Huge NFC East and AFC South Matchups, Plus An Earl Thomas Reunion Lead A Great NFL Week 8

OK, first of all, we hope Patrick Mahomes comes out of last night's game OK. But man was that gross! OK, we can move on. It's Week 7 in the NFL and it's getting real. Houston goes on the road to face Indy in a battle for AFC South supremacy, the Ravens have a litmus test at Seattle, and Philly takes on Dallas to determine who is on the inside track for the NFC East title.

These are the games of the NFL Week 7 preview.

Houston Texans (-104) @ Indianapolis Colts (-118), o/u 47.5 (-110)
The Texans and the Colts are clearly the class of the AFC South, and on Sunday they have their first of two pivotal meetings this season. Houston, 4-2, has a chance to really create some space between them and the rest of the division with a win, while Indy at 3-2 would put themselves a half game up in the division with a win. Both teams are coming off of big road wins versus Kansas City. The Colts have been a surprise this season; many thought their chances in the South were slim and none after the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck, but quarterback Jacoby Brissett has taken advantage of the opportunity and been more than serviceable. The Colts defense has shown what they’re capable of by shutting down Patrick Mahomes two weeks ago, Deshaun Watson is a whole other beast. He’s playing at an MVP level and can do damage with his arm and his legs. The Texans have taken three of the last four games at Indy, and the home field overall has not been kind to the Colts this season. Look for Houston to pull this one out on the road, the value play is ​Houston Texans moneyline (-104). ​We also like the ​the under at 47.5 points (-110).

Baltimore Ravens (+148) @ Seattle Seahawks (-182), o/u 49 (-110)
Lamar Jackson and the 4-2 Baltimore Ravens head into Seattle to take on Russell Wilson and the 5-1 Seattle Seahawks in an interconference clash that will go a long way in deciding if the Ravens are pretenders or contenders this year. They’ve beaten the teams they were supposed to beat so far this year (minus Cleveland), but they’ve yet to capture that signature win. Will it be this week versus the Seahawks? That’s an iffy proposition. The Seahawks have proven themselves to be the class of the NFC (along with San Francisco); one would be hard-pressed to find a team in the conference playing better in all facets.There certainly isn’t a quarterback playing as well as Russell Wilson is right now. Lamar Jackson in his own right has been a revelation this year, proving that he isn’t just a running quarterback, but one that can hurt you with his arm as well. The worry for Baltimore is that they will be going into what is arguably the best home-field advantage in the NFL, where there will be inclement weather, and going up against a defense with elite studs along the front seven. Seattle will be tuned to stopping Jackson from making big plays with his legs, and the Ravens receivers of late haven’t shown the ability to get much separation. We think the Seahawks easily cover the spread here, ​so the value play here is Seattle -3 (-113). ​We also like ​Home Team -3.5 and under 49.5 Total Points (+245).

Philadelphia Eagles (+125) @ Dallas Cowboys (-152), o/u 49 (-110)
Last but not least, we have the Sunday night battle for NFC East supremacy. Let’s face it, this is a two horse race in this division, as the awful Washington Redskins and just a tad better New York Giants are both playing for 2020 draft positions. Both teams are 3-3, and coming off tough losses. The Eagles and especially their secondary, were embarrassed in Minnesota last week, while the Cowboys were equally embarrassed in a loss at the lowly New York Jets. The Cowboys started the season 3-0, but are on a three game losing streak. It’s no coincidence that their two stud offensive tackles went down during the losing streak. Dallas QB Dak Prescott hasn’t had much time in the pocket since the injuries, but good news for Dallas as both tackles returned to practice this week. Worrisome for the Cowboys is that receivers Randall Cobb and Amari Cooper are both banged up and may miss this game. The Eagles are getting some help in the secondary as both of their original starting cornerbacks will return for this game. Neither team is playing great football, but the Eagles are playing better, so we like the value of ​the Eagles moneyline (+125). ​Even better value is ​Away team moneyline and under 49.5 Total Points (+295). ​Both of those plays are recommended.

This should be another great weekend of NFL football as the temperatures around the country begin to cool as the action heats up. Enjoy watching the games, and good luck!

*Credit to the main photo of this article belongs to Nick Wass/Associated Press