2026 NFL, College Football Odds: Best Bets For Indiana-Michigan, Colts-Vikings

If the New York Jets didn’t cover against New England last Sunday, I would’ve been swept away like a pile of Autumn leaves. Memphis turned the ball over six times, Wisconsin scored seven points and my BYU-Notre Dame Under died with two minutes left. These are not excuses — this is a therapy session. We know you’re here for informed wagers and I assure you I vet everything through multiple handicappers, oddsmakers and betting buddies who know what they’re doing. Those that do well in this racket know the "how, what and why" and that’s always my goal. Also, this will never be the place for a million picks or five-team parlays. These will always be the wagers I love the most and ones that I’m betting with my own money. Let’s go to work. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.(2026 Record: 15-17-2, -3.7 units) I love Kyle Whittingham as an underdog. When his teams are catching points, Whittingham is 38-21-2 against the spread (ATS). That’s 63%. Michigan already upset Oklahoma earlier this season as a 6-point home pup and that was when the Wolverines were playing Bryce Underwood at quarterback. Indiana has played two extremely physical games in a row against Nebraska and Ohio State, and I’m not sure how much juice the offense will have. Ah, the classic letdown spot. BYU is a much better football team than UCF, but if the Cougars were a stock, it would be through the roof after upsetting Notre Dame. Scott Frost is no stranger to an upset and I do believe the Knights' defense can do enough against Bear Bachmeier to make this interesting. This number opened BYU -6.5 and now that money has driven it through the key number of 7, you get the hook. Go for it. The wise guys love these unranked favorites taking on ranked teams. Tennessee wasn’t exactly a money magnet last Saturday against Alabama, but now the public wants to jump on the bandwagon this week. Because of course. The Volunteers opened as 1-point favorites in Las Vegas and despite most of the tickets on Tennessee, South Carolina is now a small favorite. The market movement certainly tells a story in this one. I’m getting my Wisconsin money back if it’s the last thing I do. We bet the Badgers +3 last week at UCLA and that spread got down to around +1.5/1. Spoiler: It didn’t matter. The Badgers were basically allergic to the end zone and mustered only one score in Westwood. Now they’re back at home as short underdogs against a USC team that isn’t very physical. Wisconsin tends to suck these finesse teams into rock fights and that’s the hope here. Undefeated Minnesota has covered four of five games this season and Indy just lost to Tennessee, the Titans' first victory of 2026. And the Vikings only have to win by seven! This feels like the scene in "The Simpsons" when Homer falls for the floor pie. We’re all aware how legit this Minnesota defense is under Brian Flores, but if the Colts can run the football with Jonathan Taylor, they’ll be able to stay inside the number.

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Favorite 'Dogs: Back Ole Miss Over Texas; Falcons To Upset 49ers

Will Texas rebound this week? Can the Falcons defeat the (so far) perfect 49ers? Here's what I'm on this week for my favorite 'dogs. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The discussions about Texas quarterback Arch Manning going No. 1 overall in the NFL draft have now shifted to a conversation about whether he can maintain his job as the starter. Last week, Texas suffered its second straight loss at home, this time as a big favorite against Florida. It was a game in that Texas led 17-3 at one point. In the brief history of the 12-team College Football Playoff, no team has ever gotten an at-large bid with three regular-season losses. Perhaps that changes this year, but it’s fair to say the Longhorns are possibly fighting for their Playoff hopes when they take on Ole Miss on Saturday. At the risk of being overly simplistic, I’m going with the upset here because Ole Miss has a far superior quarterback in Trinidad Chambliss, and nothing about Manning's struggles seem fluky. It doesn't seem like whatever's going on with him will be fixed in a week. The Ole Miss defense is also coming off its strongest effort, holding an explosive Missouri offense to just three points last week in a dominant win. I’ll take Ole Miss to pull off the upset and put Texas' Playoff hopes on life support. There are not a ton of intriguing options this week for an upset pick, and there aren’t many big spreads to choose from. So I’ll go with the mini-upset pick here and take the Falcons to defeat the unbeaten 49ers. The 49ers have a short week of prep, having just played on Monday Night Football, and now travel on the road to play a Falcons team desperate for a win. San Francisco is decimated at the wide receiver position, with future Hall of Famer Mike Evans being the latest injury. Evans joins fellow wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, De’Zhaun Stribling, Christian Kirk and Ricky Pearsall among the pass catchers who are hurt and unavailable for this game. A team this banged up losing on the road shouldn’t come as a shock. I like the Falcons to introduce the 49ers to the loss column for the first time in 2026.

