The NFL is never short on theatrics, and Week 5 was no exception. This is the earliest we’ve pretty much ever seen where nobody in the NFL is undefeated after both the Eagles and Bills, the last remaining undefeated teams, took losses in Week 5.
Heading into Week 6, we have a number of teams coming off early bye weeks and another loaded slate of games overall.
We’ve got a potential Super Bowl preview this week, a couple of the league’s bright young stars at quarterback facing off against each other, and yet another Monday Night Football doubleheader. It’s time for our weekly NFL picks and score predictions for every single game in Week 6.
2025 NFL picks and score predictions for every Week 6 game
Teams on BYE: Vikings, Texans
Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) @ New York Giants (1-4)
Thursday, October 9, 8:15 PM ET
The Philadelphia Eagles have finally been dethroned. Both of the remaining undefeated teams entering Week 5 (Eagles, Bills) left Sunday's action disappointed this past week, so it stinks to be the teams that have to play them next.
In the Eagles’ case, that’s a divisional opponent in the New York Giants, who are coming off of an ugly loss against the New Orleans Saints, of all teams, in Week 5.
Let’s chat about the Eagles for the moment. Obviously, when you have as much success as the Eagles have had in recent years, you’re going to have a target on your back every single week. It’s not just that playing against the Eagles is every other team’s “Super Bowl”, but that game can be a measuring stick for a lot of teams, and Philly is going to get everyone’s best on a given week.
That should once again be the case against the Giants, but I’m not even sure what the Giants’ “best” looks like at this point. If Jaxson Dart can eliminate turnovers and Cam Skattebo runs wild over the Eagles, maybe something can happen. But without Malik Nabers in the lineup, it’s hard to see the Giants pulling off an upset, even at home.
The Eagles are 7.5-point favorites in this one, and that feels a little stingy, to be honest.
Prediction: Eagles win 31-16
Denver Broncos (3-2) @ New York Jets (0-5)
Sunday, October 12, 9:30 AM ET (Game played in London)
The Denver Broncos and New York Jets are the NFL’s next showcase in the International series, and this might not be the best matchup that football fans in the UK could have asked for at this point.
The New York Jets have been arguably the worst team in the NFL this year, although that’s not entirely unexpected. Through the first five games of the season, the Jets have yet to turn the ball over a single time. Justin Fields has been horrible (and hurt briefly), and we could be looking at a team destined for a fire sale at the NFL trade deadline.
With that in mind, the Jets might try to rain on the Denver Broncos’ parade after the Broncos’ hard-fought comeback win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Denver showed outstanding resolve on the road against the reigning Super Bowl champs, coming back from down 17-3 with 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Will that win against the Eagles be a launching-off point for the Broncos, or are they going to have a bit of a hangover/letdown this week?
The oddsmakers are in favor of a Broncos blowout win this week, understandably. Denver has one of the best pass-rush units in the NFL and they’ve run the ball extremely well this season. I’m not banking on the Jets’ winless start to the season ending in London.
Prediction: Broncos win 27-16
Arizona Cardinals (2-3) @ Indianapolis Colts (4-1)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
I wonder if we’re going to get a jersey swap this week between Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Cardinals running back Emari Demarcado. Those two guys can relate to each other’s pain.
And ironically, two former Eagles coordinators have experienced the heartbreak of losing games in the last calendar year largely due to the fact that their running backs decided to drop the ball before they crossed the goal line. Those running backs undoubtedly added a couple of additional gray hairs to their head coaches' beards.
Oh that’s right, there’s a game to be played here. The Indianapolis Colts have to be overwhelming favorites at home in this matchup of former Philly coaches. As much as we wanted to buy the Cardinals as a surprise contender in the NFC West this season, it just looks like that team is a step-and-a-half behind everyone else in the division, even the injury-plagued 49ers.
