Microsoft Cortana went 9-5 in Week 6 - here are its NFL picks for Week 7
Cortana was slightly more liberal with its picking of away teams last week, and by and large that hurt its overall score. The Falcons, Cardinals, and Ravens were three key road favorites that both Vegas and Cortana liked, and all three teams lost. Cortana also picked Seattle and Tennessee to win at home, which rounded out its five losses.
Through six weeks, Cortana boasts a 62% success rate, which remains relatively average. For comparison, Nate Silver's Elo model went a blistering 12-2 in Week 6 (its second consecutive 12-2 week) to move to 70% correct and further distance itself from Cortana.
This week, Cortana and Vegas are in total agreement. Notably, it gives the Giants a 70% chance to win against the Cowboys, which feels high considering the performance the Giants put on on Monday night. It also gives the Vikings just a 54% edge on the road over the Lions, and the Rams a 70% advantage over the Browns, which also feels high.
As usual, you can access Cortana's picks by searching "NFL predictions" on Bing, and you can now read the decisions behind each picks from the Bing Predict team on its Bing Blog. All lines courtesy of Vegas Insider, as of Wednesday.
- Seattle Seahawks (-6) @ San Francisco 49ers - Seahawks 72% chance to win.
- Buffalo Bills (-5.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (in London) - Bills 67%
- Cleveland Browns (+5.5) @ St. Louis Rams - Rams 70%
- Pittsburgh Steelers (-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs - Steelers 61%
- Houston Texans (+4.5) @ Miami Dolphins - Dolphins 66%
- New York Jets (+9) @ New England Patriots - Patriots 83%
- Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) @ Detroit Lions - Vikings 52%
- Atlanta Falcons (-4) @ Tennessee Titans - Falcons 63%
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3.5) @ Washington Redskins - Redskins 53%
- New Orleans Saints (+4.5) @ Indianapolis Colts - Colts 63%
- Oakland Raiders (+4) @ San Diego Chargers - Chargers 54%
- Dallas Cowboys (+3.5) @ New York Giants - Giants 70%
- Philadelphia Eagles (+3) @ Carolina Panthers - Panthers 70%
- Baltimore Ravens (+6.5) @ Arizona Cardinals - Cardinals 77%