How time flies! We’re already more than halfway through the 2015 NFL season and we are slowly seeing teams starting to emerge from the pack. The Patriots and the Panthers are the only remaining teams without a loss this season and it will be interesting to see if they can keep those unbeaten slates intact when NFL action resumes in Week 11.
To find out which will team will surprise this week, check out our complete NFL Week 11 picks below. And while you’re at it, don’t miss out our breakdown of the Monday Night Football game between Buffalo and New England.
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2015 NFL Week 11 Picks
Thursday, November 19
Tennessee Titans (+3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)
[sc:NFL240banner ]Where would the Jaguars be without kicker extraordinaire Jason Myers? The Jacksonville kicker hit a 53-yarder with no time left to give the Jaguars a heart-stopping 22-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. It was a huge victory for Jacksonville who had lost 13 in a row on the road since winning at Cleveland on December 1, 2013.
The Jaguars will look to keep the momentum going against a Tennessee side that has been simply atrocious of late. The Titans stumbled to their seventh defeat in the last eight games with a 27-10 loss Sunday to the Carolina Panthers. Tennessee’s offense has been a disaster this season, scoring just 18.8 points per game, fifth- worst in the NFL. The Titans will look to get their game going against a Jacksonville side that is 30th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing a whopping 28.3 points per contest.
Writer’s Prediction: Jacksonville covers the spread with a 27-17 victory.
Sunday, November 22
Oakland Raiders (-1.5) at Detroit Lions (+1.5)
All is right in Detroit once again after the Lions recorded a stunning 18-16 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. It was a morale-boosting victory for the league-worst Lions who finally snapped their 24-game road losing streak against the Packers. Detroit hadn’t defeated Green Bay on the road since a 21-17 victory on December 15, 1991.
The Lions will look to make it back-to-back wins when they take on the Oakland Raiders this coming Sunday. The Raiders have lost their last two games to fall further behind in the AFC playoff race. For Oakland to end its losing rut, the Raiders need a better performance from quarterback Derek Carr. He threw two touchdown passes in the loss to Minnesota but also was intercepted twice.
Find out more about this showdown in our game preview here.
Writer’s Prediction: The Raiders edge past the Lions, 27-24.
Indianapolis Colts (+6) at Atlanta Falcons (-6)
Atlanta’s bye week couldn’t have come at a much opportune time after they lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 17-16, in Week 9 for their second defeat in a row. That setback proved to be costly for the Falcons as they are now three games behind the unbeaten Carolina Panthers in the NFC South standings.
The root of the Falcons’ problems during this losing rut has been their lack of offensive production. In their last two losses, they have scored just 18.0 points per ballgame. That’s way below their season average of 25.4 points per outing. They will look to get their scoring groove back against an Indianapolis side that has struggled mightily on the defensive end this year. The Colts are allowing a whopping 394.2 yards per game this season, fifth-worst in the NFL.
Writer’s Prediction: Atlanta returns to winning ways with a comprehensive 30-16 victory.
New York Jets at Houston Texans
Who can bet against the Houston Texans after their amazing defensive display Monday night? The Texans limited the previously unbeaten Bengals to just 256 total yards, holding them to just a pair of field goals in their much-anticipated MNF clash. It was a dominating performance by the Texans who have now gone 10 quarters without surrendering an offensive touchdown.
They will look to sustain that excellent form when they take on the Jets this coming Sunday. The Jets are coming off a disappointing 22-17 loss to Buffalo in their first meeting with former head coach Rex Ryan. It was another dismal performance by the Jets who have now lost three of their last four games.
The Philadelphia Eagles wasted a glorious opportunity to gain some ground in the NFC East as they suffered a gut-wrenching 20-19 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Eagles let slip an early 13-point lead as they remained a half-game behind the leaders New York Giants in the division standings.
Philadelphia will look to get its season back on track when it takes on the reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming Sunday. The Eagles will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Bucs of late. The Eagles are 3-0 SU and ATS in their last three meetings with Tampa Bay. That being said, they can’t underestimate the Bucs who have managed to win three of their last five games.
You can check out a complete breakdown of this NFL game here.
Writer’s Prediction: Philadelphia eases past Tampa Bay, 27-14.
Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears
Things are going from bad to worse for the Denver Broncos who crashed to their second consecutive loss with a humiliating 29-13 defeat to Kansas City Sunday. Peyton Manning had a horrible day for the Broncos, finishing with just 35 yards on 5-of-20 passing, zero touchdowns, four interceptions, two sacks and a mind-boggling zero passer rating.
It won’t get any easier for the Broncos this coming weekend as standing in their way in Week 11 are the surging Chicago Bears. The Bears extended their winning streak to two games with a resounding 37-13 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. Jeremy Langford finished with 182 total yards and two touchdowns for the Bears who improved to 3-1 on the road this season. They will need to improve on their home form, though, if they are to beat the Broncos this coming weekend. The Bears are just 1-4 at Soldier Field this year.
Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this contest.
Writer’s Prediction: The Bears pile more misery on the Broncos with a convincing 28-10 win.
