Darren’s Dimes for NFL Week 7: Lions, and Texans, and Eagles Oh My
I came back from a rough 0-3 Week 5 of the NFL season to a respectable 2-1 result, with the Carolina Panthers covering against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Minnesota Vikings covering against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, the Green Bay Packers did not have enough firepower to cover, with a very decimated receiving corps. In fact, the Packers perhaps should not even won the game against the Detroit Lions.
Speaking of the Lions, I will be covering their matchup against the Vikings, along with the Houston Texans against the Indianapolis Colts and the Eagles at Dallas Cowboys matchup for Week 7 of the NFL season. Hopefully the Cowboys don’t burn me yet again this season.
The Detroit Lions Are Not As Bad As Their 4th Place In Division Status Seems To Indicate.
Can the Detroit Lions be in 4th in the NFC North and still not be a bad team? The eyeball test, as well as looking at the final results of the games they have played this season, paints a picture of a Lions team that is merely a few points away from being a respected team in their division. They have not lost a game by more than four points this season and are 1-1 at home, with the loss being their biggest one of the season, against the Kansas City Chiefs.
I happen to really like the Lions at home against the Vikings, getting a single point. Sure, the Vikings won handily against the Eagles, as expected. However, I see the teams as being very evenly matched at this point of the season. With the Lions being at home and not having to give up any points, I would go with Matt Stafford and company.
It’s Too Difficult To Bet Against The Houston Texans’ High-Powered Offense.
Then, there is another divisional match-up between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts. Here, the Colts are below the Texans in the rankings, but are favorite by a single point. The Colts are riding high after coming off a bye week and beating the Chiefs immediately prior. However, this is a very hot-and-cold team, with that remarkable win against the Chiefs, alongside losses against the Chargers and Raiders (which was a home loss).
Meanwhile, the Texans are red-hot. They put up a whopping 53 points against the Atlanta Falcons and followed it up with another 31 points against the Chiefs, on the road. I can’t bet against the Texans as they are in the midst of what could be a dominant midseason run. I’d give up the point and roll with the road team.
It’s Time To Jump Off The Cowboys Bandwagon And Roll With The Eagles.
Finally, there is the matchup of the Eagles and Cowboys that I’m taking a closer look at going into the weekend. The Cowboys have lost three straight games, yet the franchise is still in 1st place in the NFC East and is a three-point favorite against the Eagles (those three points likely granted to the Cowboys simply because they will be the home team). It’s very tough to overlook their loss against the New York Jets last week, which was a team that was previously being compared to the very obviously tanking Miami Dolphins.
The Eagles seem to be unreasonably not getting enough love going into this game. Sure, they are coming off a loss, but the Vikings are not a bad team. A week prior, they slaughtered a Jets team that did not have Sam Darnold at QB. But the Eagles also have beaten the Packers and barely lost to the Lions. Take the three points against a struggling Dallas team.
Darren Heitner
Darren Heitner is the Founder of HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C., where he serves as legal counsel to some of the most successful athletes, sports agents and other individuals and companies. He is the founder of Sports Agent Blog, a niche publication that covers the entirety of the sports agency industry. Darren contributed to Forbes for 6 years and Inc. Magazine for 4 years, covering the business of sports. He wrote published 2 sports law treatises published by the American Bar Association.
