The continuous twists and turns of the NFL make picks and predictions tough to do heading into Week 14. Every week, games that look simple to call based on the current NFL standings leave us scratching our heads. Let’s take a look through the early lines for Week 14 and make our picks and predictions based on those early lines and what we know so far.
NFL picks and predictions Week 14 | NFL lines and odds
With the NFL playoff picture fluctuating wildly on a weekly basis, it is interesting to see how the sportsbooks have set the lines and odds for Week 14 of the 2021 NFL season. Could there be the opportunity to make some money in Week 14?
Let’s take a look at the Week 14 picks, predictions, and NFL odds from DraftKings sportsbook as of 5:30 AM ET on December 6, starting with Thursday’s game.
Thursday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
Heading into Sunday, this game looked like it should be a comfortable victory for the Vikings. Then, two last-second plays entirely changed how this game is viewed. The Vikings lost to the Lions in a disastrous result that puts Mike Zimmer on the hot seat. Meanwhile, the Steelers kept their season alive with a victory over the Ravens.
The Vikings should win this game, but trusting them is close to impossible. One area that is concerning for Minnesota is their run defense going up against Najee Harris. Pittsburgh’s run game has struggled to function, but they could succeed here. This game is tough to call, and unless Zimmer is embarrassed in the coaching battle, the Vikings should win.
Steelers vs. Vikings Prediction: Vikings 27, Steelers 22
Sunday, Week 14: Free NFL picks and predictions
Let’s break down the bulk of the action: Sunday. Here are our Week 14 picks, predictions, and NFL odds for Sunday’s games as of 5:30 AM ET on December 6.
Dallas Cowboys (-5) at Washington Football Team
Washington comes into this game on the back of a four-game win streak that has put them right back in the thick of the NFC playoff picture. Suddenly, the NFC East is a lot closer than it looked a few weeks back, and this is now a must-win game for both sides.
The Cowboys should have too much for Washington, but the improvement in their defense might just frustrate Dallas’ offense early in the game. How the Cowboys respond to that will determine the game. If they start to force things, they could find it unraveling.
[bet-promo id=”174860″ ]Dallas should move the ball with relative comfort and control, either through the air or on the ground. The Cowboys should win. But this game just has that feeling of one where Washington potentially springs a surprise and throws the NFC East wide open. Washington getting the points feels like the right play here.
Cowboys vs. Washington Prediction: Cowboys 27, Washington 24
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-10.5)
Tennessee could not have asked for a better game back from their bye. It was a rough couple of weeks heading into the bye, but the Titans should be able to get back on track in this game. Whether they cover or not is more questionable, but if they lose to the Jaguars and Texans in a four-week period, alarm bells will be blaring.
Jaguars vs. Titans Prediction: Titans 20, Jaguars 13
Seattle Seahawks (-8) at Houston Texans
The Seahawks appeared to get back on track on offense this past week. Russell Wilson looked better throwing the ball, and Seattle could be set for a nice little end-of-season run to dampen down some of the swirling questions.
The Texans should be easy pickings for the Seahawks this week, even on the road. If Houston does spring a surprise, look for those rumors about Pete Carroll to be in hyperdrive next Monday.
Seahawks vs. Texans Prediction: Seahawks 27, Texans 16
Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5)
Outside of that somewhat bizarre game on Thanksgiving in Dallas, the Raiders’ offense has been stagnant. They have failed to score more than 16 points in four of their five games after the bye. The Chiefs’ offense is inconsistent, but they should be able to score too many for Las Vegas to match.
Raiders vs. Chiefs Prediction: Chiefs 30, Raiders 17
New Orleans Saints (-6) at New York Jets
Trusting either of these teams is close to impossible this week. The Jets looked like they were in a battle with the Eagles in Week 13 — and then just fell away. Meanwhile, the Saints have an injured Taysom Hill under center and could be uber-focused on their run game. Expect a low-scoring affair in New York.
Saints vs. Jets Prediction: Saints 20, Jets 17
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (-3)
The Panthers managed to make headlines despite being on their bye week as they fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady. That makes it tough to know what to expect from them this week. However, the Falcons are also struggling on offense. They have scored just 41 points in the last four. This one should be a low-scoring defensive battle in Carolina.
