Microsoft Copilot AI posted just a 5-9 record straight up making its picks in Week 5. It bounced back in a big way in Week 6.
Copilot earned a mark of 10-5 with its game picks in Week 6. It was tripped up by a handful of prime-time upsets – most notably the New York Giants’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles on ‘Thursday Night Football’ and the Atlanta Falcons’ victory over the Buffalo Bills on ‘Monday Night Football’ – but otherwise, the week was one of the chatbot’s best.
Can Copilot continue its winning ways in NFL Week 7? USA TODAY Sports is continuing its experiment with the AI chatbot to see if it can remain hot.
Per usual, the process of collecting Copilot’s picks was simple. The AI chatbot was prompted to pick a winner and provide a score for all 15 of the NFL’s Week 6 matchups. The basic form of the query used to generate the results was as follows:
Can you predict the winner and the score of the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 7 game?
This process was then repeated for all of the NFL’s Week 5 matchups, with the appropriate games being swapped in for each additional prompt.
Typically, Copilot was able to interpret the prompt without issue. That said, there were a couple of occasions when the chatbot provided outdated or incorrect information, especially regarding injured players around the NFL and recent transactions. That wasn’t overly surprising, as some Large Language Models (LLMs) struggle to keep up with the latest sports news and updates.
When Copilot produced these errors, the chatbot was simply prompted to fix the errors and reassess.
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: 10-5
Copilot’s 2025 season record: 54-38-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 17
AI’s take: Copilot said Joe Flacco ‘showed promise in his debut’ but expressed concern the Steelers pass rush ‘could overwhelm’ him. It also praised Aaron Rodgers as being ‘efficient’ across five games in Pittsburgh, giving the Steelers a better chance to win this one.
Our take: The Bengals are expected to be without Trey Hendrickson in this game, so it will be exceedingly hard for them to pressure the quick-throwing Rodgers. Pittsburgh’s offense should perform well and glide to a ‘Thursday Night Football’ victory.
Los Angeles Rams 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
AI’s take: Two injuries will have a significant impact on this game, according to Copilot. The Rams may be without star receiver Puka Nacua as he deals with an ankle injury, while the Jaguars have already ruled out Defensive Player of the Year candidate Devin Lloyd with a calf problem. It’s giving the early edge to the Rams but believes this is a relatively even battle.
Our take: The Rams managed just 17 points against the Ravens last week with Nacua sidelined for a good chunk of the game. If he’s absent in Week 7, the Jaguars could pull off the upset, especially since Jacksonville has more experience than its counterpart does playing across the pond.
Chicago Bears 24, New Orleans Saints 16
AI’s take: Copilot credited Caleb Williams for ‘improving weekly’ and expressed confidence he could exploit a shaky Saints pass defense in Week 7. The chatbot also believes Chicago’s ‘opportunistic’ defense will force Spencer Rattler into some mistakes in this one.
Our take: The Bears have created 12 takeaways on the season, good for the second-most in the NFL. Spencer Rattler hasn’t often paid for his nine turnover-worthy plays (tied for third-most in the league), but he could in this tough matchup.
Cleveland Browns 20, Miami Dolphins 17
AI’s take: Copilot is not a fan of Miami’s defense, which it noted is ‘the weakest’ unit Dillon Gabriel has faced thus far during his career. The chatbot believes Cleveland’s defensive edge, as well as its home-field advantage, will allow the Browns to ‘squeak out a low-scoring victory.’
Our take: The Dolphins are starting to show a better rhythm on offense, so if Tua Tagovailoa has a good day, Miami could end up winning this one. But with De’Von Achane facing a tough matchup, it’s easy to see why Copilot is favoring the Browns. This is a coin-flip matchup, so trusting the better defense is probably the right move.
New England Patriots 28, Tennessee Titans 13
AI’s take: Copilot has the Patriots ‘cruising to a comfortable win’ against a Titans team that is in ‘disarray’ after firing coach Brian Callahan. It doesn’t have faith Cam Ward will play well behind a ‘weak offensive line,’ so it’s backing Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel as New England remains hot.
Our take: Sometimes, teams get a burst of energy after a coach is fired, so it’s important not to write off the Titans entirely. Still, Vrabel will be hungry for revenge against his former team, so New England has a decisive advantage in this spot.
Kansas City Chiefs 31, Las Vegas Raiders 20
AI’s take: Are the Chiefs back? Copilot thinks so, as it believes Patrick Mahomes is ‘heating up’ and was impressed by the team’s ‘dominant’ win over the Lions. It doesn’t have confidence Las Vegas’ ‘shaky’ secondary can contain the Chiefs and believes Geno Smith will struggle to keep up with Kansas City’s offense.
Our take: With Rashee Rice returning, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders finding a way to slow down the Chiefs. Thus, Copilot’s assessment that the Chiefs will win ‘comfortably’ appears to be right.
