NFL Week 14 is here. Playoff races are tightening up as five teams are fighting for the final playoff spot in the AFC while three are battling for the last spot in the NFC.
Let’s take a look at the best bets on the board for the NFL week 14 and see what other major events we should be keeping an eye on from the busy week of action:
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Date: Monday, December 9th
So, this is the week the Eagles get back on track, right?
The Eagles losing streak extended to three games after they fell 37-31 to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. Losses to the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are explainable. Losing to the two-win Miami Dolphins is not.
At the same time, I still think the Eagles get back on track in this spot against the Giants, who have mostly been pulse-less this season. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones gave the team a spark early on in the season but they’ve been nothing short of terrible ever since.
They’ve now lost eight in a row and there aren’t many aspects to their game that one can point to and say they’re doing well. Star running back Saquon Barkley has been a nonfactor as he has just 544 rushing yards this season with two touchdowns.
As for Jones, he continues to have moments where he shines but the turnovers quickly follow. He had three more last week at home to the Green Bay Packers.
The Giants are averaging a paltry 17.9 points per game during their losing streak and I’m expecting another shaky effort on Monday Night Football. The Eagles have struggled in their own ways but they should be able to get on track and cover this big NJ online sportsbook number.
Pick: Eagles -8.5
Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders
Odds: Titans -3 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Date: Sunday, December 8th
While I want to stick with the momentum of the teams, it’s hard for me to get on board with the Titans in this spot. They’ve won five of six and have been a completely different team since Ryan Tannehill took over.
The team that averaged just 16.3 points per game with Marcus Mariota under center is now averaging 29.7 with Tannehill.
I do think that this is a tight spot for them, though, as they’re on the road in Oakland facing a Raiders team that’s 5-1 at home. The Titans are also fresh off a big divisional win and have a big one next week with the Houston Texans. This looks like it could be a sandwich spot where they aren’t as crisp as they’ve been recently.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Titans win this game but we’re getting the Raiders here as a road dog and that’s enough to point me in their direction. The only time they’ve lost at home this season was to the Kansas City Chiefs, so I’ll take a flier with them as they’re getting +3.
Pick: Raiders +3
Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals
Odds: Steelers -2.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Date: Sunday, December 8th
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up a big win over the Cleveland Browns last week, turning them aside 20-13. They’ve now won six of their last seven games and hold the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture.
The defense has been nothing short of incredible as they’ve held eight of their last nine opponents to 220 passing yards or less and six of their last nine to 17 points or less. They’ve also forced 23 turnovers and picked up 37 sacks since Week 4.
That’s bad news for the Cardinals, whose offense has struggled of late. They managed just seven points against the Los Angeles Rams last week and are averaging just 18.8 points per game during the team’s five-game losing streak.
Their main flaw is the offense where they are down to a third-string quarterback. When they turn the ball over, they’re in trouble. When they play clean, they’re in great shape. The good news is that the Cardinals have the league’s worst pass defense (they’re the only team allowing more than 300 passing yards a game at 307.5) and have forced just 12 turnovers (tied for the third-fewest).
This sets up nicely for the Steelers to play another clean game, win and cover for this NFL week 14 matchup.
Pick: Steelers -2.5
Other Things To Watch This Week
No. 4 Georgia vs No. 2 LSU – The SEC Championship is an early College Football Playoff start for the Georgia Bulldogs. Win and they’re in, but lose and all of the sudden there will be all sorts of arguments to be made for different teams. If Georgia loses a tight game, maybe they sneak in as a two-loss team? If they get blown out, it opens the door for No. 5 Utah or No. 6 Oklahoma.
No. 5 Utah vs No. 13 Oregon – The Utes are going to have a case for making the College Football Playoff if they win and Georgia loses. Georgia is the No. 4 team in the country, but remember that they’ve already lost once. The College Football Playoff committee might elect to put a one-loss Utah team in the playoff ahead of Georgia…but Utah has to win first. They’re a 6.5-point favorite over Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship on Friday night.
No. 1 Ohio State vs No. 12 Wisconsin – The Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the country and they’ll close out a dominant, perfect regular season if they can earn a win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes beat the Badgers 31-7 on October 26th and are expected to win big again. They’re currently a 15.5-point favorite.
See you same time next week when we start off the week with our Best Bets Of The Week!
