Here at Fantasy Life, we support scratching your NFL itch in whatever way possible. For some people, that might be betting on spreads. However, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Instead, some people might enjoy picking games without the spread. Pick’em contests—where you simply pick the winner of each game each week—remain a popular way to compete against your friends without having to dive headfirst into the world of sports betting.

Each week, Geoff Ulrich and myself are going to walk you through our favorite ways to approach these contests. Which games should you eat the chalk, where should you look for leverage, and which trendy upsets should you avoid?

Let’s dive into all 14 games for Week 6.

49ers at Seahawks

LaMarca: 49ers (9/10 confidence). I love this spot for the 49ers. They’re desperate for a win at just 2-3, and they’re facing a Seahawks team playing their third game in 11 days. The 49ers beat the Seahawks by double figures in both games last season, and they were 3-0 ATS against Seattle in 2022-23.

Geoff: 49ers (6/10 confidence). I don’t have as much confidence as LaMarca but I’ll still side with the 49ers. This is a tough spot on short rest for a rookie head coach who is dealing with a defense that could be without Riq Woolen and just placed edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu on IR. 

Jaguars at Bears

LaMarca: Jaguars (1/10). I see this game basically as a coin flip, so I’m going to go with the team that has more experience playing in London.

Geoff: Jaguars (3/10). As much as I advocated fading Jacksonville before the season, they have been in every game they have played, sans the Bills disaster. They may get CB Tyson Campbell and TE Evan Engram back this game as well. Either way, I like this spot for them to grab their second win against an inexperienced Bears squad in London. 

Commanders at Ravens

LaMarca: Ravens (10/10). I think the Ravens are the best team in football. The Commanders are also good—way better than I originally anticipated—but they still have a lot of work to do defensively. I’m still bullish on the Commanders overall, but they’re simply outmatched in this spot.

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Oct 6, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs with the ball as Cleveland Browns cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) defends during the third quarter at NorthWest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Geoff: Commanders (2/10). The Commanders' defense has stiffened up significantly over the past few weeks, and now they get a Baltimore team coming off an exhausting OT effort over the Bengals. With Jayden Daniels currently the most efficient QB in the league, this is a classic letdown spot for Baltimore. 

Texans at Patriots

LaMarca: Texans (8/10). Are any big favorites going to actually get the job done this season? It feels like teams in this type of spot have lost all season, but I’m not going to pick a rookie quarterback in his first career start. If not for the Nico Collins injury, this game would receiver a higher confidence rating.

Geoff: Texans (9/10). The Texans are a decent pressure team, and the Patriots have allowed 3.8 sacks per game (third-most in the league). Since 2015, rookie QBs as starters who are also underdogs of 6.5 points or more have gone 15-108 SU. Good luck Drake. 

Browns at Eagles

LaMarca: Eagles (10/10). The Browns probably aren’t the worst team in football, but they might be the unhappiest. I’m not sure anyone wants Deshaun Watson to be there anymore, including Deshaun Watson. The Eagles should be healthier coming off a Week 5 bye, so they should roll in this spot.

Geoff: Eagles (8/10). I’m still wary of this Eagles defense, but they are likely getting AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith back, which mitigates some of the big plays they allow on the other side of the ball. Deshaun Watson has been sacked 26 times, is averaging under 5.0 yards per attempt, and has thrown for under 200 yards in five straight starts. Cleveland is a mess. 

Colts at Titans

LaMarca: Titans (2/10). The Titans are another team coming off a bye, and their defense has impressed so far this season. If not for Will Levis actively sabotaging the team during the first couple of weeks, they’d likely have three wins. I’ll take them at home in a divisional matchup.

Geoff: Titans (4/10). The more I look at this game, the more I dislike this spot for the Colts. They have a lengthy injury list on both sides of the ball and could be without both Josh Downs and Jonathan Taylor. The Titans' defense has been quite good this season (5th in defensive EPA) and may frustrate the less mobile Flacco. 

Cardinals at Packers

LaMarca: Packers (6/10). The Packers managed to win and cover last week vs. the Rams, but that game was far from a masterpiece. Still, they’re a more complete team than the Cardinals, and they’ll be slightly healthier at receiver with Romeo Doubs back in the fold.

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Sep 22, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) makes a catch and runs the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Geoff: Packers (8/10). Arizona ran well last week in that the 49ers could only convert on one of their red zone opportunities, despite outgaining the Cardinals. They allowed a ton of yards and now face Jordan Love who is another week removed from his Week 1 knee injury. The Packers will have added depth with Romeo Doubs back and should roll in this spot at home. 