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Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Plans To Start Vs. Panthers On Sunday

Baker Mayfield expects to return from a thumb injury and play when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback dislocated his right thumb when his throwing hand hit Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman on a desperation pass on fourth down that was intercepted late in the fourth quarter of a 23-16 loss in Week 3. "It’s been feeling slowly better and better. That’s the frustrating part with an injury like that," Mayfield said Thursday. Mayfield has worn a special glove in practice and plans to use it in the game. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels started the past three games, going 1-2. The Buccaneers (1-5) are last in the NFC South entering the game at Carolina (3-2). Mayfield said he was aiming to return to face Pittsburgh last week but wasn't ready. The Bucs wasted a 16-3 lead in the fourth quarter and lost 26-19 in overtime. Daniels threw two picks in the fourth quarter that led to a pair of field goals. "Anytime you dislocate something there’s gonna be ligament damage. It just didn’t happen to be ligaments and tendons that I needed surgery on," Mayfield said. "So just give them time to heal, do as much as possible, come back stronger and work on that. And yeah, it’s football. If something like that happens, that’s the nature of the game, unfortunately. But we’ve got into a place where it’s strong enough to (play)." Mayfield, who signed a $165 million, three-year contract extension before the season, hadn’t missed a start since joining the Buccaneers in 2023. He played through various injuries throughout his career, which began in Cleveland after the Browns selected him with the No. 1 pick in 2018. The Buccaneers got off to their worst start since 2014, going 0-3 with Mayfield. He struggled behind an offensive line that was woeful at the time. He has two touchdown passes and two interceptions, has lost three fumbles and has been sacked 13 times. Daniels didn't fare much better but led an impressive win at Dallas on Oct. 8. Daniel has three touchdowns, five picks and a 63.4 rating. "We weren’t doing the little things right," Mayfield said. "Whether it’s guys overthinking. ... I don’t think we have dumb guys on this football team. It’s guys overthinking, just not doing the Day 1 stuff the right way. And so when you have that, guys flying around, you hesitate at quarterback or your eyes are in the right spot quarterback and you’re trusting a guy to be there, you need to understand that you build this system based on timing, the rhythm of your feet, so it’s really important to do that. Our O-line is playing a lot better, and we need to take advantage of it. We need to be on the same page." Reporting by The Associated Press.

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NFL Week 7 Betting Report: Books Seeing Surprising Action On Key Showdowns

One-third of the NFL season is behind us, with some interesting situations afoot. For example: The Rams, preseason favorites in Super Bowl odds, are 2-4 through six games. Not exactly what oddsmakers or bettors expected. Nor was this: "The Browns to lead the AFC North was not on anybody’s Bingo card this year," Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel said. Will the Rams get right against an improved Raiders outfit? And will Packers-Lions Over bettors be rewarded in America’s Game of the Week on FOX? More on those matchups and other notable games, with sportsbook insights and a sharper play, as we dive into NFL Week 7 betting nuggets. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The Packers started the season 1-2 straight up (SU) and 0-3 against the spread (ATS). That included a blowout upset home loss to the Falcons (35-14) in Week 3. But it appears Green Bay has righted the ship, winning and cashing the past three weeks to move to 4-2 SU/3-3 ATS. In addition, standout running back Josh Jacobs is off the Commissioner's Exempt List and is eligible to play. Detroit (3-2 SU/2-3 ATS) has alternated wins and losses over its first five games, but the Lions put up their best scoring effort of the season in Week 5, in a 45-21 road rout of Arizona. Detroit then had a bye in Week 6. Caesars Sports opened the Lions as 3-point home favorites vs. the Packers and quickly went to Detroit -3.5, then returned to -3. As of Wednesday evening, it was Lions -3 (-115) for a 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday kickoff on FOX. "There was sharp money towards the Packers at +3.5, but we’ve seen mostly Lions money come in, especially since they’re coming off the bye," Feazel said. That said, the total is what’s getting more attention. Caesars opened at 52.5 and is up to 53.5, three points higher than any other total in NFL Week 7 odds. "That high total has garnered some Over money. Both teams are playing well, and bettors know the Lions don’t have a good defense but know how to score," Feazel said. "I don’t anticipate the Over money stopping." Ahead of Packers-Lions, FOX has 49ers-Falcons at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. San Francisco (6-0 SU/4-2 ATS) is one of just three unbeaten teams, while Atlanta’s 2-4 SU and ATS record belies its talented backfield of Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson. At DraftKings Sports, San Fran opened as a 4.5-point road favorite, dropped to -3.5 on Monday and -3 on Wednesday. And there’s a notable difference in opinion. The 49ers were drawing 67% of spread bets as of Wednesday evening, but 86% of early spread money is on the short home underdog Falcons. Caleb Williams didn’t take long to get his mojo back for the Bears (4-2 SU and ATS). Williams completed 30 of 36 passes, including his first dozen, in a 31-23 road win over the Falcons in Week 6. And the Patriots (4-2 SU and ATS) have won three in a row, though they fell just short of covering in Week 6. New England was a 7.5-point favorite and beat the Jets 26-19. For Thursday night’s 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, Chicago is a steady 3-point favorite in Caesars’ Week 7 NFL odds. "We’re seeing more Bears money on the spread, but I don’t see this going past 3. It might close 2.5," Feazel said. "People are gonna take the Bears on the spread or the Patriots on the moneyline. "It’ll be a big decision, and we’ll likely need the Bears to win by one or two points." The total inched from 50 to 50.5, the second-highest of the week. "This is another one that will attract a lot of Over money," Feazel said. At 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, the Chiefs visit the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Kansas City (5-0 SU/3-2 ATS) is looking more like the team that won three Super Bowls over the past few seasons. On the flip side, Seattle (3-3/1-4-1 ATS) already has as many losses on the field as all of last season, and the Seahawks have one of the NFL’s worst spread-covering marks so far. That said, Caesars opened Seattle -1.5 (-115) and it was up to -2.5 (-117) as of Wednesday night. "It’s a little bit surprising here. We’re gravitating toward more Seahawks action," Feazel said. "We haven’t seen as much Chiefs action as we expected, even though they’re undefeated. "We’re also seeing more money on the Under, and it’s sharper action." Caesars saw sharp money on Under 44.5 and 43.5, with the total at 42.5 midweek. As noted above, the Rams are 2-4, both SU and ATS. In Week 6, Los Angeles suffered the biggest upset of the season, losing to the Cardinals 18-16 as a 12.5-point home favorite. Further, the Rams lost wideout Davante Adams to a ruptured hamstring. The timeline to return is 6-10 weeks, so that could end his season. L.A. is also dealing with injury issues elsewhere, including at kicker. Next up for the Rams is a 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday kick on FOX vs. the Raiders. Las Vegas won its first three games, then lost its next three to sit at 3-3 SU. But the Raiders are the best spread-covering team in the NFL at 5-1 ATS, with close home losses to the Chiefs and the Bills. Oddsmakers still showed the Rams some respect, with Caesars opening Los Angeles as a 6-point road favorite. But that line dipped to Rams -5.5 in short order on Sunday, then went to -4.5 on Monday — after the Adams news — and -4 on Tuesday. "This game has seen more two-way action," Feazel said. "The Raiders have been competitive and efficient on offense. And the Raiders have shown they can score a lot of points against good teams." Indeed, Las Vegas fell to K.C. 30-27 as a 3.5-point home underdog in Week 4, then came up similarly short vs. Buffalo in Week 6, losing 33-30 as a 5.5-point home ‘dog. The public masses are certainly attracted to that scoring. "We’re seeing Over action. We’ll have a big need for the Under in this one," Feazel said. The total opened at 48.5 and fell as low as 47 early in the week. But it was at 48.5 (Under -115) on Wednesday night. Professional bettor Randy McKay is among those intrigued by the Rams-Raiders matchup. He grabbed Las Vegas +4.5, which on Wednesday night, was still available at some books, including DraftKings Sports and FanDuel Sports. "This is similar to the Bills-Raiders line last week," McKay said. "I like the improvement of Las Vegas with new coach Klint Kubiak. And this Rams team is losing games in all kinds of ways — on offense, defense and special teams. There’s also injuries on the Rams’ defensive line and to Adams."

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The Raiders Are Getting Better, So Why Is RB Ashton Jeanty Getting Worse?

Two yards behind the line of scrimmage and three yards from the end zone, Bills linebacker Terrell Bernard found Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty. You could argue that Jeanty found Bernard – running right into the linebacker. Regardless, at the point of contact, the 5-foot-8, 208-pound Jeanty used his considerable strength to twist and churn toward the goal line. Even with Bernard bear-hugging him, Jeanty made his way into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the season. It was Week 6. That's how long it took Jeanty to get into the end zone. And that play was a microcosm of the debate surrounding the sixth-overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. He just barely eked out a one-yard gain, and that was because he saw contact in the backfield. The question is whether Jeanty could've done more to avoid that contact. Because on all six of his previous carries inside the 5-yard line (eighth-most in the NFL), he had not scored. It's one of the many points of inefficiency that have plagued him during his two NFL seasons. What's wrong with Jeanty? Why can't he find room to run? Why is he averaging 3.2 yards per carry – and why did he get just two carries (for minus-5 yards) in the second half of the team's loss to the Bills on Sunday? There's the ankle injury, which he suffered in training camp. It has popped up on the injury report this year, but the running back has said he's healthy. There's more going on here. Even Klint Kubiak, normally the NFL's most reserved coach, indicated that Jeanty might be headed for a reduced workload. "I think we're gonna have to get production from all three of our backs," Kubiak said on Monday. "Mike Washington did some good stuff yesterday. I thought overall our backs ran harder yesterday. I thought they broke tackles. I thought they moved the line of scrimmage once things weren't there. I thought [running backs coach Omar Young] did a really good job of challenging our guys. I thought they had one of their better games, and I expect that to continue." From my vantage point, Kubiak would be right to feature Jeanty less. Because in just about every way, the Raiders are a better team this season – except for in the run game, where Jeanty was supposed to lead the charge. When Jeanty entered the draft, the Boise State All-American looked like the second coming of Maurice Jones-Drew or Josh Jacobs. But nowadays? He's drawing different comparisons. Jeanty is starting to look like Trent Richardson, perhaps the biggest running back bust in NFL history. If you need a refresher on who Richardson was, then let's go back to the 2012 draft when the Alabama superstar went third overall. Upon arriving in Cleveland, it took the Browns roughly one season to sour on him. So two games into the 2013 season, the Browns traded him to the Colts, who thought they could resuscitate his career. They couldn't. Richardson never averaged more than 3.6 yards per carry in any one of his four NFL seasons. He was the caveat to avoid running backs in the top 10 of the draft. Which is why it's so troubling that there are several points of comparison between Jeanty and Richardson at the same point in their careers. It was ESPN's Bill Barnwell who first pointed out these comparisons after Jeanty's underwhelming rookie year. Around that time, NFL Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson made one more comparison. Tomlinson saw himself in Jeanty. "I am huge on Ashton Jeanty. I think he showed some qualities on a bad team that you see from top running backs," Tomlinson said on the "Fantasy Points" podcast. "I'm just going to tell you, his first year reminded me of mine. It was tough sledding. I think I averaged 3.7 or 3.8 yards per carry my rookie year. I'm absolutely targeting Ashton Jeanty [in fantasy football]. I'm planning on coming out of my draft with Ashton. Let me just say that." Maybe Tomlinson spent the 2001 season struggling, but he ascended quickly in his second year – with 1,683 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 498 receiving yards and another receiving touchdown. And his yards per carry (4.5) went way up in 2002. We have yet to see that leap for Jeanty. In some ways, he is getting worse, including yards per carry, where he has fallen from 3.7 in 2025 to 3.2 in 2026. There were real reasons for optimism, namely that Kubiak was arriving with a scheme that seemed ideal to feature Jeanty. And Kubiak brought in one of the league's top free agents, center Tyler Linderbaum, to improve the offensive line. There were numbers to give Tomlinson hope for more from Jeanty. In his rookie season. Jeanty had 83% of his yards after contact, the highest in the NFL. And he had .4 yards before contact per carry. In other words, the blocking was poor – and he was still finding ways to get the most out of the bad situation. This season, Jeanty is actually generating more yards after contact: 90.3% (fifth in the NFL among RBs with 50-plus carries). And he's also seeing quicker contact, at .3 yards before contact per carry. So the question is whether Jeanty's blocking has gotten worse? Or whether he's getting worse at using his blocking? On film, I'm seeing a mix of both. There do seem to be opportunities for Jeanty to get upfield and work through the creases in the line. And that's why I'll get to our last comparison. It's to Jeanty's teammate: fourth-round rookie Mike Washington. He has, in bursts, looked better than Jeanty in the same offense. This year, Washington has 34 carries for 168 yards with one touchdown. And to be fair to Jeanty, that one touchdown is doing a lot of work for Washington. That 36-yard score helped his numbers. It's not like we can discount it. It happened to Washington (and not Jeanty). That big-play ability is exactly what the Raiders are seeking from Jeanty, but he has yet to deliver. Jeanty's success rate is higher, at 35.7%, than Washington's at 32.4%, per Next Gen Stats. (Successful carries gain 50-plus percent of the needed yards on first down, 60-plus percent on second down, and 100 percent on third or fourth down.) But other than that, Jeanty's rush yards over expected per carry is -0.3 compared to Washington's 0.7 – and Washington has five explosive runs (10-plus yards), the same number as Jeanty with roughly a third of the carries. At the end of Week 6 against the Bills, it felt like the Raiders were turning the ball over to Washington more than Jeanty. It wasn't an outright benching, but it did feel like a message. Jeanty wasn't doing enough. The Raiders have every reason to explore Washington in an increased role – except, perhaps, for Jeanty's salary and draft status. They want Jeanty to work out. Maybe he will, as the ankle improves and the offensive line continues to adapt to Kubiak's offensive scheme. Maybe, maybe, maybe. But right now, Washington seems to have concrete evidence on his side. Jeanty doesn't. Perhaps that's why we saw Jeanty's workload decrease on Sunday. Perhaps that's why we'll see more of Washington in the coming weeks. This was the year Jeanty was expected to take a leap forward. So far, he's done the opposite.

