Ravens, Patriots, Buccaneers To Win In Week Six

Week six of the 2017 NFL season began as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Carolina Panthers on the road on Thursday Night Football.

The Eagles improved their record to 5-1 in their campaign, and look to be a strong contender to win the NFC Conference. The Panthers drop to 4-2 and face the prospect of advancing forward with key linebacker Luke Kuechly after he sustained a concussion.

Now the rest of the league enters the fray and we’ll break down the five teams that should be in your teaser for this week’s round of matches.

Chicago Bears @ Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens entered their clash against the Oakland Raiders in must-win territory. John Harbaugh’s men had dropped back-to-back matches, including their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars. They were handed a good hand when Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was ruled out of the contest. However, the most pleasing aspect of their win was the return to form of Joe Flacco, who dissected Oakland’s defense with a number of quality throws downfield. Baltimore’s defense controlled the contest, allowing their side to ease to victory.

Mitchell Trubisky was on course for a decent outing in his first NFL start for the Bears. However, when presented with the opportunity to win the game, he throw a costly interception to Harrison Smith allow the Minnesota Vikings to snatch the win at Soldier Field. The 22-year-old made a couple of impressive throws downfield, but the lack of talent around him and the quality of the Vikings’ defense prevented him from a stellar debut.

Life will only get harder for the rookie quarterback against the Ravens and their veteran defensive unit. As a result, back the Ravens at odds of 1.36Bet €100 to win €1369/25Bet £100 to win £136-278Bet $100 to win $1360.36Bet HK$100 to win HK$136-2.78Bet Rp100 to win Rp1360.3600Bet RM100 to win RM136  with BetOnline to secure their third win of the season.

Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints

The Saints rested up in week five of the campaign on their bye week. After starting their campaign 0-2, Sean Payton’s men have rebounded to win two matches on the bounce, defeating the Miami Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers. New Orleans’ defense has been widely criticised for their play over the last few seasons, but in the last two weeks they’ve improved significantly. The unit held Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense in check on the road before shutting out the Dolphins at Wembley.

They only need to be stout enough to keep Drew Brees and the offense in the contest and that could be the spark that sends them back the playoffs. This match is a crucial point in the campaign for Payton’s men. Although they’ve played well in their last two matches, the Lions will pose a test. Brees and his offense have the talent to put points on the board, but the telling factor will be whether the defense are able to hold Matt Stafford at bay.

The Lions have been inconsistent this term on both sides of the ball. They were beaten by the Panthers last week, with the 27-24 scoreline not truly reflecting Carolina’s dominance. They will be desperate to bounce back on the road and are a proven commodity compared to the Saints. As a result, take Stafford and company at odds of 2.80Bet €100 to win €2809/5Bet £100 to win £280+180Bet $100 to win $2801.80Bet HK$100 to win HK$2801.80Bet Rp100 to win Rp280-0.5556Bet RM100 to win RM280  with BetOnline to bounce back.

New England Patriots @ New York Jets

The Patriots responded to their defeat at the hands of the Panthers with a hard-fought win on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bill Belichick’s men have not been at their best in the early stages of the campaign, but they displayed grit to fend off a late effort from Jameis Winston to hold out for the win. New England’s defense had issues in the first four weeks of the season, but improved against the Bucs. Off-season signing Stephon Gilmore struggled immensely against the Panthers, but importantly for his side he recovered with a strong outing last time out.

Tom Brady took a few blows against the Panthers and Bucs, resulting in a shoulder injury. He has not missed a game due to injury since the 2008 season and has clarified that will not change on Sunday. With Rob Gronkowski expected to return from a thigh injury, Brady has the weapons to open up the Jets’ defense so expect another high-scoring game for the Patriots.

New York have played above expectations this season, winning three matches on the bounce. Their run started with a win over Miami, but they continued their exploits with victories over the Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. They’ve capitalised on the mistakes of those outfits, but were still good enough to get over the line. However, the Patriots will not give them those opportunities. Take Belichick’s men at odds of 1.23Bet €100 to win €12323/100Bet £100 to win £123-435Bet $100 to win $1230.23Bet HK$100 to win HK$123-4.35Bet Rp100 to win Rp1230.2300Bet RM100 to win RM123  with ComeOn.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Arizona Cardinals

The Buccaneers have been hit and miss in their four games to start the campaign. Dirk Koetter’s men brushed aside the Bears in their first game of the season, but then took a huge step back against the Vikings. They battled past the Giants in week four before losing on home soil to the Patriots, with kicker Nick Folk costing his side the contest. He missed three field goals, which would have made the difference in a five-point match, resulting in him being placed on injured reserve. Patrick Murray has been signed in his place with the club hopeful their kicking issues are behind them.

Quarterback Winston was poor against the Patriots, missing on several downfield throws. However, the most decisive flaw was his decision to throw early on the final play of the game. He didn’t give his receivers an opportunity to make a play, throwing low into the deck. The 23-year-old is a better player than his last outing and will have ample opportunities against the Cardinals.

Although the Cardinals have a 2-3 record they’ve benefited from facing two of the worst teams in the NFL – even those victories were a struggle. Bruce Arians’ men are there for the taking at the moment due to the poor play on both sides of the ball. Carson Palmer has been ineffectual, while their stars of defense Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu have been equally poor. Therefore back the Bucs at odds of 1.83Bet €100 to win €18383/100Bet £100 to win £183-120Bet $100 to win $1830.83Bet HK$100 to win HK$183-1.20Bet Rp100 to win Rp1830.8300Bet RM100 to win RM183  with ComeOn.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Oakland Raiders

The Chargers got off the mark against the New York Giants in the battle between the two winless teams. It still took a plethora of injuries to the Giants’ receiving corps for Los Angeles to emerge with the win, but they still achieved the feat. Now Anthony Lynn’s men have the challenge of building off their success and face another side with injury concerns. The Chargers have not been far off a decent record this term, but their problems in the fourth quarter have held them back.

Philip Rivers has had his moments at the quarterback position, but his issues with consistency have reflected his side’s problems. On the other side of the ball there is promise due to the outstanding performances of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. The Chargers have the pieces to close out their second win of the season against the Raiders, but will have to produce a flawless display on the road.

Oakland could be without quarterback Carr for the second-straight week. However, he might play through the pain barrier to start for his team, although given the long-term ramifications it could be best for him to rest up for another match. Backup EJ Manuel had his moments in their defeat to the Ravens last week, but the Raiders will need more from their defense.

Tips Summary

Baltimore Ravens To Beat Chicago Bears
Sunday 15th October 13:00 ET (18:00 BST)
Odds: 9/25

Detroit Lions To Beat New Orleans Saints
Sunday 15th October 13:00 ET (18:00 BST)
Odds: 9/5

New England Patriots To Beat New York Jets
Sunday 15th October 13:00 ET (18:00 BST)
Odds: 23/100

Tampa Bay Buccaneers To Beat Arizona Cardinals
Sunday 15th October 16:05 ET (21:05 BST)
Odds: 83/100

Los Angeles Chargers To Beat Oakland Raiders
Sunday 15th October 16:05 ET (21:05 BST)
Odds: TBD