They now have a brutal task of stopping the Colts’ offense, which has been outstanding all season, and is coming off of another dominant performance. The oddsmakers only have Indianapolis as a 5.5-point favorite in this game, and I’m guessing the Colts will cover rather easily at home.
Prediction: Colts win 33-23
Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) @ Miami Dolphins (1-4)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
Don’t look now, but the Los Angeles Chargers are kind of reeling a little bit. After starting the season 3-0 against AFC West opponents, the Chargers have now lost back-to-back games against NFC East teams, and are looking to get back on track in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins.
And I will say what I have said a million times over in these weekly NFL picks and score predictions: It’s tough for West Coast teams to travel to the East Coast and get wins in the early window.
Does that mean it’s going to be a guaranteed loss for the Chargers? Not by any means is that the case, but the Dolphins have a little extra intangible going in their favor, perhaps. The Chargers have had a wide variety of crucial injuries the past few weeks, and Justin Herbert has struggled a little bit as a result.
As bad as the Dolphins have been this year, they have desperation on their side on top of everything else, and just had a complete defensive debacle against the Panthers this past week. You know that Miami defense is going to be eager to prove itself after that dismal second half.
The Chargers are favored in this game by 4.5 points on the road, and that feels like a pretty good starting number. I’m in more of a toss-up mode in my mind approaching this game, because the Chargers have played so well at times this season, and have been really rough at others. I don’t hate the Dolphins for a little upset here.
Prediction: Dolphins win 26-24
New England Patriots (3-2) @ New Orleans Saints (1-4)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
The Mike Vrabel effect on the Patriots is real. There is a reason everyone was hyping this Patriots team up throughout the course of the 2025 offseason, and we saw that on display in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills.
After a defensive battle in the first half, we saw Drake Maye really go toe-to-toe with Josh Allen in the second half and make some incredible throws en route to a Patriots upset victory. The Buffalo Bills have been running the AFC East since Tom Brady left the Patriots, so the last thing any Bills (or Dolphins or Jets) fan wants to see is the Patriots with another stud at the QB position.
Yet here we are.
The Patriots going on the road to face off against the Saints will be an interesting test for them mentally. So much was poured into beating the Bills, and not that the Patriots can’t stack, but the Saints are a little too easy of a team to overlook at this point.
But the Saints got the first win of the Kellen Moore era this past weekend, and we saw yet another solid performance from Spencer Rattler. The Saints weren’t able to close the deal the week prior, but they also gave the Bills a run for their money.
This could quietly be a really fun matchup between two second-year quarterbacks and teams looking to turn the corner in October under their new head coaches. The Patriots are understandably 3.5-point favorites on the road after their win against the Bills, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints can pull off a win, either.
Prediction: Saints win 23-19
Cleveland Browns (1-4) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
Just over a month into the 2025 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves comfortably in the driver’s seat of the AFC North.
Who could have predicted that?
The Browns have the same record as the Ravens at 1-4, and the Bengals are reeling after Joe Burrow’s latest season-ending injury. As far as a swan song for Aaron Rodgers is concerned, you couldn’t have asked for a clearer path at this point in the season.
Coming off of a bye week, the Steelers are set to host the jet-lagged Cleveland Browns, whose young core of offensive players have actually shown quite nicely despite the team’s overall lack of success. Dillon Gabriel got his first chance to start this past weekend, and did a better job than many expected him to do against the tough Minnesota Vikings defense.
Now, Gabriel is going to get his first taste of what it’s like to play in hostile territory inside the division, and it’s probably for the best that this isn’t his first NFL start.
The Steelers are a veteran-laden roster with a great head coach. Mike Tomlin is going to have his guys ready to beat up on a young quarterback. The Steelers are 5.5-point favorites coming back from the bye and I like their chances of keeping things rolling. The Steelers get to 4-1 this week and the Browns continue to get valuable evaluation on their young offensive weapons.
