Welcome to Hagan’s Haus, where football is the only thing that matters. You won’t find me in a church on Sunday because football is my religion and the number one priority in my life. I am so excited that the NFL season is finally back in action! I pride myself on studying the game of football. We can’t get all our picks or predictions right, but I am going to leave it here in the open every week for everyone to see. In Hagan’s Haus, it’s all about bragging rights.
Who is the best? Because winning is the only thing that matters. We don’t get points for second place. I challenge you to post comments on your weekly picks and compare them to mine. This isn’t about point spreads. I will give a score prediction, but winning is winning. Doesn’t matter if it is by an inch or a mile. So try and beat me in picking NFL games. I promise you it won’t be easy, but it will be fun. Here are Hagan’s Haus 2017 week 7 NFL picks.
Last week: 11-4
Overall: 56-49
Teams on byes: Arizona, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Tennessee
Thursday Night
Miami Dolphins (4-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (3-4):
I’ll take Baltimore tonight just because they are home. But who knows, Thursday Night football is unpredictable.
— Matthew Hagan (@VegRock91) October 26, 2017
Sunday Morning
Minnesota Vikings (5-2) 27 @ Cleveland Browns (0-7) 13: This is a game nobody expects the Browns to win, which should make it scary for the Vikings. Traveling to London also screws up routine and can cause good teams to play badly. With that being said, the Vikings are the much better team. Minnesota is capable of getting a shutout in this game if they play their best. The Browns stand no chance and the Vikings push closer to the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers (0-7) 10 @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-1) 31: This is another game in which almost everyone in the world is picking one team. San Francisco is on a seven-game losing streak while Philly is on a five-game winning streak. These teams are heading in totally opposite directions. The Eagles will defend home-field easily to remain in control of locking up a possible first-round bye in the playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts (2-5) 17 @ Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) 24: Both teams are sitting at just two wins but the Bengals are the much better team. Cincinnati is only giving up 18.7 points per game. The defense is carrying them and as soon as the offense finds a groove the Bengals will be able to make a run. This is the game Cincinnati has been waiting for. A win could boost their confidence and put them back into the possibility of making the playoffs. The Bengals will win this game and save their season from tumbling out of control.
Chicago Bears (3-4) 17 @ New Orleans Saints (4-2) 34: The Bears managed to beat Carolina despite only completing four passes. Chicago’s defense scored two defensive touchdowns to win 17-3. Completing four passes and scoring just 17 points will not fly this week against the Saints who are averaging 28.5 points per game. Drew Brees is going to tear the Bear’s secondary apart in an easy win.
Atlanta Falcons (3-3) 23 @ New York Jets (3-4) 24: The Falcons started out 3-0 but have a three-game losing streak since. The Falcons are averaging a measly 13.7 points in those three losses. Atlanta can’t score points and it looks like the loss of offensive coordinator Kyle Shannahan has crippled Matt Ryan. After winning league MVP last season, Ryan has just seven touchdowns in six games. He has also thrown six interceptions. The surprising Jets have finally started to look like the preseason disaster everyone was predicting by blowing 14 points leads in two straight games. This week they will get the upset win because Atlanta is 0-3 against the AFC East so why not pick a complete sweep?
Carolina Panthers (4-3) 27 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) 24: Carolina lost a game in Chicago in which they only allowed four completions. That is crazy to think about. This week they travel to Tampa in huge divisional game. A win for Carolina would keep them in the playoff race while a loss drops them to .500. A win for Tampa gives them hope they can salvage their season while a loss all but ends it. With everything at stake for both teams, I fully expect Cam Newton to have one of his best games of the season to lead Carolina to a win.
Oakland Raiders (3-4) 31 @ Buffalo Bills (4-2) 27: This game is going to be a great matchup. Oakland’s passing attack got rolling last week against Kansas City and the Bills have a defense that gives up a ton of yards but not a lot of points. The key to this game will be if Tyrod Taylor, and the rest of the Bills offense, can keep up with Derek Carr and the Raiders. They probably will not be able to do so and the Raiders will find themselves at 4-4 after this one.
Los Angeles Chargers (3-4) 24 @ New England Patriots (5-2) 28: Los Angeles is hot right now as they have won three straight games. They are also two made kicks away from possibly being 5-2. The Chargers are going to be a tough opponent for the Patriots. New England is going to win this game though because the defense is finally starting to click. In their last three games, they are only giving up 12.7 points per game. The Chargers also have to travel from coast to coast which is a struggle. Patriots will continue their winning ways.
Sunday Afternoon
Dallas Cowboys (3-3) 27 @ Washington Redskins (3-3) 24: Washington versus Dallas is one of the best rivalries in all of sports. This meeting has both teams at 3-3 and searching for a big win to give themselves the edge over the other in the playoff race. Last week Dallas won thanks to a huge day from Zeke. The Redskins, on the other hand, lost to the Eagles. The eye test just screams that the Cowboys are trending up while the Redskins are trending down. I’ll trust my eyes and pick Dallas to win on the road.
Houston Texans (3-3) 23 @ Seattle Seahawks (4-2) 20: Houston has had two weeks to prepare for this game. That still may not be enough time for a rookie to get ready to face the Legion of Boom. Deshaun Watson’s career is off to an unbelievable start. Watson is tied for second in passing touchdowns with 15. He has also added two touchdowns on the ground. Seattle’s defense is the reason it will be hard to pick against the Seahawks but the gut says go with Houston. For that reason, I am picking the Texans.
Sunday Night
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) 35 @ Detroit Lions (3-3) 28: Pittsburgh is finally starting to get hot as a team. The defense has the number one pass defense in the NFL. They also give up very few points, 16.6 points per game to be exact. Offensively, Pittsburgh is averaging 410 yards per game in their last three. Detroit is coming off a bye but also has a two-game losing streak. The Lions haven’t been able to stop a nosebleed in those two losses. Pittsburgh is going to run up the score to get a win in the Motor City.
Monday Night
Denver Broncos (3-3) 17 @ Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) 24: Kansas City needs to get back in the win column as they have lost two straight games. To be fair they have played tough opponents in those losses. This is the perfect time to regroup as the Denver Broncos are plummeting to the bottom of the division. The Broncos offense won’t be able to keep up with the Chiefs. Kansas City wins easily at home on Monday Night Football.
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Featured image courtesy of AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance