NFL survivor picks: How to stay alive with tough Week 7 slate

This week's slate of NFL games presents a tough task in trying to identify the best teams to use in survivor pools. It's a rare week featuring no double-digit favorites on the betting card.   

You can only pick one team each week in these season-long contests, but we're here to present multiple options based on matchups across the league. Ultimately, one team does stand out above the rest as our NFL Week 7 survivor pick. 

NFL survivor picks for Week 7 of 2023 NFL season

Survivor contests can feature different formats, but the universal rule of thumb dictates that you can only pick a team once.

This version of "one and done" forces entrants to weigh the relative merits of burning an NFL heavyweight team (think 49ers, Chiefs, Eagles, Bills) by taking them early and not having them available later in the year.

Let's start our NFL Week 7 survivor pick discussion with one of those teams.

Bills over Patriots

Many survivor players used the Bills (4-2) last week as a 15.5-point favorite over the Giants in what was expected to be a blowout on Sunday Night Football. It proved to be the ultimate nail-biter until the very end, but Buffalo escaped with a 14-9 win after giving 21% of Bills backers a good sweat in ESPN's Eliminator Challenge.

If you didn't burn them last week before they nearly burned you, consider using the Bills on the road against the Patriots (1-5). For all the talk about parity in the NFL, there are plenty of bad football teams this year and New England is among them.

Mac Jones got benched for Mailk Cunningham in Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Raiders. The Pats have had no answers on offense or defense.

Bottom line: The Bills got their wake-up call versus the Giants. Expect Buffalo to rebound with a much better effort in this AFC East rivalry game.

Seahawks over Cardinals

Based on their last three weeks of play, the Cardinals are who we thought they were heading into the season. Dig these scores:

• Rams 26 Cardinals 9
• Bengals 34 Cardinals 20
• 49ers 35 Cardinals 16

After splitting two road tilts, the Seahawks (3-2) return home to face the Cardinals (1-5) as a favorite on the moneyline. That's some home cooking alright and a recipe for survivor success.

Bottom line: It's been a couple weeks since "The 12s" have had a chance to support the home team. The Seahawks did what they needed to do as a -208 moneyline favorite in a 37-27 win over the Panthers. Expect a similar result here. 

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49ers over Vikings

San Francisco (5-1) is licking its wounds after a 19-17 loss at Cleveland. That first taste of defeat for the 49ers can serve as a catalyst against the hapless Vikings (2-4) on Monday Night Football.   

Minnesota has been great at finding ways to lose games it should win, and the Vikings will be without Justin Jefferson again as he remains on IR with a hamstring injury. 

The 49ers will benefit from an extra day of rest for Christian McCaffrey (oblique/rib) and Deebo Samuel (shoulder) in the hope they can both play on MNF. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said there's a chance McCaffrey will be able to go, and Samuel remains day to day.

Bottom line: San Francisco's defense gives up a league-low 14.5 points per game. The 49ers should feast on Cousins & Co. here. MNF games have habitually gone Under this season, and this looks like another one in the making.