Odds:

While all eyes are focusing (and appropriately so) on Sunday night’s game at Indianapolis. advanced lines have already been set for NFL week seven. The New England Patriots have opened as 9½-point favorites over division rival New York Jets in week seven look-ahead lines. That represent the largest early line point spread for the thirteen NFL games being played next week. At this moment in time the Pats-Jets contest is the only week seven game between two teams with winning records. Three thus far undefeated teams – the Packers, Bengals and Broncos – are all off with a bye.

Despite an abundance of injuries, NFL week five’s Monday night football game should be a good one. Although the two clubs are just 2-2, the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers both have legitimate playoff aspirations for this 2015 season. Pittsburgh is coming off a 23-20 home overtime loss to the Ravens a week ago Thursday, while the Chargers eked out a 30-27 home victory over the Browns last Sunday. Both teams are currently 2-2 and are seeking to keep within two games of undefeated leaders in their respective divisions (the 5-0 Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals).

The highlight of NFL week 6 will be the Sunday night game when the New England Patriots visit the Indianapolis Colts in a rematch of last season’s AFC championship game. Patriot fans are looking forward to some vindication for the sting and botched frame job that led to a litany of lies and the oblivious ignoring of basic science by the NFL in the fiasco of a witch hunt that became known as deflategate in that game. In anticipation of a scorched earth response, the betting line has already moved 2½-points (from 5 to 7½) in the last 48 hours.

As a prelude to the New England Patriots week five game at Dallas, there are a pair of very interesting early NFL games on Sunday. On FOX the Seattle Seahawks travel to Cincinnati to battle the 4-0 Bengals, and on CBS the Green Bay Packers host the St. Louis Rams. After playing in London last week both the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets are off with a bye. The only other AFC East team playing this weekend is Buffalo; the Bills travel to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans.

In the highly anticipated rematch of last January’s AFC Championship game, the Patriots have opened as 5-point favorites at Indianapolis. The Colts have failed to live up to their off-season hype thus far, while the Patriots appear to gearing up for this game as part of the 2015 Scorched Earth FU tour.

For those New England Patriots fans refusing to fork over their money in a manner that would benefit the NFL, good news: even though you may not have subscribed to the Sunday Ticket, there is a very good chance that you will be able to view next week’s game against the Dallas Cowboys from the comfort of your own living room. Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson will announce the game for CBS

The Detroit Lions travel to Century Link Field to take on the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks on Monday night to wrap up week four NFL action. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 pm eastern time, with the game broadcast on ESPN. Detroit is still looking for their first victory of the season, while Seattle seeks to even their record at 2-2 after losing their first two games.

Line: Seahawks -10 with an over/under of 43; money line is Seahawks -600 and Lions +450.

The vaunted Miami defense has been atrocious so far, allowing 391 yards per game. In an attempt to get to opposing quarterbacks the Fins have ignored the run, allowing an NFL 31st-ranked 145 yards rushing per game. The Jet offense is predicated on establishing the run, as that would put less pressure on journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to win the game. Miami’s offensive line is no match for a stout New York defensive front seven either; the Jet defense ranks first in efficiency, with opponents averaging 21.8 yards per point. The Dolphins don’t have enough offensive talent to win this game and they have to work too hard to score. The Fins rank 30th in offensive efficiency at 20.3 yards per point, which is a bad omen against a good defense. Expect Revis and Cromartie to pick Tannehill off at least a couple of times to set up a some points.

The New England Patriots opened as 8½ point favorites in advanced betting lines for NFL week 5. DE Jeremy Mincey returns for Dallas after sitting a game due to a concussion. The 2006 6th round draft pick for the Patriots has high praise for Bill Belichick.

NFL week three has a few interesting matchups on tap. During commercials for the Pats-Jaguars game – or if it turns into a blowout – Pittsburgh at St. Louis and Cincinnati at Baltimore are a pair of compelling early games on CBS. Once the game against Jacksonville ends, Pats fans should be interested in leaving the tv on to watch a pair of AFC East teams meet as the Bills are at Miami in a late game on CBS. The other late game on CBS is a bit of an anomaly, as it is a cross-flex game between two NFC teams: Seattle will look to get their first win of the season as they host the Bears, who will be quarterbacked by Jimmy Clausen.

One early game on FOX features an underachieving 0-2 team versus a 2-0 team that has exceeded expectations as the Jets host the Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta is at Dallas in a clash of 2-0 teams early, and the late game on FOX should be a good one with San Francisco at Arizona. Detroit looks for their first win Sunday night at home against the Broncos, and the week wraps up with Kansas City at Green Bay on Monday night.

NFL Week 3 finds the Patriots hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in what on the surface appears to be most one-sided matchup next Sunday. The most competitive contests should be the Steelers at Rams, Bills at Dolphins, Bengals at Ravens and Chiefs at Packers.

The Patriots-Bills game highlights the early Sunday afternoon action, and then Dallas at Philadelphia follows as the big late game. The two prime time games are both well worth watching: Seattle travels to Green Bay in a rematch of January’s NFC championship game on Sunday night, and then on Monday night the Colts will attempt to fix their offensive line issues against a Jets team that recorded three sacks and forced five turnovers last week …

Within hours the betting line has dropped, with this game now listed as a pick’em in many venues. Also, links to several early views on Sunday’s game against the Bills – local, national, and from western New York.