enjoy the football season while it’s still here. We also still have plenty of time to place our bets and drain our bookie’s bank account. With that, I give you my three best bets for NFL Week 6.
Three Best Bets For NFL Week 6
3. Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers
Pick: Carolina (PK)
Just like last week against the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers are in a Pick’em game this week when they host the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Now, this is a matchup that is pretty even on both sides and seems like a flip of a coin-type game. Both teams are sending out what could be two of the best backup quarterbacks in the league. Instead, both Nick Foles and Teddy Bridgewater have been solid game managers for their respective teams and both have their squads above .500.
For the Bears, they are coming off a one-point game as they squeaked one out against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game wasn’t very well-played in my eyes. However, a win is a win, especially against a projected playoff team. Other than the Tampa game, Chicago has had a fairly easy schedule up to this point. But that won’t go on for much longer. Their next four games include this week, AT the Los Angeles Rams, vs the New Orleans Saints, and AT the Tennessee Titans. Three out of four are road games and all are against very possible playoff-caliber teams. After these four weeks, we will be able to tell if Chicago is a true contender or if they are another pretender.
As for the Panthers, I really don’t understand this team. As I said last week, this team is 0-2 with their stud running back Christian McCaffrey while 3-0 without. McCaffrey is expected to miss his fourth straight game this week and veteran Mike Davis will remain the starter. I’m not sure if this has to do with the Panthers trying to feed McCaffrey too much or if it’s that Teddy Bridgewater is a straight winner; or is it both? To me, it’s the second option. “Teddy Two-Gloves” has proven to be an all-time great game manager as a starter. When he was with Minnesota (the only Vikings player I’ve ever liked), he made them relevant and a playoff contender year in and year out. That was the case until he tragically tore his ACL so badly that doctors didn’t know if he would be able to play again. Obviously, that is the opposite of what happened as he signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2018. When he had the chance to start for an injured Drew Brees, he didn’t let his opportunity go to waste. Backs against the wall, Bridgewater and the Saints went 5-0 last year when Brees was injured. Remarkable. This year, he looks to lead his own team back to the playoffs.
Now that my Teddy Bridgewater hype-letter is over, I will now tell you my official pick. I am taking the ultimate winner “Teddy Two-Gloves” and the Panthers to win 27-21 in a close one in my three best bets for NFL week 6.
2. Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Green Bay (-1.5)
In the far better part of a two-game set of late window games, we have the third matchup arguably the two greatest quarterbacks of this generation. Tom Brady. Aaron Rodgers. It doesn’t get much better than this. Although we never got the Brady-Rodgers super bowl we’ve always wanted, at least we get a rubber match. The first matchup of the two quarterbacks came in 2014 with the Green Bay Packers coming out on top 26-21. The second was in 2018 when the New England Patriots took the win 31-17. This time, the Pats won’t be involved since Brady left for Tampa in the offseason. If it weren’t for that move, the Brady-Rodgers series likely would’ve ended in a 1-1 tie.
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come into this game 3-2 having just fallen to the Packers division foe in the Bears, as previously stated. Their other loss came at the hands of another future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs haven’t seemed to live up to their Super Bowl-caliber expectations, at least not yet. They have a chance to prove their worth this week since they are facing the offense with the most points per game with 38.0.
As for the Packers, I expect nothing less from what I have seen from them for their first four games. Green Bay has been great, but specifically, their offense has been unbelievable. Their lowest scoring game this year has been an even 30 and Rodgers has looked as good as he ever has. In his second year in Matt LaFleur’s offense, he and the rest of the guys have shown great improvement from last year (and they went 13-3). The run game has been working to perfection with Aaron Jones leading the way and continues to assert himself as one of the top backs in the league. Coming off the bye, I don’t see why much would change to their potent offense this week at Tampa.
Due to all of the reasons listed above, I see Rodgers and the Packers taking this matchup of GOATs over Brady and the Bucs 34-24 in the second of my three best bets for NFL Week 6.
1. Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Tennessee (-3)
Alas, my favorite bet of the week comes in the early window as the now Bill O’Brien-less Houston Texans travel to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans. This spread is really going to make people think whether or not this is a trap game. That is, the Titans come into this game a perfect 4-0 while the Texans are almost the complete opposite with a current record of 1-4 coming into Week 6. I am here to tell you the opposite and say Tennessee will win this game with ease.
Houston finally relieved head coach/GM Bill O’Brien a couple of weeks ago and you can pretty much write off the Texans for this season. Whenever a team fires a coach during the middle of the season, it’s almost a guarantee you won’t be seeing them in the playoffs. With Houston already at 1-4, I don’t expect anything different for them. Last week was their first game without O’Brien and you could see the improvements already. Star quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for three touchdowns while wideout Brandin Cooks caught one of them and added 161 receiving yards. Although they looked good, their first win didn’t impress me too much as they did play the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the right coaching staff, who knows what this team’s ceiling could be.
The undefeated Titans come into this divisional matchup having beaten up on the Buffalo Bills last week in a battle of two undefeateds. Before that game, Tennessee was catching a lot of heat for their recent spike in Covid cases and how they have been handling the virus. Mike Vrabel and his squad wanted to prove a point Tuesday night and that’s just what they did. They silenced the doubters and beat up on the Bills with a score of 42-16. I think the Titans are a real threat in the AFC for a second consecutive year as they currently hold the 1-seed in the entire conference. As long as they continue to feed that beast of a running back they have in Derrick Henry, everything will be alright.
Tennessee will continue their early season hot streak and roll over Houston this week. I have the Titans winning 36-20 in my three best bets for NFL week 6.
Whether you choose to tail me or fade me, you can’t win money if you don’t bet.
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