Prediction: Steelers win 23-19
Dallas Cowboys (2-2-1) @ Carolina Panthers (2-3)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
Doesn’t it feel like the Dallas Cowboys are better than a 2-2-1 team at this point?
Doesn’t it feel like the Carolina Panthers are worse than a 2-3 team at this point?
This is a weird, but probably fun matchup this week. On a week-to-week basis, I don’t know that anybody knows what to expect out of the Carolina Panthers. They were down 17-0 against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Bryce Young had multiple turnovers early, and they dug deep to win 27-24, somehow.
You know who played exceptionally well for the Panthers on Sunday? Former Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle. Dowdle had a 200-yard rushing performance for the Panthers, and he’s already very motivated to make an impact against his former team. The Cowboys clearly didn’t want Dowdle this offseason, instead choosing to move on to Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders.
And frankly, Javonte Williams has proven them right up to this point. He’s already got a career-high with five rushing touchdowns this season and is back to his pre-knee injury form.
Considering how well Dak Prescott has played this year, and considering that Tua Tagovailoa just had a three-touchdown, zero-interception performance against the Panthers, I’m a little surprised to see Carolina as just a 3.5-point underdog at home in this one. Maybe this game ends up getting weird in Carolina, you never know. I like the Cowboys by at least a touchdown, but we’ll see if Rico Dowdle can make them regret letting him go.
Prediction: Cowboys win 28-20
Seattle Seahawks (3-2) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
The Seattle Seahawks just played in arguably the best game of the week not only in terms of the quality of entertainment, but the quality of each team’s uniforms. Seattle and Tampa Bay took each other on wearing throwback uniforms, and it was as glorious as you would imagine.
With that in mind, the Seahawks also can’t help but feel like they let one get away after Sam Darnold and the offense scored five touchdowns on five straight possessions at one point against the Bucs, but they simply couldn’t stop Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay from getting into the end zone.
An interception from Darnold at the worst possible time paved the way for the Bucs to take Seattle down on their home field, and now Seattle goes out to Jacksonville to take on a Jaguars team that has been pretty tough defensively so far this season.
And once again, West Coast teams traveling east tend to struggle in the early time slot. The Jaguars are getting the Seahawks on a short week since they just played the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.
The early line has the Jaguars as a 1.5-point favorite at home in this game, which isn't a shocker even considering how solid the Jaguars have been this year. Seattle’s offense has been borderline unstoppable since Week 1, so this will be a great test at home for the revamped Jags, especially after their statement win on Monday night against the Chiefs.
I could go either way on this one, but I'll take the Seahawks early. Ask me again tomorrow.
Prediction: Seahawks win 27-24
Los Angeles Rams (3-2) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-4)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
I have to eat some crow as we talk about this matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens, because I didn’t see any way the Rams were dropping a home game on a short week against the beaten and battered San Francisco 49ers.
I must have forgotten that “Any Given Sunday” also applies to Thursday nights as well.
The Rams got punked on their home field by the 49ers and Mac Jones, and there’s really no other way to slice it. It just goes to show that no matter how big the difference is in terms of an on-field talent gap, guys who get paid to play will make you pay for your mistakes.
Someone put that on a t-shirt.
The Baltimore Ravens have to be the biggest surprise in the NFL right now with a 1-4 record through the first five weeks. It’s not like Lamar Jackson has been gone the entire season. This team had a bad taste in its mouth immediately after dropping a huge lead against the Buffalo Bills, and they’ve been reeling a bit ever since.
With Cooper Rush playing in place of Jackson, it’s hard to see the Ravens going up against the Rams and winning, even with Los Angeles coming out to the East Coast and playing an early window game. Have I mentioned how tough that is for teams sometimes?
The Rams aren’t losing back-to-back games against a backup quarterback. The 49ers are a little different because Jones has played a number of games already and has played well this season, but the Ravens are injured on both sides of the ball and Cooper Rush was a turnover machine against the Texans.
