NFL Preview | October 18, 2026

Week 6's Sunday slate runs from London at 9:30 AM to Lambeau Field at 8:20 PM, with four teams on bye and 12 games in between. The Eagles are playing without Jalen Hurts and the Ravens without Lamar Jackson, but the three games with the most on the line are in London, Las Vegas and Green Bay. Those three get the full write-up and a free card. The other nine games each get a card in Tome Intel. All times are Eastern.

The Jaguars Stay in London and Meet a Quarterback Who Hasn't Thrown a Pick

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars | 9:30 AM ET | NFL Network (London)

KEY STAT

185

Passes C.J. Stroud has thrown this season without an interception. He faces a Jaguars defense that allows a league-best 14.0 points per game.

Jacksonville is 4-1 after beating Philadelphia on a last-second field goal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Sunday, and it stayed in London to host Houston at Wembley as the designated home team. The defense is the reason: it allows a league-best 14.0 points per game and 2.9 yards per carry. Trevor Lawrence has completed 67.1% of his passes for 1,174 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, and he threw for 331 yards against the Eagles, though he has thrown 11 interceptions and eight touchdowns against Houston in his career. Against Philadelphia the Jaguars twice came up empty on possessions that reached the 1-yard line.

Houston is 1-4 but is coming off its first win, 26-3 over Tennessee, in which Stroud went 26-of-34 for 261 yards and ran for a score. He has 1,402 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions, but the protection has allowed 14 sacks and the run game has struggled. Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., newly acquired, makes his debut alongside his former Ohio State teammate, while running back David Montgomery, receiver Tank Dell and safety Jalen Pitre are out. The Texans have won seven of the last ten meetings between these teams, and the Jaguars' London games have gone under 8-2 since 2018, per ESPN.

Houston wins if Stroud keeps the turnover-free streak alive and Harrison gives the offense a downfield option the line can protect.

Jacksonville wins if the defense forces the first Stroud mistake and Lawrence converts the red-zone chances he missed last week.

Lean Jacksonville -2.5 (Toss-up), and lean the under 42.5 (Lean).

THE CARD · HOU @ JAX

The line JAX -2.5 (-120) · HOU +2.5 (+100) · total 42.5 (O -110, U -110) · DraftKings

This season HOU 1-4 ATS, 2-3 O/U · JAX 3-2 ATS, 1-4 O/U

Rest & availability HOU Montgomery, Dell and Pitre out, Harrison Jr. debuting · JAX Montaric Brown out, Jaylon Jones questionable

Lean JAX -2.5 (Toss-up) · Under ↓ 42.5 (Lean)

Driven by the trend. Jacksonville has the league's best scoring defense and its games are 4-1 to the under, while Houston has not covered since Week 1 outside of last week's win over a winless team. The side stays close to even because Houston has won seven of the last ten meetings and Stroud has not thrown an interception.

A Short Week in Las Vegas for the Highest-Scoring Offense

Buffalo Bills @ Las Vegas Raiders | 4:25 PM ET | CBS

KEY STAT

9

Giveaways by Buffalo over its last three games, four of them by Josh Allen. The Raiders are tied for the NFL lead with 10 takeaways.

Buffalo arrives at 4-1 on a short week after beating the Rams 37-34 in overtime on Monday night. Josh Allen threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 121 more in that game, and he has 1,249 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and eight rushing touchdowns through five games. The Bills are scoring 32.8 points per game and James Cook has 532 rushing yards, but the defense is allowing more than 28 per game. Receivers DJ Moore and Josh Palmer (shoulders), defensive linemen Ed Oliver and T.J. Sanders and cornerback Dee Alford are all questionable.

Las Vegas is 3-2 after a 3-0 start, having lost to Kansas City and then 45-17 to New England. Kirk Cousins has 1,269 yards and 12 touchdowns, Brock Bowers has 312 yards, and Ashton Jeanty has 291 on the ground, with Maxx Crosby leading a pass rush that will see Allen's scrambles up close. The Raiders are 4-1 against the spread, 3-1 as an underdog, and have the better turnover numbers, but wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr., tight end Carter Runyon and tackle Tonka Hemingway are out.

