NFL Week 7 Betting Report: Books Seeing Surprising Action On Key Showdowns

One-third of the NFL season is behind us, with some interesting situations afoot. For example: The Rams, preseason favorites in Super Bowl odds, are 2-4 through six games. Not exactly what oddsmakers or bettors expected. Nor was this: “The Browns to lead the AFC North was not on anybody’s Bingo card this year,” Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. Will the Rams get right against an improved Raiders outfit? And will Packers-Lions Over bettors be rewarded in America’s Game of the Week on FOX? More on those matchups and other notable games, with sportsbook insights and a sharper play, as we dive into NFL Week 7 betting nuggets. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The Packers started the season 1-2 straight up (SU) and 0-3 against the spread (ATS). That included a blowout upset home loss to the Falcons (35-14) in Week 3. But it appears Green Bay has righted the ship, winning and cashing the past three weeks to move to 4-2 SU/3-3 ATS. In addition, standout running back Josh Jacobs is off the Commissioner’s Exempt List and is eligible to play. Detroit (3-2 SU/2-3 ATS) has alternated wins and losses over its first five games, but the Lions put up their best scoring effort of the season in Week 5, in a 45-21 road rout of Arizona. Detroit then had a bye in Week 6. Caesars Sports opened the Lions as 3-point home favorites vs. the Packers and quickly went to Detroit -3.5, then returned to -3. As of Wednesday evening, it was Lions -3 (-115) for a 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday kickoff on FOX. “There was sharp money towards the Packers at +3.5, but we’ve seen mostly Lions money come in, especially since they’re coming off the bye,” Feazel said. That said, the total is what’s getting more attention. Caesars opened at 52.5 and is up to 53.5, three points higher than any other total in NFL Week 7 odds. “That high total has garnered some Over money. Both teams are playing well, and bettors know the Lions don’t have a good defense but know how to score,” Feazel said. “I don’t anticipate the Over money stopping.” Ahead of Packers-Lions, FOX has 49ers-Falcons at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. San Francisco (6-0 SU/4-2 ATS) is one of just three unbeaten teams, while Atlanta’s 2-4 SU and ATS record belies its talented backfield of Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson. At DraftKings Sports, San Fran opened as a 4.5-point road favorite, dropped to -3.5 on Monday and -3 on Wednesday. And there’s a notable difference in opinion. The 49ers were drawing 67% of spread bets as of Wednesday evening, but 86% of early spread money is on the short home underdog Falcons. Caleb Williams didn’t take long to get his mojo back for the Bears (4-2 SU and ATS). Williams completed 30 of 36 passes, including his first dozen, in a 31-23 road win over the Falcons in Week 6. And the Patriots (4-2 SU and ATS) have won three in a row, though they fell just short of covering in Week 6. New England was a 7.5-point favorite and beat the Jets 26-19. For Thursday night’s 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, Chicago is a steady 3-point favorite in Caesars’ Week 7 NFL odds. “We’re seeing more Bears money on the spread, but I don’t see this going past 3. It might close 2.5,” Feazel said. “People are gonna take the Bears on the spread or the Patriots on the moneyline. “It’ll be a big decision, and we’ll likely need the Bears to win by one or two points.” The total inched from 50 to 50.5, the second-highest of the week. “This is another one that will attract a lot of Over money,” Feazel said. At 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, the Chiefs visit the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Kansas City (5-0 SU/3-2 ATS) is looking more like the team that won three Super Bowls over the past few seasons. On the flip side, Seattle (3-3/1-4-1 ATS) already has as many losses on the field as all of last season, and the Seahawks have one of the NFL’s worst spread-covering marks so far. That said, Caesars opened Seattle -1.5 (-115) and it was up to -2.5 (-117) as of Wednesday night. “It’s a little bit surprising here. We’re gravitating toward more Seahawks action,” Feazel said. “We haven’t seen as much Chiefs action as we expected, even though they’re undefeated. “We’re also seeing more money on the Under, and it’s sharper action.” Caesars saw sharp money on Under 44.5 and 43.5, with the total at 42.5 midweek. As noted above, the Rams are 2-4, both SU and ATS. In Week 6, Los Angeles suffered the biggest upset of the season, losing to the Cardinals 18-16 as a 12.5-point home favorite. Further, the Rams lost wideout Davante Adams to a ruptured hamstring. The timeline to return is 6-10 weeks, so that could end his season. L.A. is also dealing with injury issues elsewhere, including at kicker. Next up for the Rams is a 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday kick on FOX vs. the Raiders. Las Vegas won its first three games, then lost its next three to sit at 3-3 SU. But the Raiders are the best spread-covering team in the NFL at 5-1 ATS, with close home losses to the Chiefs and the Bills. Oddsmakers still showed the Rams some respect, with Caesars opening Los Angeles as a 6-point road favorite. But that line dipped to Rams -5.5 in short order on Sunday, then went to -4.5 on Monday — after the Adams news — and -4 on Tuesday. “This game has seen more two-way action,” Feazel said. “The Raiders have been competitive and efficient on offense. And the Raiders have shown they can score a lot of points against good teams.” Indeed, Las Vegas fell to K.C. 30-27 as a 3.5-point home underdog in Week 4, then came up similarly short vs. Buffalo in Week 6, losing 33-30 as a 5.5-point home ‘dog. The public masses are certainly attracted to that scoring. “We’re seeing Over action. We’ll have a big need for the Under in this one,” Feazel said. The total opened at 48.5 and fell as low as 47 early in the week. But it was at 48.5 (Under -115) on Wednesday night. Professional bettor Randy McKay is among those intrigued by the Rams-Raiders matchup. He grabbed Las Vegas +4.5, which on Wednesday night, was still available at some books, including DraftKings Sports and FanDuel Sports. “This is similar to the Bills-Raiders line last week,” McKay said. “I like the improvement of Las Vegas with new coach Klint Kubiak. And this Rams team is losing games in all kinds of ways — on offense, defense and special teams. There’s also injuries on the Rams’ defensive line and to Adams.”