N.F.L. Week 14 Predictions: Our Picks for Each Game
There are several games this week in which the team with the better record is the underdog. Some people think the bookmakers make the wrong team the favorite to entice people to bet on them. Bookmakers don't operate that way. They use professional gamblers to help them figure out the lines. The Vikings are 2-point favorites over the 5-7 Lions.
Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) at Los Angeles Rams (3-9) is on Amazon Prime at 8:15 p.m.
The Rams are on their way to finishing with the worst record of a defending Super Bowl champion. The team claimed Baker Mayfield off waivers to provide depth at quarterback. Matthew Stafford is most likely out for the season with a neck injury. John Wolford is questionable with similar injury and the team covered the 8-point spread against the Seahawks.
The Jets are 9.5-point underdogs against the Bills. The Jets lost to Minnesota last week. Bills are the top seed and have home-field advantage for the playoffs. They average 34 points per game at home. Their red-zone defense is the third best in the league.
The Eagles are 5-0 on the road but only 1-4 against the spread. The Giants are a home underdog. They beat the Commanders last week.
The 49ers are without their first two quarterbacks. Brock Purdy will start against Tom Brady. The 49er's defense is better than the Buccaneers'. Tampa Bay won last week's game against New England by a single point.
The Chargers are rallying to make the playoffs. Miami plays Buffalo on the road next week. The Dolphins are favored by 3 points. The game features 2020 draft classmates Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.
Cincinnati Bengals are covering the spread at 6 against the Browns. Ja'Marr Chase played well last week and helped the Bengals to their third-straight win against Kansas City.
The Cowboys are the favorite at 17 points against the Texans. Last week the Cowboys beat the Colts 54-19. Dallas is averaging 39.8 points per game over the past five games.
The Lions are 4-1 in their past 5 games and are holding opponents to 19.8 points per game. The Lions lost to the Vikings in the season opener. Minnesota's defense gives up the most passing yards per attempt in NFL.
Tennessee Titans are on track to win the A.F.C. South for the third straight season. Derrick Henry is looking for a bounce-back game after being held to 30 rushing yards by Philadelphia last week. The Titans have won five straight games against the Jags by an average of 16.8 points.
Lamar Jackson is injured and will miss the game. Tyler Huntley will replace him. The Ravens are favored by 2.5 points.
Denver Broncos' defense is the team's main draw this season. Carolina Panthers (4-8) at Seattle Seahawks (7-5) is a must-watch game.
The Seahawks are nothing if not efficient, but their defense struggles against the run. Carolina hasn't won a game on the road yet this season.
The Cardinals are a slight favorite against the Patriots. The Cardinals have lost 11 of their last 12 home games. 90 percent of the money wagered so far has come in on the New England Patriots, who are slight road favorites.
The betting lines work as follows. Favorites are listed next to a negative number that represents how many points they must win by to cover the spread. Tampa Bay must beat the Seahawks by at least 3 points to win their bet. The total score is whether the teams' combined score in the game is over or under a preselected number of points.