Buffalo wins if Allen protects the ball on a short week and the offense keeps scoring the way it has all season.

Las Vegas wins if its takeaway rate shows up against a Bills team that has been turning it over, and Cousins and Bowers keep pace.

Lean Las Vegas +5.5 (Lean), and lean the over 53.5 (Lean).

THE CARD · BUF @ LV

The line BUF -5.5 (-110) · LV +5.5 (-110) · total 53.5 (O -110, U -110) · DraftKings

This season BUF 4-1 ATS, 4-1 O/U · LV 4-1 ATS, 3-2 O/U

Rest & availability BUF 6 days after Monday night, Moore, Palmer, Oliver, Sanders and Alford questionable · LV 7 days, Thornton Jr., Runyon and Hemingway out, Zuhn questionable

Lean LV +5.5 (Lean) · Over ↑ 53.5 (Lean)

Driven by the schedule. Buffalo is on a short week with nine giveaways in three games, and Las Vegas is 3-1 against the spread as an underdog, so the cushion is worth keeping in mind. Both offenses are scoring in the high 20s or better and the total is the highest on the board, which supports the over.

A 40-40 Rematch and Two Defenses in Search of Answers

Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers | 8:20 PM ET | NBC (Peacock)

KEY STAT

40-40

The final score of last season's meeting in Arlington, a tie in which Jordan Love threw for 337 yards and Dak Prescott for 319. Both quarterbacks threw three touchdowns.

Dallas is 2-3 and has had ten days to think about a 24-16 Thursday night loss to Tampa Bay, in which the Buccaneers ran the ball at will and the Cowboys scored 10 points in the first half. The staff added veteran coach Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant to help coordinator Christian Parker, but Dak Prescott still leads one of the league's top offenses by EPA per play. Cornerback Cobie Durant and tackle Drew Shelton are out, and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown are questionable.

Green Bay is 3-2 with back-to-back wins and arrives off a 31-7 win over Chicago in which Jordan Love went 25-of-31 for 367 yards and two touchdowns. The Packers hadn't scored more than 22 points in any of their first four games, and they are thin up front: defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Ford are out, Jordan Riley is doubtful, and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste and receiver Skyy Moore are also out. Josh Jacobs is eligible to come off the commissioner's exempt list for Week 7.

Dallas wins if Prescott matches Love score for score and the extra rest shows up in a cleaner defensive performance.

Green Bay wins if Love keeps picking apart a secondary missing Durant and the Cowboys can't generate pressure.

Lean Dallas +1.5 (Toss-up), and lean the over 53.5 (Lean).

THE CARD · DAL @ GB

The line GB -1.5 (-105) · DAL +1.5 (-115) · total 53.5 (O -105, U -115) · DraftKings

This season DAL 3-2 ATS, 4-1 O/U · GB 2-3 ATS, 2-3 O/U

Rest & availability DAL 10 days since Thursday night, Durant and Shelton out, Porter Jr. and Overshown questionable · GB 7 days, Hargrave, Ford, St-Juste and Moore out, Riley doubtful

Lean DAL +1.5 (Toss-up) · Over ↑ 53.5 (Lean)

Driven by the matchup. Dallas has the rest edge and is 2-0 against the spread as an underdog, while Green Bay's defensive line is down to a skeleton, so the side is close to even. Dallas games are 4-1 to the over, both offenses are among the league's better ones, and last year's meeting ended 40-40.

The Rest of the Slate

TOME INTEL · 9 more cards

Every other Sunday game gets a full card in Tome Intel: the line, the season trends, who is out, and our lean with its tier.

1:00 PM ET: Bears @ Falcons · Panthers @ Eagles · Ravens @ Browns · Saints @ Giants · Steelers @ Buccaneers · Jets @ Patriots · Titans @ Colts

4:05 PM ET: Cardinals @ Rams · 4:25 PM ET: Chargers @ Chiefs

What to Watch For Sunday.

Watch whether Stroud's turnover-free run survives a defense this good in London, how Buffalo handles a short week against Las Vegas's pass rush, and which defense gives in first at Lambeau. We'll have the recap Monday with every card graded, free and Intel alike. Commanders at 49ers closes Week 6 on Monday night.

Reply

Avatar

or to participate