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Tom Brady's NFL Power Rankings: Are The Patriots The Best Non-Undefeated Team?

Three undefeated teams remain in the NFL entering Week 7, making it easy for Tom Brady to form the top three in his power rankings. Who should be ranked after those teams, though? Well, even Brady admits that's tough. In the most recent edition of the GOAT's power rankings, Brady said that determining how to order the 4-2 teams is "harder than it looks." It certainly doesn't help that there are 10 two-loss teams after Week 6, but Brady actually has a 4-2 team ranked ahead of a 5-1 squad in this week's power rankings. Who is that team? Find out Brady's full top-10. Week 6 result: 23-13 win vs. Dallas Cowboys Brady's thoughts: After a slow start, Green Bay has joined the party. They've got a huge NFC North matchup with the Lions on Sunday. Guess who will be there? Yours truly. Jordan Love is making a lot of plays right now, but the defense has been the storyline to me during this three-game winning streak. They're getting the job done, rushing the quarterback, and they're going to get a fresh Michael Parsons later this year. But I'm excited to see Jordan and Matthew Golden stay hot and push the ball down the field a little more on Sunday in person. The matchup I'm most looking forward to in that game on Sunday is going to be the Green Bay downfield passing game. They've done a great job of that in some of their wins. They are a deep-play team with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. They've got a lot of speed on the perimeter. Do the Detroit safeties have enough to prevent those plays? The Lions might be getting Brian Branch back. That would be a huge boost to that secondary. Up next: at Detroit Lions (Sunday) Week 6 result: 17-14 loss (OT) at Denver Broncos Brady's thoughts: It's not often you outgain a team by 200 yards and lose the game, but that's where we're at Seattle. They've been turning the ball over like crazy. Those catastrophic mistakes — you just can't win in the NFL until you keep from losing, no matter how good your defense is playing. So they got three losses, all by three points or less. But don't give up on the Seahawks, trust me. Just remember, Sam Darnold is a championship quarterback. Last year in the playoffs, he played great, no turnovers. And if they don't turn it over, they have a chance to win every single week. So just make sure you're eyeing those throws, make sure you're accurate, and you're missing in the right places. Turnovers lose games more than any other stat in the NFL. You've got to protect the football. And I say it a lot: When you got a guy like JSN (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), just get it out there to him. Look for him at the end of the day. Up next: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday) Week 6 result: 34-31 loss vs. Houston Texans Brady's thoughts: Trevor Lawrence was spinning it on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to hold off a crazy-energized Texans team. They couldn't get any pressure Sunday. That was strange, and those D-backs were hung out on an island against C.J. Stroud. Again, we're not panicking. Houston's better than their record shows, and I like what I'm seeing under center in Jacksonville. Up next: Bye Week 6 result: 31-23 win at Atlanta Falcons Brady's thoughts: They played great. I was there to see it. They had 30 completions. They had 40 minutes of time of possession and no picks. That's the kind of football that brings a tear to my eye. Caleb Williams really didn't miss a beat. He looked great, just like he did in the opener. They picked up this huge win in Atlanta and the defense deserves a lot of credit. They're swarming to the ball. They're causing chaos all over the field, and we'll just forget about that fourth quarter for now, OK? Crazy comebacks happen