NFL week 14 is here and football is entering the end of the season. Picking NFL games straight up is hard enough, but picking against the spread is even tougher. Here are the NFL week 14 picks against the spread. (Spreads are from ESPN as of Wednesday morning)
Last week: 11-5, Overall: 94-95-2
Thursday Night
Dallas Cowboys (-3) at Chicago Bears
Dallas can’t beat teams above .500 this year. They can beat the Bears, who would be under .500 as a result, because of their lackluster offense. It will still be a close game in the Windy City. The Bears’ defense will force it to be a low scoring game.
Pick: Bears
Sunday Afternoon
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-2.5)
The Panthers have lost four straight games and have fired their head coach. It came at an awkward time of the week, on Tuesday afternoon. Atlanta is playing decently, winning two of their last four, and should be able to take advantage of the situation.
Pick: Falcons
Baltimore Ravens (-5.5) at Buffalo BillsÂ
Buffalo has a good defense and an offense that does just enough in most games. Unfortunately, that is not good enough to beat Lamar Jackson and the surging Ravens. Baltimore will score too many points for the Bills and will cover.
Pick: Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns (-8.5)
Zac Taylor got his first NFL win for the Bengals last week, while the Browns are fading. The Browns will likely win the game, but with Andy Dalton back at quarterback and the defense playing well, the Bengals will keep it within the spread.
Pick: Bengals
Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers (-13)
Washington has won two in a row, but they came over the Lions and the faltering Panthers. The Packers seem to be getting more comfortable with their offense and should be able to protect their home turf by a wide margin.
Pick: Packers
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-13)
The Lions are down to David Blough at quarterback, but played decently against the Bears on Thanksgiving. A 13-point spread is a little much for the Vikings, who will be preparing for this game on a short week, while the Lions had extra time to prepare.
Pick: Lions
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints (-2.5)
San Francisco is running the ball well and playing good defense. New Orleans is struggling to really reach their potential, even if they are 10-2, as they rank just ninth in points per game. The 49ers should be able to grind a win out on the road.
Pick: 49ers
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets (-5.5)
Ryan Fitzpatrick carried the Dolphins to a win over the Eagles, but now they have to go on the road to play the Jets. New York’s defense will put up more of a fight than Philadelphia’s, but Fitzpatrick will keep it close.
Pick: Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5)
In games that Jameis Winston protects the ball, the Bucs have a shot to win. He is playing a solid Colts’ defense, so that could be a problem. The Colts will force some turnovers and will run the ball to control the clock.
Pick: Colts
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans (-9)
Drew Lock got a win in his first start, but the Broncos are much better at home than they are on the road. The Texans are coming off of a win over the Patriots and will want to take care of business again.
Pick: Texans
Sunday Evening
Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars
Both teams are 4-8 and struggling. Gardner Minshew was reinserted into the lineup for Nick Foles, which could give the Jags a spark. The Chargers will likely win on the road if Philip Rivers can protect the ball, but it won’t be by much.
Pick: Jaguars
Tennessee Titans (-2.5) at Oakland Raiders
Since inserting Ryan Tannehill into the lineup, the Titans are on fire. They are running the ball well and controlling games. Oakland has played well this season, but they have lost the last two games.
Pick: Titans
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (-3)
New England may have 10 wins, but they aren’t playing great. The Chiefs’ offense is starting to get their feet back under them and rank third in the league in scoring. Kansas City can come up with a big win on the road.
Picks; Chiefs
Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have lost five straight games, while the Steelers have some playoff hopes. Pittsburgh’s defense will contain Kyler Murray and get the win on the road.
Pick: Steelers
Sunday NightÂ
Seattle Seahawks (-1) at Los Angeles Rams
Jared Goff started to get things back on track last week, but the Rams still look like they are a different team from last year. Seattle is running the ball very well right now and that should continue. Russell Wilson will lead his team to a victory.
Pick: Seahawks
Monday Night
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-8.5)
Daniel Jones is in a walking boot, so Eli Manning will likely play this week. Manning should be able to carve up the Eagles’ secondary and keep this game close. Philadelphia will win, but because they have plenty of issues, they won’t be able to cover.
Pick: Giants
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!