A mild Week 6 of the season, which saw favorites go 12-2 SU, gave NFL Survivor Pool players a brief respite after the volatile first five weeks of action.
Most of the remaining entries in Covers’ 10K Pro Football Survivor Contest kept on keeping on, but we face a much more difficult task in Week 7 odds.
As our choices thin, bye weeks roll out, and the matchups get tighter, poolies have to be very careful about their next move.
For me, I cruised into Week 7 thanks to the Green Bay Packers’ one-sided win over Arizona at home. Now I have to be not only calculated with this week’s selection but also mindful of my potential NFL picks down the road.
Here’s my NFL survivor pool pick for Week 7 and a look at the “safest” selection on the board, according to the latest NFL odds.
(Teams used: Buffalo, L.A. Chargers, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, Green Bay)
Best survivor pool bets for Week 7
Click on each pick to read the full analysis.
Covers Week 7 survivor pool pick
Cincinnati Bengals
Opponent: at Cleveland Browns
Moneyline odds: -300 (75% implied win probability)
The Cincinnati Bengals have been the scourge of survivor pools this season, eradicating a good chunk of entries with a Week 1 loss to New England and a Week 3 defeat to Washington (which doesn’t look as bad now).
That makes the Bengals a very tough team to trust, especially playing on the road. Luckily, Cincinnati doesn’t have to go far in Week 7.
It makes the trip north to play the butt-hurt Cleveland Browns, who are now a “survivor strategy” all of their own: just fade Cleveland every week.
The Browns are done for. They just traded top WR Amari Cooper away, lost RB Jerome Ford (with RB Nick Chubb slowly on his way back), are a mess with injuries on the OL, and more importantly — Kevin Stefanski is sticking with Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
While the Bengals’ 2-4 record isn’t great, a closer look at those results sees a competitive Cincy squad fighting to get back in the AFC race. All four of its losses have been by one score, and two of them have been decided by a field goal or less.
A loss at Cleveland would not only be the death kneel for Joe Burrow & Co., but my survivor pool hopes as well.
Safest Week 7 survivor pool pick
Buffalo Bills
Opponent: vs. Tennessee Titans
Moneyline odds: -450 (81.82% implied win probability)
The Buffalo Bills are on a short week after winning on Monday and coming home after three straight road games.
Buffalo welcomes the Tennessee Titans to Orchard Park, laying a lot of points against a Tennessee team that isn’t as bad as its 1-4 record would lead you to believe. The Titans defense ranks among the league’s elite and this squad has trailed entering the fourth quarter just once in its first five games.
While the Bills made a splash on Tuesday by trading for Amari Cooper, just how much Cooper will be involved in the playbook on the short week remains to be seen.
The NFL odds say Buffalo is safe, but as we’ve come to learn in this crazy 2024 season, that doesn’t mean squat when the whistle blows.
Most popular Week 7 picks in the Covers $10K survivor pool
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