For the first time of the 2026 NFL season, Microsoft Copilot AI was unable to post a winning week while picking the result of every NFL game.
The chatbot logged just a 7-7 mark in Week 6
, its worst of the 2026 campaign to date. Copilot was tripped up by numerous games, with the AI chatbot notably being on the wrong side of the Broncos-Seahawks, Jaguars-Texans, Browns-Ravens and Cardinals-Rams games, among others.Nonetheless, Copilot finished the week strong, correctly predicting the results of both "Sunday Night Football" and "Monday Night Football." It will now look to build on its momentum as USA TODAY Sports' experiment having the AI chatbot pick the results of every NFL game continues on into Week 7.
Copilot's picks were gathered using a simple
process. The AI chatbot was fed the following prompt, which helped it generate its Week 7 picks.
- Can you predict the results of every Week 7 game for the 2026 NFL season and explain your logic for each prediction?
Per usual, Copilot endured few issues interpreting the prompt. The lone exceptions came when the chatbot provided outdated information or struggled to follow the latest injury news, but it was simply asked to correct errors and reassess the prompt in rare instances where that occurred.
Those small mistakes weren't surprising, as some Large Language Models (LLMs) struggle to keep up with the latest sports news and updates.
Below is a summation of Copilot's picks for Week 7, along with a brief, human-crafted analysis of each of the chatbot's answers.
NFL Week 7 picks: AI predicts scores for every game
- Copilot's Week 6 results: 7-7
- Copilot's 2026 season record: 57-35-1
Chicago Bears 27, New England Patriots 23
AI's take: Copilot typically likes backing the home team on "Thursday Night Football," and it noted the Patriots would face "a difficult assignment" traveling to Soldier Field on the short week. The chatbot also called the Bears "a legitimate playoff contender" while merely noting the Patriots had "improved" in its analysis of the matchup.
Our take: Drake Maye has performed much better of late after an abysmal start to the season, which should give the Patriots hope of competing in this matchup. Still, the Bears likely hold a slight advantage after Caleb Williams' return to the lineup, so Copilot's projection could prove accurate.
Pittsburgh Steelers 24, New Orleans Saints 17
AI's take: Copilot calls the Saints "inconsistent" and believes the Steelers' "physical style" and "reliable defense" will travel well. As such, it's picking Pittsburgh to win the NFL's first regular-season game in Paris.
Our take: Tyler Shough and New Orleans' offense have shown flashes throughout the first third of the season, but Copilot is right in that the team hasn't been consistent. Pittsburgh's methodical offense won't wow anyone, but Aaron Rodgers should be able to lead the Steelers to a victory against a Saints defense that ranks 27th in defensive EPA per play, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats.
San Francisco 49ers 31, Atlanta Falcons 24
AI's take: In Copilot's opinion, the 49ers have a good chance to improve to 7-0. The chatbot highlighted the 49ers' "superior roster depth" and "stronger pass rush" as the main reasons San Francisco should have the advantage over Atlanta.
Our take: The Falcons rank second league-wide in pressure rate, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, so we're not buying Copilot's argument about the pass rush. Nonetheless, Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense are operating at peak efficiency, which should give the 49ers the edge in this game – though Mike Evans' Achilles injury will need to be closely watched in the lead-up to this one.
Cleveland Browns 20, Tennessee Titans 16
AI's take: Copilot expects this to be "one of the week's lower-scoring games," but it is giving Cleveland the edge as the "more stable" team thus far in 2026. It also opined the Browns were enjoying "more consistent quarterback play" with Deshaun Watson than the Titans have had with Cam Ward.
Our take: The Browns also have a coaching advantage in this game, as Todd Monken has done excellent work shaping Cleveland into a solid team despite low expectations entering the season. Expect him to bring another quality game plan and help lead his team to a win over Robert Saleh's squad.
Minnesota Vikings 27, Indianapolis Colts 17
AI's take: Evidently, Copilot is not a fan of the Colts' defense. It predicted the Vikings will "generate enough explosive plays to pull away" from the Colts in this contest while praising Minnesota as one of the NFL's "hottest teams."
Our take: Indianapolis' defense, which ranks bottom 10 in both yards and points allowed per game, certainly leaves a lot to be desired. That said, the bigger matchup advantage in this contest is the Vikings' defense playing against Daniel Jones. He should struggle against Brian Flores' blitz-happy defense and allow Minnesota to cruise to a victory.
New York Jets 23, Miami Dolphins 13
AI's take: Copilot summed up the Dolphins as having "struggled badly" through their first five games of the season. It expects the Jets' defense to "control the game and force turnovers" in a New York victory.
