NFL Betting: Week 7 Recap and Wagering News

Week 7 of the NFL season was just another predictable Sunday in the neighborhood. Oh, you mean you didn’t see the Miami Dolphins losing at home after a bye week to the Buffalo Bills and third-string quarterback Thad Lewis? And you didn’t think the New England Patriots would lose to the New York Jets? And you didn’t envision the Cincinnati Bengals winning on the road in Detroit? Yeah, neither did a lot of us. Welcome to parity.

Here’s our recap of Week 7, which was yet another wild one in the NFL:

The Great Middle Class of the NFL

We’re almost through seven weeks of the NFL season and there’s a temptation to call it the Mediocre Football League. It’s not the action or betting on the NFL odds that we’re referring to; that’s been awesome. However, when you look at the standings, the majority of the league is in the neighborhood of .500.

Of the 32 teams in the league, 20 of them are between 4-2 and 2-4. That’s quite the big middle class. That means that 13 of the 16 teams are within arm’s reach of a playoff spot in the NFC and 14 of the 16 have a shot in the AFC. We could add one more to the pile if the Minnesota Vikings (1-4) win on Monday Night Football (3.5-point underdogs). What’s likely to expand that middle class even more is the fact that some of the teams that are above the average – teams like the Green Bay Packers (4-2), Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) or Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) – are either extremely battered by injury or are just viewed with plenty of skepticism. The Packers are without a ton of starters and that’s got to catch up with them. As for the Chiefs, the last undefeated team in the league, few people seem confident that Alex Smith can deliver a Super Bowl. They aren’t receiving the betting on futures that a public team like Denver or New England would receive.

As of now, people who want some NFL betting tips can accept that the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-7), New York Giants (0-6) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) are done. That’s all we know. The Houston Texans look dead in the water with their mounting pile of injuries and the Vikings can be crossed off the list if they lose on Monday Night Football. Beyond that, the annual musical chairs for the playoff spots is going to be quite interesting.

Totals Betting: Over We Go

It was another good week for the overs in Week 7. Six of the seven 1:00 PM ET games went over the number. Even though only one of the four afternoon games went over, eight of the first 13 Week 7 games climbed over the total (heading into the Sunday nighter) to put the record at 8-5.

Significant Injuries to Note

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

NFL online betting handicappers saw Jay Cutler walk gingerly off the field on Sunday after suffering a groin injury. He could barely move and it looked somewhat serious. Keep an eye on his status.

Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams

The Rams starting quarterback injured his knee on Sunday and will get an MRI very shortly. In the post-game press conference, head coach Jeff Fisher said Bradford is feeling “significant pain”, which implies he’ll miss some time.

Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers

Those who bet on the NFL saw a scary moment when Finley was injured on Sunday. After getting smoked by Cleveland Browns safety Tashaun Gipson, the Packers tight end had to be stretchered off the field. That’s a tough break for a team that was already without receivers James Jones and Randall Cobb.

Stinging NFL Point Spread Loss of the Week…

Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons led 24-7 in the first half and 31-17 in the fourth quarter. However, a pair of garbage time Rian Lindell field goals eventually led to a 31-23 result.

Bovada opened the NFL point spread at nine but as the week progressed, the price kept dropping on the NFL lines. Eventually, they closed as a 6-point favorite and hopefully you bet it at that point. Those who laid -8 or -9 will feel pretty sour.