Philadelphia Eagles 27, Minnesota Vikings 24
AI’s take: Copilot referred to this matchup as ‘pivotal for both teams,’ noting the Eagles will be desperate to stop their two-game losing skid against a tough defense. The chatbot says to ‘expect a close, physical contest’ and predicts the Eagles will win by a whisker.
Our take: Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense have struggled against zone coverage this year. The Vikings play a lot of zone under Brian Flores, so Minnesota has a defensive edge. It’s just a matter of whether the Vikings offense can find consistent success with either Carson Wentz or J.J. McCarthy at quarterback.
Carolina Panthers 21, New York Jets 10
AI’s take: Copilot continues to fade Justin Fields, who has ‘struggled mightily’ by its estimation. It also expects Garrett Wilson’s absence to negatively impact the Jets while it thinks the Panthers are ‘trending upward behind a dominant run game.’
Our take: The Panthers have ridden Rico Dowdle to success in consecutive weeks. If he can continue to produce at a top-tier clip, Carolina should have no trouble out-pacing a lackluster Jets offense.
Denver Broncos 23, New York Giants 14
AI’s take: Copilot is a fan of the Broncos’ defense, noting it has been the second-best scoring unit league-wide (15.8 points per game allowed). That will make it hard for Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo to work their magic, though the chatbot believes Dart will ‘flash again.’
Our take: We’re not as confident Dart will flash in such a tough matchup, especially since Denver has been elite at limiting the quarterback run this season. That could cause New York to be a bit more limited than Copilot’s projected score outlines.
Indianapolis Colts 30, Los Angeles Chargers 27
AI’s take: Copilot labeled this battle of AFC contenders ‘one of Week 7’s most evenly matched games.’ In the end, the chatbot preferred the Colts because they have Jonathan Taylor and an ‘edge in the trenches.’
Our take: The Chargers are dealing with several injuries to their offensive tackle room, so picking the Colts, who are much healthier, is a smart move. Well done, Copilot!
Washington Commanders 34, Dallas Cowboys 28
AI’s take: Copilot continues to be a fan of Dak Prescott, opining the 32-year-old ‘is playing at an elite level.’ It also knows Jayden Daniels has largely performed well this season and that the second-year quarterback has a matchup with a ‘porous’ Cowboys defense that is allowing 30.7 points per game. That’s why it’s picking the Commanders to win in a ‘shootout.’
Our take: It’s hard to argue with Copilot on this one. Expect a fun fireworks display on Sunday and for Washington to bounce back from its one-point loss to the Bears on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 6.
Green Bay Packers 28, Arizona Cardinals 19
AI’s take: Copilot credited the Cardinals for keeping their losses close in 2025, but noted Arizona’s defense is ‘vulnerable’ and its offense ‘inconsistent.’ As such, it believes the Packers will eventually pull away from the Cardinals with their ‘strong,’ Josh Jacobs-led running game.
Our take: The Cardinals have lost four consecutive games by one possession, including three on a field goal as time expired. Maybe that will allow Arizona to keep this one closer than Copilot believes, but the late-game struggles of Jonathan Gannon’s team are enough to make the Packers the clear-cut favorite here.
San Francisco 49ers 24, Atlanta Falcons 22
AI’s take: Copilot is excited to see the rushing offenses of both teams, praising Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey for their performances this season. It believes the difference-maker in this one could be whether Brock Purdy and George Kittle return, as the chatbot thinks their presence would allow the 49ers to eke out a win over the Falcons.
Our take: Copilot mentioned the loss of Fred Warner, but it may not have fully grasped how problematic his absence could be for San Francisco’s defense. The Falcons should probably be favored in this one after their Week 6 upset of the Buffalo Bills.
Detroit Lions 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
AI’s take: Injuries will have a significant impact on this game, as Copilot noted. It expressed concerns about Detroit’s ‘banged up’ secondary holding up against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers but ultimately believes Jared Goff and the Lions offense can go blow-for-blow with Mayfield.
Our take: Again, Copilot might be underestimating the depths of Detroit’s injury issues. The Lions are missing five of their six top cornerbacks from their Week 1 roster and may be without a couple of safeties, namely the suspended Brian Branch, as well. That does not sound like a recipe for success against a Buccaneers offense that is presently humming.
Seattle Seahawks 20, Houston Texans 17
AI’s take: Copilot said both the Seahawks and Texans defenses are ‘elite,’ so it’s projecting ‘a low-scoring, tactical battle.’ The Seahawks get the edge as the home team, and with Sam Darnold averaging a league-best 9.3 yards per attempt.
Our take: This score projection seems about accurate, and Mike Macdonald has the Seahawks playing at a high level. Their home-field advantage should give them the edge in this contest.