Don’t look now, but the Jaguars are 5–2 and off to their best start since 2007.
Since falling to 1–2 after a blowout loss to the Texans, Jacksonville has won four in a row, including a 31–24 win in New Orleans against the Saints on Thursday. It took a defensive score, a fourth-down stop and an active day on the ground for Trevor Lawrence, but the Jaguars got it done.
That win has Matt Verderame wondering just how far they can go.
“Going under the assumption Jacksonville will take its second consecutive division title, the question becomes one of ceiling,” he writes. “We’ve seen the Jaguars make the playoffs. We’ve seen them win a playoff game. But can the Jaguars make a real run at representing the AFC in Super Bowl LVIII?”
For those who are interested, Jacksonville currently has the fifth-best odds to win the conference at +1200, behind the Chiefs, Dolphins, Bills and Ravens…
In today’s Winners Club you’ll find:
Players to start, sit in fantasy footballNFL Week 7 predictions and picksCollege football Week 8 best betsFantasy Football Lineup Decisions
It’s slim pickings to fill out your fantasy lineup this week with six teams on bye, not to mention injuries around the league to players like Christian McCaffrey (oblique), DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Kyren Williams (ankle).
To help optimize your chances of winning with so many players unavailable, consult Michael Fabiano's famous start/sit recommendations and check out his player rankings before you lock in your lineup.
Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | K & D/ST
Player Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | FLEX | K | D&ST
Jen Piacenti also has you covered with DFS recommendations. There’s a few stacks on the expensive side that she recommends but there are also bargain options to help fill out the rest of your lineup.
NFL Week 7 Picks and Lines
The bad news is there’s less football this week with six teams idle. The good news is that you get to sleep in because for the first time since Week 3 there’s no international game kicking off early on Sunday.
The Sunday night game between the Dolphins and Eagles has a shot to be the best game of the season, so of course it made our list of the top five games to bet this weekend. Matt Verderame, Gilberto Manzano and I ranked the five best and offered our score predictions, against the spread and over/under picks.
Around the league, you’ll notice a lot of games with shockingly low totals this week. Manzano weighed in on a few with over/unders set below 40 points and shared his picks for each.
And of course, Piacenti picked five prop bets she likes for this weekend — I like the over on Rashee Rice’s receiving yards, too.
The MMQB team made their straight up picks for the rest of this week’s games. The Lions over the Ravens and Dolphins over the Eagles are the two most popular upset picks.
(FOX): Raiders (-2.5) vs. Bears | Total: 37.5
(CBS): Browns (-2.5) vs. Colts | Total: 40.5
(CBS): Bills (-8.5) vs. Patriots | Total: 39.5
(CBS): Commanders (-2.5) vs. Giants | Total: 38.5
(FOX): Falcons vs. Buccaneers (-2.5) | Total: 37.5
(FOX): Lions vs. Ravens (-2.5) | Total: 42.5
(FOX): Steelers vs. Rams (-3.5) | Total: 43.5
(FOX): Cardinals vs. Seahawks (-7.5) | Total: 44.5
(CBS): Packers (-1.5) vs. Broncos | Total: 45.5
(CBS): Chargers vs. Chiefs (-5.5) | Total: 47.5
(NBC): Dolphins vs. Eagles (-2.5) | Total: 51.5
(ABC, ESPN): 49ers (-6.5) vs. Vikings | Total: 43.5*
*
Top-10, Big Ten Battle Headlines CFB Saturday
All eyes in the college football world will be on Columbus, Ohio, this Saturday at noon when No. 3 Ohio State hosts No. 7 Penn State in a key Big Ten East matchup. The Buckeyes are 4.5-point home favorites over the Nittany Lions, who they’ve beaten six seasons in a row.
See which way I’m leaning in this potentially pivotal bout.
And later in the day, No. 11 Alabama welcomes No. 17 Tennessee to Bryant-Denny Stadium with revenge on the mind. The Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide for the first time in 15 years a season ago in Knoxville, but they’re 8.5-point underdogs in Tuscaloosa this time around.
Find out the best play for this SEC showdown.
Pat Forde and Richard Johnson also shared their picks for Penn State-Ohio State, Tennessee-Alabama, and a few other key games taking place around the country.
Top 25 Action
(ABC): No. 16 Duke vs. No. 4 Florida State (-14.5) | Total: 49.5
(FOX): No. 14 Utah vs. No. 18 USC (-7.5) | Total: 53.5
Other Games for Your Consideration
(ABC): UCF vs. No. 6 Oklahoma (-17.5) | Total: 67.5
(ABC): Washington State vs. No. 9 Oregon (-20.5) | Total: 60.5
(NBC): Minnesota vs. No. 24 Iowa (-3.5) | Total: 30.5
In Other News
Kyler Murray’s Return to the Field Could Come Soon: The Cardinals quarterback, who has been on injured reserve while recovering from a torn ACL, practiced Wednesday, which officially opened the window for him to return to action.
Purdue, Michigan State Headline Big Ten Hoops Preview: The conference’s postseason woes continued a season ago, but it’s still full of teams capable of earning bids to the Big Dance. It’s just a matter of performing in March.
Celtics, Bucks Tied for Best Odds to Win NBA Title: Boston and Milwaukee both made big offseason trades with championship aspirations in mind and the two contenders find themselves with the best odds to win it all heading into the 2023-24 season.
