Here at Fantasy Life, we support scratching your NFL itch in whatever way possible. For some people, that might be betting on spreads. However, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Instead, some people might enjoy picking games without the spread. Pick’em contests—where you simply pick the winner of each game each week—remain a popular way to compete against your friends without having to dive headfirst into the world of sports betting.

Each week, Geoff Ulrich and myself are going to walk you through our favorite ways to approach these contests. Which games should you eat the chalk, where should you look for leverage, and which trendy upsets should you avoid?

Let’s dive into all 15 games for Week 7.

Broncos at Saints

LaMarca: Broncos (5/10 confidence). The sharps seem to like the Broncos in this spot, pushing them all the way up to 2.5-point favorites. That makes sense. Spencer Rattler didn’t look great in his first career start, while the Saints' defense surrendered nearly 600 yards and 51 points to the Bucs last week.

Geoff: Broncos (5/10). Sean Payton has an excellent record as a head coach on the road and the Broncos are 3-0 ATS this season on the road already. The Saints have a laundry list of significant injuries and a fifth-round draft pick starting at QB against a top-tier defense. The Broncos should rebound this week with a win. 

Patriots at Jaguars

LaMarca: Jaguars (2/10). I’m basically pretending this game doesn’t exist; that’s how unappealing it is. Maybe the Patriots will be a bit better with Drake Maye moving forward, but I doubt it. The fact that Jacksonville has spent the past week in London also gives them an advantage in this spot.

Geoff: Jaguars (3/10). I do think the Jaguars win this game but it’s hard to be very confident about this team. They’ll likely be able to get Brian Thomas and Christian Kirk more involved, while Tank Bigsby likely handles more early down work, which helps them grind out a win. 

Dolphins at Colts

LaMarca: Colts (4/10). The Colts have won three of their past four games, and they’re in another good spot to pick up a win in Week 7. The Dolphins have had seemingly no answers since losing Tua Tagovailoa to another concussion.

Geoff: Colts (3/10). The Colts' defensive issues and long injury report still make this team vulnerable, but I don’t trust that a bye week has simply fixed Miami. Tyler Huntley is just very limited as a passer (5.69 career YPA) which takes away the Dolphins' biggest edge against most teams—their ability to create explosive plays. 

Seahawks at Falcons

LaMarca: Seahawks (5/10). The Seahawks have lost three straight games, but they’ve had to run the gauntlet. They had to face the Lions, Giants, and 49ers in an 11-day stretch, and now they’ll benefit from a bit of extra rest before facing the Falcons. That could help them get a bit healthier on defense, and while the Falcons have been winning games, they’ve been doing so by the slimmest of margins.

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) carries the ball after a catch during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Geoff: Seahawks (3/10). This should be a close, higher-scoring game, but I also think the Seahawks bounce back and grab a win. Atlanta is terrible at getting pressure, which should give Geno Smith and DK Metcalf time to pick apart this secondary. Metcalf has all kinds of upside this week for fantasy and the prop market. 

Texans at Packers

LaMarca: Packers (7/10). Jordan Love seems fully healthy for basically the first time all season, and the Packers are coming off a demolition of the Cardinals in Week 6. They’ve always been a great home team—especially under Matt LaFleur—and I have concerns about the Texans’ passing attack without Nico Collins. They struggled to move the ball after he exited vs. the Bills two weeks ago, and they had less than 200 passing yards last week.

Geoff: Packers (7/10). I hate to be so in line with my cohort, but I also see the Packers as the correct side in this game. Matt LaFleur is 36-11 SU in home games since he took over as head coach of the Packers in 2019, which is the best mark in the league over that period. The Texans have injuries to key players in Nico Collins and Laremy Tunsil, which only makes this tough matchup even more problematic. 

Bengals at Browns

LaMarca: Bengals (6/10). The Bengals' defense showed some signs of life last week vs. the Giants. If they can be an average unit instead of an awful one, they’ll be a good team with their offense. Meanwhile, I’m pretty sure the Browns are ready to just take their ball and go home.

Geoff: Bengals (8/10). The Bengals finally got a decent game out of their defense, who made some key stops in the second half against New York. Now they face a worse offense and a team who just traded away their best receiver. Joe Burrow should take out some early-season frustrations this week on a division rival who has been a thorn in his side in the past—but won’t be this week. 

Eagles at Giants

LaMarca: Giants (3/10). I felt a lot better about this upset pick before the Giants placed Andrew Thomas on IR, but I still think they can beat the Eagles. Philly’s offense hasn’t looked the same since losing OC Shane Steichen to the Colts, while Jalen Hurts has historically been a much worse quarterback on the road than at home.

Geoff: Giants (2/10). We’re in alignment once again, this time on the underdog Giants, who have an underrated defense and are likely to get Malik Nabers back. The Eagles have been sleepwalking through the first six weeks and their defense is an issue again, as they’re 25th in EPA per play and 26th in EPA per dropback. I expect a close, low-scoring game and lean Giants as the home team. 