when Atlanta's involved. I think the Bears feel that confidence every time they step in the huddle with Williams. They've got a coach that can dial up some great plays and they've got a quarterback that, when the initial play's not open, he's always a threat with his legs or getting out of the pocket to make explosive throws down the field. That is tough for any defense to cover. Up next: vs. New England Patriots (Thursday) Week 6 result: 17-14 win (OT) vs. Seattle Seahawks Brady's thoughts: The most confusing team in the NFL remains the most confusing team in the NFL this week, winning that bizarre game against Seattle. I'll tell you one thing: If there's one guy who doesn't care what the power rankings say about this team, it's Sean Payton. All he's worried about is winning and winning. That's the only thing that matters. But we've got to see Bo Nix find a way to kick the passing game into gear if this team wants to make a run against the other QBs he'll see in the AFC playoffs. Up next: at Arizona Cardinals Week 6 result: 33-30 win at Las Vegas Raiders Brady's thoughts: The Bills are next after holding off the Raiders in a great game in Las Vegas with no turnovers this week. Isn't it funny how much easier life is with no turnovers? Just do that every week, Josh Allen. Buffalo leads the league in points, though, through six weeks and the AFC East is shaping up to be a great race with this next team. Up next: Bye Week 6 result: 26-19 win vs. New York Jets Brady's thoughts: That's right. New England jumps Buffalo this week. Listen, there's a very easy explanation for this. In the Tom Brady Power Rankings, there's a clear scenario for when the head-to-head tiebreaker applies. It's situations where I, Tom Brady, feel like applying it. Drake Maye's been on fire the last three games. He's calm in the pocket, making throws in big moments and taking care of the ball. Does this team remind you of last year's Pats all of a sudden? I think so. I think it shows a lot of mental toughness that Drake's responded this way after the first few games. He got off to a slow start. He's still a young quarterback. He's only in Year 3. He's got a great playcaller in Josh McDaniels. They're figuring out what they're good at. That's what the Patriots always do early in the season. Up next: at Chicago Bears (Thursday) Week 6 result: Idle Brady's thoughts: It's Minnesota's turn to stay undefeated by simply not playing a game. The NFC North is shaping up to have a gauntlet this year, but the Vikings got the inside track if they're able to keep stacking these wins here early on. They'll host the Colts on Sunday, which I would say is a classic trap game, but with KOC (head coach Kevin O'Connell) and B-Flo (defensive coordinator Brian Flores) calling the shots, I have a feeling that Minnesota will be ready to go off the bye. Up next: vs. Indianapolis Colts Week 6 result: 22-6 win vs. Los Angeles Chargers Brady's thoughts: K9 (Kenneth Walker) and the Chiefs ran away with this one to stay undefeated with three wins in the division and four sacks coming from the defense. That's a huge improvement from a unit that struggled to get pressure. And if K.C. puts all of the pieces together at once, watch out. And Patrick Mahomes tied some old retired guy's record for the fewest starts to reach 100 wins. We'll reach out and see if we can get a comment on that. Up next: at Seattle Seahawks (Sunday) Week 6 result: 23-17 win vs. Washington Commanders Brady's thoughts: No surprise here. The 49ers stayed undefeated on Monday Night Football, which means they stay No. 1 in my power rankings. They head to Atlanta next week, looking to cruise into a bye at the perfect 7-0, something we didn't see coming as these injuries piled up. This team exemplifies the next man up mentality, though, which bodes well as the gauntlet of an NFL season rolls on. Up next: at Atlanta Falcons

