Odds boosts are exactly that: Promotions from sportsbooks where they move tin your favor on certain bets. Many of them are prop bets, hoping you’ll put a few dollars on someone to hit a home run or a certain team to score a certain number of goals and still win. Our job is to highlight some of those odds boosts and give you some NFL picks to bet on, assuming it’s smart to buy into the NFL odds the sportsbooks are selling. We scour the internet trying to find the best odds boosts for you every day from every sport. Let us take a peek at today’s Week 7 action.
So much of the odds boosts action today focuses on the primetime game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals. It is expected to be a high-scoring affair with two explosive offenses and two defenses that have had their share of issues. We’ll start our list with a look at a Russell Wilson odds boosts before shifting to the receivers both teams have at their disposal. We also look at a popular running back in a favorable matchup and a large receiver touchdown parlay with a huge payoff this week. As always, you can find these bets and many others for Week 7 on OddsShopper, Awesemo’s fantastic odds-shopping tool.
[PUMPKIN]
Week 7 NFL Picks: NFL Odds Boosts
Russell Wilson Throws 3+ Touchdowns (+170 PointsBet)
Wilson has torn up every defense in his path this season with 19 touchdown passes through five games. He’s tossed at least three touchdowns in four of those contests, torching some good defenses along the way. Arizona has not faced a passing attack this season that’s even half as capable as Seattle’s aerial threat, so it will be interesting to see how the Cardinals adapt to defending the Seahawks. Seattle has a pair of great receivers and a strong receiving tight end in addition to running backs who are receiving threats out of the backfield. That is a lot of weapons for the Cardinals defense to manage.
Wilson’s production has slowed down in recent weeks as teams have adjusted, but it’s hard to doubt him when he has strong connections with his top two receivers. Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf have been remarkable for the Seahawks this season with 55 catches and nine touchdowns combined between the two of them. It’s a luxury for Wilson to have two No. 1 receivers, and Arizona probably will not be able to slow down both of them. With how well Wilson has played this season, it’s easy to see him using those two receivers and tight end Greg Olsen to pick apart the Cardinals.
D.K. Metcalf 100+ Receiving Yards & Seahawks Win (+390 FanDuel)
Metcalf has at least 92 receiving yards in every game this season, and he’s gone over 100 yards twice in that span for the undefeated Seahawks. He is one of Wilson’s favorite targets, and he was a key player in Seattle’s comeback two weeks ago against Minnesota to keep the Seahawks unbeaten. As I mentioned above, Arizona’s defense hasn’t been tested much through the air, and Wilson has the accuracy and intelligence to find ways to get his play makers the ball in key situations. Metcalf has shown that with at least four catches in every game as well, and he always makes the most of his chances.
DraftKings has a similar odds boost on Metcalf to have at least 69 receiving yards and one score for +135 odds, but I felt the odds on this boost were much better. Metcalf has scored at least one touchdown in four of Seattle’s five games this season, so that is a safer option for Metcalf fans. Seattle’s defense will certainly be tested by Kyler Murray and the Cardinals’ offense, but Murray’s lack of polish as a passer doesn’t make him as much of a threat as some of the other quarterbacks the Seahawks have faced this year. Arizona has a far bigger challenge to contain Wilson and the Seahawks’ passing attack, which is why I lean toward Seattle on the road to get the job done.
Alvin Kamara Rushing Touchdown (+135 PointsBet)
Kamara certainly struggled running against the Chargers two weeks ago, but he also only had 11 rushes in the game. He’ll be utilized as a rusher far more often given the fact the Saints are without their two best receivers today in Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. I expect New Orleans to utilize Kamara in the running game more and put some pressure on an average Carolina defense that has already allowed nine rushing scores this year. The Panthers are actually far better against the pass and have given up multiple passing scores just once in six games this season.
The Saints won’t abandon the passing game, and they very well might score multiple passing touchdowns, but the running game will have a bigger role today. We saw Kamara score three rushing touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season, but his role shifted as the Saints were banged up at receiver. Even though New Orleans is thin again at receiver, this is the matchup where they can unleash Kamara as a runner again and let him weave his way through the Panthers defense.
George Kittle, Travis Kelce & DeAndre Hopkins Score Touchdowns (+1250 DraftKings)
Kittle is the focal point of the 49ers’ passing attack and presents a matchup problem for the Patriots defense. New England is better than most in terms of linebackers in coverage, but Kittle might need to draw the attention of one of New England’s defensive backs. Either way, we know the 49ers will work their best to get the ball in his hands as the most targeted receiver on the team despite missing two games due to injury. He also leads San Francisco with 30 receptions, almost twice the second-leading receiver, and he’s one of two players — Jordan Reed being the other one — with multiple touchdown receptions. If San Francisco is going to have success against the Patriots’ defense, Kittle’s receiving skills will be a big reason why.
Kansas City has targeted Kelce a lot this season, and he’s already matched his touchdown total from last year with five scores. He was able to take advantage of a banged-up Bills defense last week for two scores, but Denver has been a little stingier with passing defense. The Broncos allowed two touchdowns to tight ends in their Week 1 loss to Tennessee but otherwise have held most of the other tight ends they’ve faced in check. Of course, Denver has not faced someone like Kelce this season or the volume in which the Chiefs use him. Kelce will put a different level of pressure on the Denver defense, and with how much Kelce is part of the Chiefs’ offense this season, I believe he’ll be able to find the end zone.
The Seahawks may be unbeaten, but their defense has been a work in progress all season. In particular, Seattle has allowed the most passing yards in the league this year. Murray isn’t a great passer yet, but he’s built a connection with Hopkins that has made Hopkins the league leader in receptions and receiving yards. The one area where the bond hasn’t been forged is in the end zone, as just two of Hopkins’ 47 catches have resulted in touchdowns. After last week’s sideline interaction that faced the scrutiny of the media, Murray and Hopkins will look to showcase their strong relationship on the field. I suspect that will mean more targets for Hopkins and a score against the worst passing defense in the NFL. I’d even take up PointsBet on its odds boost for +180 odds on Hopkins to catch a touchdown pass.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
Check out the AwesemoOdds home page for more sports betting content, including more NFL picks and predictions.