Our take: The Dolphins haven't won a game yet and are averaging 14 points per game, tied for the league's fewest with the Titans. The Jets are allowing just 20.3 points per game this season, so they should be able to handle the Dolphins with relative ease.
Baltimore Ravens 30, Cincinnati Bengals 27
AI's take: Copilot is looking forward to this matchup, calling it "one of the week's best matchups." It is backing Baltimore to win this game because the Ravens are at home and have "a slight edge in the running game."
Our take: Lamar Jackson's presence will loom large in this one. If he's able to play, this will be a true toss-up game. If he can't get back on the field, the Bengals should hold the advantage. We'll give Joe Burrow and Co. the nod here for now, as Cincinnati should be well-rested coming off its bye week.
Houston Texans 28, New York Giants 14
AI's take: Copilot kept its analysis brief. It said the Texans have "more firepower" than the Giants and believes Houston "should win the line-of-scrimmage battle."
Our take: Yeah, it's hard to imagine backing the Giants after how poorly they played for most of their Week 6 game against the Saints. Maybe replacing Jameis Winston with J.J. McCarthy could help the Giants, but C.J. Stroud has performed well of late and should guide the Texans to a third consecutive win.
Carolina Panthers 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
AI's take: Copilot has been impressed with the "respectable start" the Panthers have enjoyed to begin the 2026 campaign. It likes what it is seeing from Carolina's supporting cast, so the chatbot is backing Carolina to beat Tampa Bay.
Our take: The Buccaneers seem likely to start Jalon Daniels at quarterback again as Baker Mayfield continues to work his way back from a thumb injury. Daniels has performed admirably, but he'll struggle to go blow-for-blow with a Panthers offense that has gotten stellar showings from Bryce Young and Chuba Hubbard to open the season.
Denver Broncos 26, Arizona Cardinals 20
AI's take: Copilot highlighted Denver's "complete defense" and "consistency" as reasons to trust the Broncos to beat the Cardinals in Week 6.
Our take: Denver's defense will give Arizona a tough test, but Copilot may be giving the Broncos' offense too much credit. Bo Nix and Co. have struggled to open the season, so don't be surprised if this is a lower-scoring matchup than the chatbot is predicting. Still, it is on the right side, as the Broncos should be favored to win.
Detroit Lions 34, Green Bay Packers 30
AI's take: This game should be the week's highest-scoring matchup, in Copilot's estimation. Copilot favors the Lions because they are at home and have better "offensive balance" than the Packers.
Our take: Josh Jacobs may return for this game. If so, that could improve the Packers' overall offensive balance. Even if not, Green Bay may be the side to back here. The Packers' elite receiver duo of Matthew Golden and Christian Watson should wreak havoc against the Lions' beleaguered secondary while Green Bay's improving defense could slow Jared Goff and the Detroit offense.
Los Angeles Rams 27, Las Vegas Raiders 21
AI's take: The Rams may be 2-4, but Copilot is not backing down from picking them. The chatbot believes the Rams "match up well offensively" against the Raiders and that Los Angeles has the "more explosive passing attack" in this game.
Our take: Normally, Copilot would be right about the passing attacks. However, the absence of Davante Adams (hamstring) could make things a bit harder on the Rams. Los Angeles should still be favored, as the Rams could snap out of their early-season funk at any time, but don't be surprised if the Raiders and their solid offense pull off an upset.
Kansas City Chiefs 24, Seattle Seahawks 20
AI's take: Another week, another instance in which Copilot backs the Chiefs. The chatbot continued to echo its message about Kansas City all season. It "trusts Kansas City's coaching, quarterback play, and big-game experience in prime time."
Our take: Seattle's defense should provide Patrick Mahomes and Kenneth Walker III with their toughest test of the year so far. The big question is whether the Seahawks' offense can do much against Steve Spagnuolo's well-coached defense. This game seems like a true toss-up, so we'll zig where Copilot is zagging and back Seattle to get a home win.
Dallas Cowboys 27, Philadelphia Eagles 20
AI's take: Copilot is backing the Cowboys in this matchup because they have "looked like the more complete team" to open the 2026 season. It expects Dallas to potentially "jump ahead early" and force the Tanner McKee-led Eagles to play from behind.
Our take: The Cowboys haven't looked good at all the last two weeks, so it's hard to back them with confidence. Meanwhile, the Eagles are significantly undermanned without Jalen Hurts and may not be positioned to take full advantage of Dallas' leaky defense. That said, if Saquon Barkley can return, the Eagles may have a chance to pull out a win and heat up Brian Schottenheimer's seat even more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 7 predictions by Microsoft Copilot AI for every game
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