USA TODAY Sports' Week 7 NFL picks: Do Titans make another AFC statement and beat Chiefs?

Week 7 of the 2021 NFL schedule is a little light with six teams on bye – Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings for those of you in need of a fantasy public service announcement – but that doesn't preclude some tasty matchups.

Who would have thought the depleted Baltimore Ravens and upstart Cincinnati Bengals would be vying for first place in the AFC North? Who would have thought that new Detroit QB Jared Goff would essentially be on notice already as the Lions visit the Los Angeles Rams and old friend Matthew Stafford?

And who would have thought the Kansas City Chiefs would be scuffling along at .500 as they prepare to play the first-place Tennessee Titans in Nashville in a pairing of 2020 division winners?

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TIPICO SPORTSBOOK DAILY TICKET: Make your free Week 7 picks!

Also some extraordinary spreads this week to keep some of these contests even more compelling. Stafford and the Rams are favored by 14½ as of Thursday afternoon, while the COVID-embroiled Arizona Cardinals and their ex-Houston Texans host the actual Texans, who are 17½-point underdogs.

(Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL picks Week 7: Chiefs or Titans in AFC heavyweight battle?