Buccaneers at Saints

LaMarca: Buccaneers (4/10). It sounds like Spencer Rattler could be set to make his first career start vs. the Buccaneers. Supporting backup QBs against the spread can be a profitable strategy—the rest of the team tends to pick up the slack—but the most likely outcome is the Bucs winning the game.

Geoff: Saints (2/10). I think the Saints likely keep this game extremely simple and run the ball against a Buccaneers defense that is 29th in EPA against the rush. New Orleans’ defense showed up last week in KC, but they’ll be able to hone in on Baker Mayfield given how poorly the Buccaneers run the ball. Calling for a mild upset in this one. 

Steelers at Raiders

LaMarca: Raiders (5/10). I like the Raiders to pull off the upset against the overrated Steelers. Las Vegas was dreadful last week vs. the Broncos, but they’re a better team than they showed in that performance. They’ve already managed to knock off the Ravens at home this season, and Mike Tomlin’s squad has a subpar track record when favored (88-98-2 ATS).

Geoff: Steelers (3/10). The Raiders panicked last week and pulled Gardner Minshew, which just reeks a little of desperation. The Steelers will have an easier time running the ball in this spot against the Raiders' rush defense (28th in EPA against the rush) and, much like Denver last week, their defense will have a shot to make plays against whomever Las Vegas goes with at QB. 

Chargers at Broncos

LaMarca: Broncos (2/10). I’m less confident in the Broncos pulling off the upset as small home underdogs, but they’re still the side I prefer. Their defense has established itself as a legit unit, while Bo Nix is coming off the best game of his young career. The Chargers are also a prime fade candidate for me at the moment.

Geoff: Broncos (3/10). These two teams are very similar and both defenses are very good, but I side with the Broncos. Justin Herbert has been turned into a game manager in this offense, which mitigates their edge at QB, and Bo Nix (3 rushing TDs) and his added mobility gives Denver another edge to exploit. 

Lions at Cowboys

LaMarca: Lions (5/10). The confidence rating in this game would increase to an eight or nine if Micah Parsons is forced to miss his second straight game. Still, the Lions should be able to take care of business even if Parsons is active. They’re one of the best teams in the league, and they’ve had extra time to prepare after a bye week.

Geoff: Lions (5/10). I’m pretty much in line with LaMarca here. Dallas surprised me last week on offense against Pittsburgh, but I question whether they can shut down Detroit, or go toe-to-toe with them if things devolve into a shootout. Parsons being back would be a big bump for Dallas, but I still side with Detroit, regardless. 

Falcons at Panthers

LaMarca: Falcons (8/10). The Panthers received a slight bounce when Andy Dalton was inserted at quarterback, but they’re still not a very good team. Specifically, their defense is a disaster. The Falcons have righted the ship after a slow start to the year and should cruise to a victory.

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Oct 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs against Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Geoff: Falcons (6/10). This does feel like a letdown spot for the Falcons after Kirk Cousins threw for 500 yards last week, but how do we pick the Panthers? Their rush defense even made the Bears look legitimate last week. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier should both have big games. 

Bengals at Giants

LaMarca: Giants (2/10). This is probably my most controversial upset pick of the week. The Bengals desperately need a win at just 1-4, but their defense is a major problem. As good as the offense has looked, their defense is simply going to give all those points back when on the field. Whoever has the ball last in this game should have a chance to win.

Geoff: Bengals (7/10). The Giants' defense deserves props, but their offense is still limited by Daniel Jones’ inability to throw downfield consistently. The Bengals defense should be able to hone in on the run game and those short passes to limit Jones and allow Joe Burrow to pick them up a much-needed W. 

Bills at Jets

LaMarca: Jets (3/10). The “dead coach bounce” is a real thing. I’m not sure if getting rid of Robert Salah boosts the morale of the entire team, but there’s at least one ayahuasca-drinking four-time MVP quarterback who will probably be pretty happy. The Jets still have as much talent as any team in the league, and they’ve historically done well against Josh Allen.

Geoff: Jets (4/10). The more I look at this game, the more I like the Jets (welp). Josh Allen’s inefficiency as a passer in this Joe Brady offense is becoming an issue for the Bills as he’s now just 19th in yards per attempt (7.2) and has thrown for under 200 yards in three games. The Jets still have an elite defense and should be able to ride their second-half momentum from last week’s near comeback against Minnesota to a Week 6 win.