Falcons vs. Panthers Prediction: Panthers 18, Falcons 13
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns (-1.5)
The Ravens are an absolute mess right now as their defense imploded against the Steelers. The health of their secondary is a major concern, and the way the Steelers’ run game got rolling late is also a concern.
We saw this matchup a couple of weeks ago and it wasn’t pretty — it could be that way again.
The Browns are coming off a bye and in a must-win situation. If they lose to this struggling Ravens team, their season is over for all intents and purposes. However, their offense should move the ball against a depleted defense, and their defense demonstrated it can handle Baltimore’s offense.
Browns vs. Ravens Prediction: Browns 23, Ravens 20
New York Giants at Los Angeles Chargers (-10.5)
Trusting the Chargers is tough to do, but if they stumble in this game, fans might even ask questions about head coach Brandon Staley. The Giants are expected to be without Daniel Jones again this week, and their offense has averaged just 10.7 points per game in the past three weeks.
Giants vs. Chargers Prediction: Chargers 30, Giants 13
Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos (-7.5)
After last week, it is hard to know quite what to expect from this game. The Lions’ performance could be either inspired by their first win or be something of a letdown. Detroit’s defense has been keeping them in games and should do so once again in this one. However, the offense might have a tough challenge against this Denver defense.
Meanwhile, the Broncos seem to alternate good and bad games. This should be one of their good games based on the recent pattern. Trusting them to do that is a completely different matter. Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme should cause problems for Jared Goff, but can the offense function well enough to make this comfortable? A tough game in this one would increase the pressure on Fangio’s job security.
Denver vs. Lions Prediction: Broncos 23, Lions 16
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5)
In a week of hard-to-predict NFL matchups, this one might be the toughest. Both the Bengals and 49ers seem incapable of stringing together consistent performances. This matchup is a must-win for both sides and could be extremely entertaining.
This is an even game when you look through the statistics, but the difference very well could be how inefficient the Bengals are in the red zone, both offensively and defensively. Failing to convert those opportunities into touchdowns could be costly against a team like the 49ers, who are converting around 75% of the time on offense.
49ers vs. Bengals Prediction: 49ers 27, Bengals 24
Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3)
This Week 14 matchup was viewed by many as a potential Super Bowl preview entering the year. Right now, it doesn’t look crazy. The loss of Tre’Davious White for the season looms huge in this matchup, especially with the Buccaneers having a talented receiving corps.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers will exploit any potential weaknesses in the secondary, and they may have to with the success of Buffalo’s run defense. If the Bills can make this a low-scoring game, they should be more than capable of winning.
The problem comes if this turns into a shootout — the Buccaneers’ experience across their roster could be the difference. If the Bucs can establish the run game early, the Bills could be chasing shadows all night.
Bills vs. Buccaneers Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Bills 24
Sunday Night Football: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (-12.5)
Matchups between these two teams recently have not really been close. The closest in the last five was a 10-3 Packers victory to open the 2019 season. The story should be the same here, with Green Bay simply having too much for the Bears. The X-factor would be if the Bears can get Justin Fields back. Nonetheless, his supporting cast will make it tough for him to upset the Packers.
Bears vs. Packers Prediction: Packers 30, Bears 17
Monday Night Football: Week 14 picks and predictions
Week 14 will see back-to-back exciting, potentially playoff-shaping matchups in prime time. This week it will be the Rams and Cardinals facing off in a must-win game for Los Angeles. If Arizona takes the victory, they all but lock up the NFC West.
Let’s take a look at the current odds for the game and make our final pick and prediction for Week 14 of the 2021 NFL season.
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals (-3)
When you look back on the first matchup between these two sides, it just seemed so out of the blue the way the Cardinals dominated. This time, it is the Rams who desperately need to spring a surprise. Los Angeles defeated the Jaguars to break a three-game losing streak, but the indifferent performances of Matthew Stafford remain a concern.
The Cardinals looked good after getting Kyler Murray back. They went into a tough test in Chicago and came out with an efficient victory. This will be a tougher test, especially if Murray is not 100%. The must-win nature of this game for the Rams just gives this the feeling of an upset in Arizona.
Rams vs. Cardinals Prediction: Rams 27, Cardinals 24