Lions at Vikings

LaMarca: Lions (6/10). Losing Aidan Hutchinson is a massive blow, but the Lions are still the better team. I’m expecting the Vikings to come back to reality a bit after massively overperforming through the first five weeks.

Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) celebrates with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Geoff: Lions (3/10). Picking against the Vikings has not worked out well for me thus far, but Sam Darnold was exposed a bit in his last game by the Jets, despite holding on for dear life (and the win). Detroit has a great O-line (10th fewest sacks allowed) which should stymie the Vikings' rushers and allow Jared Goff to pick apart the Vikings' secondary. 

Titans at Bills

LaMarca: Bills (10/10). I’m pretty much done with the Titans until they pull the plug on Will Levis. He’s a disaster, and if they’re serious about winning, they need to make the switch to Mason Rudolph. The Bills will be on short rest, but acquiring Amari Cooper should give the team a shot in the arm.

Geoff: Titans (1/10). Someone had to mix things up at some point. Look, say what you want about the Titans, but only one of their four losses came by more than a TD, and they’ve been in every game except one. They should be able to run the ball in this spot against a Bills defense that is just 22nd in EPA per rush and allowed the Jets RBs to average 5.76 YPC last week. 

Panthers at Commanders

LaMarca: Commanders (9/10). The Commanders lost last week to the Ravens, but there’s no shame in losing to Baltimore. There would be much shame in dropping a game to the Panthers, especially at home.

Geoff: Commanders (10/10). Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin are likely going to break the slate in this spot. The Panthers can’t stop anything on defense and Daniels is a duel threat, so regardless of what (pass or run) the Panthers decide to focus on, they’re screwed either way. 

Raiders at Rams

LaMarca: Rams (8/10). The Rams have the chance to get Cooper Kupp back this week, and it sounds like Puka Nacua isn’t far from a return, either. This is a good opportunity to buy low on a team that could still be pretty good.

Geoff: Rams (10/10). The Raiders can’t run the ball (32nd in EPA per rush), can’t stop the run (28th in EPA per rush against), and face the 4th best-rushing offense in the Rams (4th in EPA per rush). Los Angeles off a bye this week should demolish Vegas, with or without Cooper Kupp. 

Chiefs at 49ers

LaMarca: 49ers (7/10). I firmly believe in my heart of hearts that the 49ers are the better team. They don’t have Patrick Mahomes, which ultimately cost them the Super Bowl last year, but that doesn’t matter quite as much in the regular season as it does in the playoffs. This game is a must-win for the 49ers, who can’t afford to lose to Mahomes once again.

Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles against New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Geoff: Chiefs (4/10). DBAPM (Don’t Bet Against Patrick Mahomes™). The 49ers have serious injury issues on defense that have been apparent all season as they’ve slipped to 29th in defensive DVOA. Say what you want about the Chiefs' skill players, but the 49ers without McCaffrey have been inefficient in the red zone and don’t have the defensive help this season to bail them out. 

Jets at Steelers

LaMarca: Jets (3/10). Will acquiring Davante Adams solve the Jets' woes? Probably not, but maybe a matchup vs. Russell Wilson will. It sounds like the Steelers will be making a change at quarterback despite Justin Fields leading the team to a 4-2 start.

Geoff: Jets (3/10). I’m not sure what the Steelers are doing starting Russell Wilson against a still DangeRuss (get it) defense this week, but it likely works in the Jets' favor. New York showed well last week and would have grabbed the win if their kicker hadn’t gone into full regression mode in the second half. They should right the ship this week and are “due” for a little luck to break their way at some point. 

Ravens at Buccaneers

LaMarca: Ravens (8/10). The Ravens are a wagon. Their defense might not be as good as last year’s unit, but their offense is capable of picking up the slack. They’re the No. 1 team in my power ratings, so I expect them to take care of business.

Geoff: Ravens (4/10). Neither of these secondaries or defenses is very good, but I trust Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh a little more to do what needs to be done in this spot to get the win. Nothing against Tampa Bay, who is a solid team, but they aren’t facing Spencer Rattler this week. 

Chargers at Cardinals

LaMarca: Cardinals (2/10). The Cardinals are coming off a bad performance last week, and there’s a chance they’ll be without Marvin Harrison Jr. in this matchup. Still, the Chargers remain an underwhelming team in my eyes, so this feels like an appropriate spot to pick an upset.

Geoff: Chargers (6/10). Justin Herbert looked good last week, as the Chargers finally allowed him to let loose a little in the passing game. Arizona is bad at getting pressure on the QB, and their defense is allowing 4.7 YPC. The Chargers should have no issues controlling the ball and limiting the amount of touches for Kyler Murray and James Conner.