The lead is now three.
I picked up a game on MDS last week, with our one disagreement going my way. (Thank you, Colts.)
For Week Seven, I went 10-3. MDS finished 9-4.
For the year, I’m at 70-37. MDS is now 67-40.
This week, we disagree on four games. Check out all of our picks below.
Packers (+6.5) at Cardinals
MDS’s take: This looked like the greatest Thursday Night Football game ever until the Packers lost their top two wide receivers to the COVID-19 list. Now it looks like a game the Cardinals should win comfortably. I think the Packers will compete well under the circumstances, but ultimately fall short.
MDS’s pick: Cardinals 24, Packers 21.
Florio’s take: The Packers are 6-0 after the last two years without Davante Adams. Make that 7-0, just like the Cardinals will be until Thursday’s game ends.
Florio’s pick: Packers 28, Cardinals 23.
Dolphins (+14) at Bills
MDS’s take: The Bills’ defense is going to destroy Tua Tagovailoa. This could be ugly.
MDS’s pick: Bills 27, Dolphins 3.
Florio’s take: “Tua Tagovailoa was our quarterback.”
Florio’s pick: Bills 34, Dolphins 13.
Panthers (+3) at Falcons
MDS’s take: It’s amazing how far the Panthers have fallen, and how fast. They are heading in the wrong direction, and if Sam Darnold can’t turn things around in a hurry, his 2022 salary of $18.9 million is going to start looking like a millstone for the team’s rebuilding efforts.
MDS’s pick: Falcons 28, Panthers 21.
Florio’s take: If David Tepper picked stocks like he picks quarterbacks, he would have never made enough money to buy even a copy of the Madden game.
Florio’s pick: Falcons 30, Panthers 24.
Eagles (-3) at Lions
MDS’s take: I like how hard Dan Campbell has his team playing, but right now he just doesn’t have the personnel. They’ll play hard but come up short. Again.
MDS’s pick: Eagles 17, Lions 10.
Florio’s take: The 2008 Lions can stop hoping that the 2021 Lions will render them a footnote to history.
Florio’s pick: Lions 24, Eagles 16.
Titans (+1) at Colts
MDS’s take: If the Titans win this game, they go from favorites to win the AFC South to overwhelming favorites to win the AFC South. I think they’ll do it.
MDS’s pick: Titans 27, Colts 21.
Florio’s take: It’s the de facto AFC South championship game, if Tennessee wins. Although they lost to the Jets, the Colts will have the full focus of the Titans.
Florio’s pick: Titans 27, Colts 20.
Rams (-14.5) at Texans
MDS’s take: The Texans are packing it in on this season. I don’t see them keeping it close.
MDS’s pick: Rams 38, Texans 13.
Florio’s take: Cal McNair currently has the team that he deserves.
Florio’s pick: Rams 42, Texans 14.
Bengals (-10.5) at Jets
MDS’s take: It’s amazing how dominant the Bengals have been in the last couple weeks. Zac Taylor deserves a ton of credit. I think he’s going to keep it going against a Jets team that is a huge mess and now can’t even accomplish its one goal of developing rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.
MDS’s pick: Bengals 31, Jets 17.
Florio’s take: The Bengals are good enough to beat great teams, and good enough to not stumble and fall against bad teams.
Florio’s pick: Bengals 35, Jets 17.
Steelers (+3.5) at Browns
MDS’s take: The Steelers have never been the worst team in the AFC North. Until this year.
MDS’s pick: Browns 28, Steelers 21.
Florio’s take: As evidenced by his comments from Tuesday about the USC job, Mike Tomlin is not messing around this week. His team won’t be either.
Florio’s pick: Steelers 27, Browns 24.
49ers (-4) at Bears
MDS’s take: Neither Kyle Shanahan nor Matt Nagy has done a good job this season with balancing the needs of developing their rookie quarterbacks with the desire to win now. But I think Shanahan’s team is in somewhat better shape.
MDS’s pick: 49ers 21, Bears 17.
Florio’s take: A win by the 49ers will simply delay the inevitable. They’ll still get a win.
Florio’s pick: 49ers 27, Bears 21.
Jaguars (+3) at Seahawks
MDS’s take: I’m tempted to pick the Jaguars to pull the upset on the theory that Trevor Lawrence is already a better quarterback than Geno Smith has ever been. But I just can’t quite see the Jaguars going to Seattle and winning.
MDS’s pick: Seahawks 21, Jaguars 20.
Florio’s take: The low-water mark of the Pete Carroll era has arrived. It gets a little lower on Sunday, when a couple of former Carroll assistants who know how to beat the Seattle defense come to town with a defense that is good enough to contain Geno Smith and company.
Florio’s pick: Jaguars 23, Seahawks 20.
Patriots (+5.5) at Chargers
MDS’s take: The Patriots will be competitive but ultimately come up short, with Justin Herbert leading a fourth-quarter comeback.
MDS’s pick: Chargers 27, Patriots 24.
Florio’s take: The Chargers had extra time to get ready for this one, and extra incentive to make amends for last year’s 45-0 loss to the Patriots, who will wish they had saved some of the 54 they scored in Week Seven for this one.
Florio’s pick: Chargers 30, Patriots 23.
Washington (+3) at Broncos
MDS’s take: Both of these teams are desperate to turn things around, and I think the Broncos are just a little bit closer.
MDS’s pick: Broncos 23, Washington 21.
Florio’s take: Ron Rivera gets another crack at the team that kept him from winning a Super Bowl, with a team that isn’t nearly as good as the one he had in 2015.
Florio’s pick: Broncos 24, Washington 17.
Buccaneers (-5) at Saints
MDS’s take: The Saints struggled to put points on the board against a bad Seahawks defense on Monday night. It won’t be any easier against a good Buccaneers defense on Sunday.
MDS’s pick: Buccaneers 20, Saints 10.
Florio’s take: Jameis Winston isn’t the answer. Tom Brady is.
Florio’s pick: Buccaneers 27, Saints 17.
Cowboys (-1) at Vikings
MDS’s take: Look for Dak Prescott to have a big night in a Cowboys win that’s more lopsided than expected.
MDS’s pick: Cowboys 31, Vikings 20.
Florio’s take: I’ll reserve the right to change this on Sunday night, if Dak Prescott can’t play. With Dak, the Cowboys are in a different class than the Vikings.
Florio’s pick: Cowboys 28, Vikings 24.
Giants (+9.5) at Chiefs
MDS’s take: The Chiefs just have to turn things around eventually, don’t they? I’ll pick them to blow out the Giants.
MDS’s pick: Chiefs 40, Giants 14.
Florio’s take: The Chiefs are good enough to beat the bad teams, but they’ve currently lost their ability to beat the good ones.
Florio’s pick: Chiefs 38, Giants 17.