NFL Week 7 picks and previews
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The gist
The Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24 to open NFL Week 7 on Thursday night.
Week 7 runs through Monday's Cowboys-Eagles game, with several close spreads to watch.
Background
Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season comes past the one-third point of the schedule, which SportsLine says lets experts draw on more reliable team trends, statistics and game film. The undefeated teams are starting to thin out, while one winless team, the Miami Dolphins at 0-5, looks to change its fortunes. Outlets including CBS Sports, ESPN, Bleacher Report, NFL.com and the Arizona Republic published picks for all 14 games, spanning Thursday Oct. 22 through Monday Oct. 26.
How it unfolded
- Oct 19, 2026The Arizona Republic publishes Week 7 picks for all 14 games, covering Thursday Oct. 22, Sunday Oct. 25 and Monday Oct. 26.
- Oct 21, 2026FanDuel lines used by Bleacher Report are dated as of Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. ET.
- Oct 22, 2026Week 7 opens with the Patriots-Bears game; NFL.com's five editors all pick the Chicago Bears.
- Oct 22, 2026The Bears beat the Patriots 30-24 on Thursday night.
- Oct 25, 2026The Sunday slate includes Bengals vs. Ravens, Packers vs. Lions and Rams vs. Raiders, leading into Chiefs vs. Seahawks on Sunday Night Football; Steelers vs. Saints kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET from France.
- Oct 26, 2026Week 7 concludes with Cowboys vs. Eagles on Monday Night Football from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Bleacher Report's Hanford backs the Steelers at -3, saying the Saints' defense has struggled and will continue to, while Pittsburgh leans on Jaylen Warren and the run game.
- Analysts
- Bleacher Report's Knox picks the Saints at +3, saying he has no faith in New Orleans' ability to play disruptive defense or stop the run.
- Analysts
- Bleacher Report's Sobleski picks the Panthers at -3.5 whether or not Baker Mayfield plays, citing Bryce Young playing at a high level.
- Analysts
- Bleacher Report's Hanford picks the Buccaneers at +3.5, saying Carolina wins by a field goal or less.
- Expert
- SportsLine's Larry Hartstein expects Ollie Gordon to lead Miami against the Jets, citing the Dolphins' brutal schedule, their bye-week reset and Aaron Glenn's conservative coaching.
- Expert
- Betting expert Eric Cohen likes a 27-24 Falcons upset over the 49ers in Atlanta.
Still unverified
It is possible Baker Mayfield returns this week for the Buccaneers, but it is not settled. 49ers receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) and another receiver are dealing with injuries and both could sit with the Week 8 bye approaching.