Prediction: Rams win 31-13
Tennessee Titans (1-4) @ Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
Sunday, October 12, 4:05 PM ET
If you ordered the Toilet Bowl in Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season, your delivery driver is scheduled to arrive on Sunday afternoon at 4:05 PM ET.
The Tennessee Titans have been one of the worst-coached teams in the weekend, and the only reason they were able to win in Week 5 against the Cardinals was thanks to a comedy of errors and weird plays that took place. Let’s not completely diminish the job that was done by #1 overall pick Cam Ward, however, who led his team from down two points late to get a much-needed first win.
The Titans, however, have been horrendous most of the year. They’ve been bad situationally, the offense has had no rhythm to it, and they’ve been terrible with committing so many penalties.
The Raiders haven’t been much better, quite frankly, and I’m wondering when more people are going to start talking about it. On paper, the hiring of head coach Pete Carroll this offseason looked like a massive upgrade. On paper, the trade to acquire Geno Smith looked like a massive upgrade.
Now, it’s looking more and more like the Raiders wasted their time (and money) on short term “solutions” that haven’t worked out in the slightest.
This is a chance for the Raiders to get right against a poor opponent, playing at home, but picking on the Titans isn’t going to fix what’s wrong with the Raiders right now. Vegas is a 5.5-point home favorite in this one and I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to win. But they may not cover…
Prediction: Raiders win 24-20
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) @ Green Bay Packers (2-1-1)
Sunday, October 12, 4:25 PM ET
If you’re the Green Bay Packers, you definitely feel like you should be sitting here at 4-0 coming off the bye week. The Packers made some brutal mistakes against the Cleveland Browns a couple of weeks ago, and then couldn’t play defense against the Dallas Cowboys, ironically.
Coming off of the bye, playing at home, and going up against one of the teams struggling more than most in the NFL right now, you expect the Packers to win big. Vegas is certainly expecting this one to get ugly. The Packers are whopping 14.5-point favorites going up against the Bengals this week, and you can understand why.
The Bengals at least put up a bit of a fight against the Detroit Lions this past week with Ja’Marr Chase getting a couple of big plays, but the Bengals have struggled badly without Joe Burrow in the lineup. Against the Broncos on Monday night in Week 5, they didn’t run a single play in Denver territory after the first drive of the game.
The Packers are going to be looking to bounce back after the disastrous defensive performance against the Cowboys, and what has this Green Bay defense done better than most teams under coordinator Jeff Hafley? Force turnovers.
This could be a long afternoon for the Bengals, who are officially reeling at this point and will be as long as Burrow is sidelined. Will they make a move to give the QB position a boost with someone like Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, or Jameis Winston?
Prediction: Packers win 34-13
San Francisco 49ers (4-1) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1)
Sunday, October 12, 4:25 PM ET
Considering how many injuries the San Francisco 49ers have dealt with this season, and also considering how many players they lost in the 2025 offseason, you’ve really got to tip your cap to head coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff for this team’s 4-1 start.
I don’t think there’s a more surprisingly good team in the NFL this year than the 49ers, and I mean that with all due respect to the 49ers as well as teams like the Colts. The 49ers should not be in this position, but here we are.
Against the Los Angeles Rams, we saw Mac Jones playing at a level that has to have teams like the Bengals and Ravens feeling foolish for not taking a bigger swing at the backup quarterback position. The 49ers have learned the hard way in recent years that you’re only as good as your backup over the long haul of a season, and Jones has answered the call admirably.
The 49ers’ magical run to start the year is going to be put to test by the Cardiac Bucs, the most clutch team in the NFL right now. Although the Buccaneers aren’t undefeated at this point, this is a team that has thrived in clutch situations, especially offensively.
Baker Mayfield is playing some of the best football of any quarterback in the league, and has cut down significantly on the interceptions from a season ago. He’s got the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite in Emeka Egbuka playing like a veteran and looking like a young Justin Jefferson out there.
