NFL picks 2016, Week 6: Experts see wins for the Raiders and Seahawks

Nobody on our panel had much faith in the Falcons to beat the Broncos last week. Nobody in Vegas did either, given that the line was almost a touchdown. But here we are. Atlanta handed Denver its first loss of the season. Only one member of the panel picked that game correctly, and that was Joel Thorman who also happens to have a comfortable lead over everyone else this season so far.

So much for easy picks. The same thing happened with the Titans. Only one panelist picked Tennessee to beat Miami. The rest of us underestimated just how deeply the Dolphins' incompetence is embedded into the organization.

This week isn't bringing the Falcons much more love from our panel. Two people picked them to beat the Seahawks in Seattle. When you think about it, why would you pick the Falcons to win that game? It's an East Coast team playing a road game in the Pacific Northwest. Playing one of the best defenses in the NFL and an offense that suddenly seems to have found its sync. The Seahawks are also coming off a bye, so they have a little extra rest on their side, too. Then again, the Broncos over the Falcons seemed like such a sure thing last week.

That Chiefs-Raiders game is another tough one to pick. The Raiders are the better team. They're 4-1; the Chiefs are 2-2. But Kansas City isn't such a bad team that they can't pull it together from week to week, dial up a few Alex Smith check downs and do just enough to win a game.

Personally, I think the hardest games to pick are the crappy ones. Sunday night features the Colts at the Texans. :vomit emoji:

As of Wednesday morning, the Panthers-Saints game is a toss up. Not every sportsbook is even giving a line on it. The reason is that Cam Newton is still in the concussion protocol and we don't know if he'll play this week or not. Does it really make a difference? The Panthers defense is so leaky and the offensive line is hardly there. Anyone who plays quarterback is probably in for a long day.

Panthers-Saints is another one of those games between two crappy teams. Nobody thought it would be back in August when we all assumed the Panthers would be just fine. I picked New Orleans to win this one because I think against that Carolina secondary, Drew Brees can go full Drew Brees.