There have already been some surprising results in the NFL 2022-23 season and more than enough drama to keep NFL fans talking for weeks.
However, we are only at the beginning of the journey to the Super Bowl and the schedule for the next few months is packed with potential upsets. So, as fans look ahead to their next round of NFL picks, we’ve come up with a few potential picks to consider ahead of the Week Six action.
Jets at Packers
Green Bay appears to be over their opening day issues and has a healthy 3-1 record to take into what Packers fans will consider one of the easier games their team will face this season.
After all, the Jets are 2-2 and have lost to both Baltimore and Cincinnati at MetLife Stadium, so even with Zach Wilson back in the starting line-up, they surely can’t trouble Green Bay?
It would certainly be a stretch to say that the Jets can win at Lambeau Field, but there is a good chance that they will be underrated by sportsbooks going into the game. It should be noted that the Jets have won both of their games on the road so far, and in both games, they did so with an excellent comeback. Against the Bengals and the Steelers, they upset the odds, and Zach Wilson’s performance in Pittsburgh was assured. That tenacity should at least keep the score close in Green Bay.
Bucs at Pittsburgh
Could Mike Tomlin be looking at his first-ever losing season as a head coach? It is starting to look worrying for the Steelers who have already had to move off Mitchell Trubisky in favor of Kenny Pickett. While Pickett showed some promise against the Jets, there were some obvious worrying signs for the rookie in his first NFL appearance.
Top of the list of concerns will be the number of interceptions that Pickett produced. All three were not equally worrying, but his misjudgment when the Steelers were 20-17 up may have cost Pittsburgh the game as he opted to throw off the back foot under pressure rather than throwing the ball away.
The Bucs are 2-2 going into this game, but those defeats came against the Packers (12-14) and a high-scoring thriller against the Chiefs (31-41). This is a much easier assignment against a team that looks fragile, and the Bucs are likely to be a solid pick here in the moneyline and point spread markets.
Broncos at Chargers
No one would have predicted that both the Broncos and Chargers would have lost at least two games by the time this AFC West matchup came around, but in a division that is looking much weaker than expected, both teams are already off the pace as they chase Kansas City.
The problems with the Chargers, however, are almost entirely down to injuries, whereas the Broncos’ issues are much deeper. The partnership of new quarterback Russell Wilson and new head coach Nathaniel Hackett has not produced the uptick in performance that Broncos fans were hoping for.
Hackett’s game management skills have taken more of the blame than Wilson’s performances, but neither has enhanced their reputation so far, and even when the Broncos find themselves in the lead, they don’t exactly inspire confidence. Mark this one down as a win for the Chargers.
Cowboys at Philadelphia
Going into the season, not much was expected of the Cowboys and when Dak Prescott broke his thumb in Week One, some analysts were already writing off the season. Fortunately for Mike McCarthy, his deputy Cooper Rush has stepped in and steadied the ship with some assured performances. A reconstructed game plan based largely on the Cowboys’ strong defense has also helped.
However, Prescott is expected to be back for Week Five or Six, and that poses a new problem for the Cowboys. Their star quarterback is not likely to accept being limited to the number of passes thrown by Cooper Rush in Weeks Two through Four (31,31,27), so what does that mean for the Cowboys offensive plan?
Without Prescott, Dallas has had a glimpse of a style of play that may be scruffy but is pretty effective. With Prescott back in the fold, they may have to revert to a more familiar style, and that will be a lot easier for opposing teams to handle. Against a rampant Philadelphia, who went 4-0 to start the season, the Cowboys could face a bruising defeat.