This game will come down to whoever has the ball last, just like almost every Bucs game so far this year.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 31-29
Detroit Lions (4-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
Sunday, October 12, 8:20 PM ET
The Detroit Lions are just steamrolling people right now offensively, and I would say there’s no end in sight, but you never know what’s going to happen when teams travel to Arrowhead to play the Chiefs.
The Lions have proven in the past that they can go into a hostile environment like this and get a win, and in fact, they’ve already done it this year. Detroit’s road win against the Baltimore Ravens, even with the Ravens struggling this season, is one of the most impressive overall wins so far this season.
Detroit has everything going right now offensively and they’re getting even more contributions than we have seen in the past with rookie Isaac TeSlaa adding another layer to what they do each week.
This is going to be a brutal test at home for the Kansas City Chiefs, but are we really expecting the Chiefs to just lay flat against the Lions? Absolutely not. Early in the week, the Chiefs are 1.5-point favorites at home against the Lions, a huge sign of respect after the Chiefs got a blowout win of their own against the Baltimore Ravens.
The issue any team going up against the Lions is facing right now is that they’re pretty much just picking their poison. If you want to sell out against the run, Jared Goff will pick you apart through the air. If you get too aggressive, the Lions will just run right by you.
They have so many ways to beat you right now, and after a bit of a rough performance in Week 1, this Detroit team is absolutely rolling right now. On the opposite side of things, the Chiefs are absolutely reeling. They will have to dig deep to avoid starting the year 2-4.
Prediction: Lions win 31-27
Buffalo Bills (4-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
Monday, October 13, 7:15 PM ET
Entering Sunday night action, the Buffalo Bills were the lone remaining undefeated team still in the NFL after the Eagles dropped one at home to the Denver Broncos.
And, well, we saw how that went.
The Bills got a little bit humbled in Week 4 by the New Orleans Saints, who simply couldn’t make enough plays to beat Buffalo even though they played them really well. Then in Week 5, the combination of Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs made it happen.
The Buffalo Bills’ defense is going to be under the microscope in a big way on Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons, who should be well-rested when they host Buffalo for a primetime matchup. This is going to be a really fun opportunity for young quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the plethora of skill players the Falcons have on their roster, but will it be enough to upset the Bills?
Buffalo is going to be playing ticked off coming off of a loss, and it’s just difficult to see that team losing two games in a row. Even with Buffalo’s defensive struggles this season, and even with the Falcons getting the bye week to rest and prepare, the Bills are still 4.5-point favorites on the road in this one.
The Falcons are capable of winning a shootout with Buffalo, but is the Atlanta defense going to be up to the task? The Bills haven’t turned the ball over much since the start of last season, but the Patriots might have exposed something. I still feel like Buffalo is winning here, but the Falcons could make it interesting if they take care of the football.
Prediction: Bills win 28-23
Chicago Bears (2-2) @ Washington Commanders (3-2)
Monday, October 13, 8:15 PM ET
For the Monday nightcap, we are all going to get treated to another matchup between young star quarterback prospects. The Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams have won two straight games and are coming off of a bye week. They have built a little bit of momentum, including getting a signature win with a big-time offensive performance a few weeks back against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Washington Commanders just welcomed Jayden Daniels back this past week, and what a welcome it was. Daniels and the Commanders went into Los Angeles and crushed the Chargers, with Daniels looking like he hadn’t missed a single beat.
This is going to be a tough road test for the Bears, coming out of a bye week, but you can’t help but like the idea of Ben Johnson having some extra time to prepare.
The preparation of Johnson combined with the playmaking ability of Jayden Daniels could make for a really fun back-and-forth game on Monday night, and I think this could be one of the most entertaining games of the week.
The Commanders are favored by 3.5 points at home, and a tight game feels right here. But the over-under for this matchup is set at 50.5 points, which means the oddsmakers are expecting the same thing as me: A shootout.
Prediction: Commanders win 34-28