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Sammy’s Sportsbook Whispers: Why UCLA Is The Best Betting Story Of The Season

Around the time the UCLA Bruins were set to host their Spring Game in early May, most Las Vegas sportsbooks thought they were a fringe bowl team. The Bruins’ regular-season win total opened at O/U 5.5, early money drove the market to O/U 6 and some shops were out to O/U 6.5 by August. Wise guys believed in Bob Chesney. Here we are 10 days before Halloween and the Bruins (6-0 SU, 6-0 ATS) are arguably the best betting story of the entire season. Not only have they cashed almost every Over ticket, they’ve covered every single game to date. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. "It’s remarkable for a first-year head coach," former Vegas bookmaker Ed Salmons told me. "They run the ball well and don’t make mistakes. "You look at UCLA’s schedule, though, the only good win is at Oregon. And I don’t even know what Oregon is at this point. I watched them the other day against Nebraska and they were horrendous." At the same, you only play who’s in front of you. "I’ve moved UCLA up a touchdown from the summer," professional bettor Slice said. "I didn’t do anything with the Nico [Iamaleava] injury yet. I’m still not sure what it means. There’s probably not that big of a drop-off there. "They are an extremely well-coached football team." One of the weekend’s biggest losers in terms of power rankings is Ohio State. Despite covering a very hostile game at Indiana over the weekend, Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin is out indefinitely with an arm injury. What’s the drop-off from a Heisman finalist to freshman Luke Fahey? "I dropped Ohio State eight points, but I’ll revisit it when they play their next game," Salmons admitted. "Usually with these top-tier quarterbacks, you take seven right off the top. The backup is a true freshman, and he wasn’t ready for Indiana. It was evident they weren’t going to let him lose the game. "Ohio State goes from my No. 1 team to No. 8 or so without Sayin." The Buckeyes also went from +600 to +450 to miss the College Football Playoff at a couple sportsbooks around the country. Still, their schedule isn’t exactly tough, and their roster is loaded. Even without Sayin, OSU can beat Oregon, Northwestern and Michigan at home. Then, if you split with USC and Nebraska on the road, you’re a Playoff team. "Here’s the difference between the Big Ten and the SEC," Salmons said. "You can make a case that the Big Ten is better up top, but once you go down the ladder, the Big Ten is trash from the middle to the bottom. Outside of Arkansas and Vanderbilt, anybody can beat anybody any week in the SEC. It’s so deep." It might be deep, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t flawed teams. Two weeks ago, Texas lost against unranked Oklahoma, then lost to unranked Florida. It’s the first time since 1961 that an AP No. 1 team lost two games in a row against unranked opponents. That’s the definition of underachieving. So what’s wrong with the Longhorns? "I think they just stink," Slice cracked. "They can’t move the ball. Their average third-down distance is like third-and-9. They can’t put drives together. And now Colin Simmons is out on the defensive side. He’s their best pass rusher. "Don’t get me started on Arch Manning, either." Salmons has spoon-fed us a winning wager in college football five of the last six weeks. The BYU-ND Under is the only blemish over that span. What’s the move, Ed? "I like South Carolina this week," Salmons opined. "The public will think there’s no way South Carolina should be favored. A team that’s unranked is favored over a top-12 team. The line and the money tell you the story." And don’t look now, but if the regular season ended today, every single NFC North team would make the postseason. That has never happened since the league expanded to a 14-team playoff back in 2020. "The Packers look like the most complete team in that division," Feazel said. "Especially with Josh Jacobs returning to the lineup and Micah Parsons potentially not far behind. Both the Bears and Lions continue to show defensive vulnerabilities and the Vikings’ biggest concern is the offense. "As the season progresses, the NFC North is making a strong case as the deepest and most dominant division in the NFL."

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