NFL Week 6 Line Moves: Sharp Betting Trends Favoring San Francisco, Miami

An injury to Deshaun Watson has cast a dark cloud over the Cleveland Browns‘ once-promising start. The Browns are now 2-2 and face the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers coming out of their bye.

Can they survive without him? Let’s break down some of the biggest NFL Week 6 line moves for Sunday.

This is the biggest NFL Week 6 line move. It’s not hard to figure out why. Deshaun Watson will miss a second straight game with a shoulder injury, leaving journeyman P.J. Walker to start in his place at quarterback. Walker joined the Browns’ practice squad in late August after Chicago had released him.

Walker, 28, spent last season with Carolina, accumulating a 2-3 record in five starts. He averaged 121.8 passing yards per game, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Rookie fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled in his NFL debut in Week 4, throwing three interceptions in a 28-3 loss to Baltimore. Cleveland was off last week.

The Browns have invested a lot in Watson, and his injury is a discouraging development. They can’t afford to be without him, especially against San Francisco. At 5-0, the 49ers are now a +400 Super Bowl favorite.

Move over Cleveland, the Vikings have injury concerns of their own. Three-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson is on IR with a hamstring strain, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four games. Jefferson is third in the NFL with 571 receiving yards, trailing Miami’s Tyreek Hill (651) and Los Angeles’ Puka Nacua (572).

So long as Kirk Cousins remains healthy, Minnesota’s offense should remain adequate. Still, many bettors are looking to fade the Vikings after a 1-4 start on the NFL schedule.

Chicago (1-4) is coming off its first win, a 40-20 victory over Washington on Thursday Night Football.

The Dolphins are 4-1 and continue to lead the NFL in scoring (36.2 points per game). Now they get the lowly Panthers (0-5), the NFL’s only remaining winless team. The Panthers are already 0-4-1 against the spread and have gotten inconsistent play from No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. On top of that, they’re behind without leading rusher Miles Sanders due to a shoulder injury.

This is lining up to be another blowout for Miami.

Cooper Kupp looked as good as old in his return from IR, catching eight passes for 118 yards in a Week 5 loss to Philadelphia. More importantly, Kupp proved he could coexist in the same offense with Nacua, the NFL’s second-leading receiver as a rookie.

Any concerns about Los Angeles’ offense should be tabled. Finally healthy, the Rams are trending up. Based on this NFL Week 6 line move, bettors seem to be noticing.

Things continue to get worse for the Giants, who will be without quarterback Daniel Jones (neck), left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) and a handful of other starters in primetime against one of the NFL’s best teams.

The Giants (1-4) rank 31st in the NFL in scoring (12.4 points per game) and are the only team yet to have taken a snap with the lead in 2023. On top of that, they’re 0-5 ATS. The latest NFL lines have them more than a two-touchdown underdog. Fade, fade, fade.

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