2021 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 7

Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Baltimore Ravens (5-1)

Sunday, October 24, 1PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens finally played a full 60 minutes, and it resulted in a blowout win against the red-hot Los Angeles Chargers. Now they’ve won five games in a row, and are looking like one of the teams to beat in the AFC. No more doubting Lamar Jackson.

It wasn’t just Jackson that won the game this past Sunday though. Much of the credit also goes to the Baltimore defense, which bottled up Justin Herbert and a potent Chargers offense. That was honestly the biggest surprise of that Week 6 matchup, and it gave my confidence in the Ravens defense a huge boost moving forward.

Obviously, we can’t ignore the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals have been a huge surprise this season. Their success can be largely attributed to the play of Joe Burrow and his connection with rookie receiver JaMarr Chase. The Cincinnati defense has also held its own, with an impressive pass rush and playmaking secondary.

Ultimately, though, I believe Jackson gets the best of the Bengals in this one. While anything is possible in these AFC North matchups, the Ravens stay hot and improve to 6-1.

Prediction: Ravens win 33-27 | Spread: Ravens (-6.5)