St. Louis Rams (+2.5) at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5)
Baltimore’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Ravens suffered a gut-wrenching 22-20 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday. Miscues doomed the bumbling Ravens who committed a whopping four turnovers and were penalized nine times for 121 yards. Elvis Dumervil’s penalty as time expired was a back-breaker as it helped set up Jason Myers’ game-winning 53-yard field goal. It was another disappointing defeat for Baltimore who has lost its seven games this season by a total of 32 points.
Next up for Baltimore is a Week 11 clash with St. Louis. Like the Ravens, the Rams are struggling for form at the present time. Their 37-13 loss to Chicago on Sunday was their second defeat in a row. To shake things up for his squad, head coach Jeff Fisher has decided to name Case Keenum as his new starting quarterback. The Rams were a disappointment under the play-calling of Nick Foles, placing 31st in the NFL in yards per game and last in passing offense.
You can check our complete preview of this game here.
Writer’s Prediction: The Ravens roll past the Rams, 31-16.
Dallas Cowboys (-1) at Miami Dolphins (+1)
The Miami Dolphins kept their flickering playoff hopes alive with a nerve-wracking 20-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Dolphins rallied from a 13-point deficit to snap their two-game losing skid and stay within five games of the New England Patriots for the AFC East lead.
Ndamukong Suh was the star of the show for the Dolphins, recording a sack, three tackles for losses and three hurries in the win against the Eagles. He will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing a Dallas side that is averaging just 18.4 points per game this season, second-worst in the NFL. Help is on the way, though, for the slumping Cowboys with Tony Romo set to make his long-awaited return from a collarbone injury. The Cowboys went 0-7 in the games that Romo missed this season.
Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this contest.
Writer’s Prediction: Miami covers the spread with a two-touchdown victory.
Washington Redskins (+7.5) at Carolina Panthers (-7.5)
There’s just no stopping the Carolina Panthers right now after they recorded their 13th consecutive regular-season victory with a comprehensive 27-10 win over Tennessee on Sunday. Cam Newton passed for 217 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers who are 9-0 for the first time in their franchise history.
They will look to solidify their hold of the top spot in the NFC when they face the Washington Redskins who are fresh off an emphatic 47-14 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Kirk Cousins was simply sensational for the Redskins, throwing a career-high four touchdown passes in that game. He will look to create the same kind of success against a Carolina secondary that’s allowing 234.6 yards per game through the air this season, 11th in the NFL.
Click here for an in-depth analysis of this NFL encounter.
Writer’s Prediction: The Panthers win but the Redskins cover.
Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at San Diego Chargers (+3)
The Kansas City Chiefs will head to their AFC West showdown with the San Diego Chargers with momentum on their side after upsetting the division-leading Denver Broncos, 29-13, on Sunday. It was a fantastic victory by the Chiefs who have now won three consecutive games. The win also snapped Denver’s nine-game unbeaten run against AFC West teams.
Key to their win against the Broncos was their phenomenal defense. The Chiefs had five interceptions on Sunday as they limited star quarterback Peyton Manning to just 35 yards. They will look to bring that same aggressive defense against a San Diego side that has scored an average of just 22.8 points during their current five-game losing streak. The Chiefs are 3-0 ATS in their last three meetings with the Chargers.
Want to know more about this matchup? Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this AFC West clash.
Writer’s Prediction: Kansas City extends its winning streak to four games with a 27-20 victory.
Green Bay Packers (+1) at Minnesota Vikings (-1)
Don’t look now but the Minnesota Vikings are on top of the NFC North division after an impressive 30-14 bludgeoning of the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Adrian Peterson ran for 203 yards and a touchdown to lead the Vikings to their fifth consecutive win. The Vikings are 6-0 this season when Peterson rushes for at least 98 yards.
They can create further separation from the chasing pack when they face arch-rivals Green Bay this coming Sunday. The Packers stumbled to their third straight loss with a humbling 18-16 defeat to the Detroit Lions Sunday. This marked the first time since 2008 that the Packers have lost three in a row with Aaron Rodgers as their starter. Green Bay is ranked just 22nd in passing offense and 21st in total yards this season.
You can read a complete preview of this game here.
Writer’s Prediction: The Vikings stretch their division lead with a narrow 24-21 win.
San Francisco 49ers (+12) at Seattle Seahawks (-12)
Seattle’s playoff hopes took a huge hit on Sunday as it suffered a stinging 39-32 loss to Arizona on Sunday. Russell Wilson had another miserable outing for Seattle, completing just 14-of-32 passes for 240 yards, one touchdown and one interception. To make matters worse for the Seahawks, their defense also failed to live up to their lofty billing in this game. The Cardinals had 30 total first downs on Sunday, the most that Seattle has allowed in the regular season since 2010.
The Seahawks will look to get their season back on track when they take on arch-rivals San Francisco in what is essentially a make-or-break contest for both sides. The Seahawks will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have dominated the 49ers in their recent meetings. They are 4-0 SU against San Francisco in their last four games. The Seahawks have also covered the spread in their last nine meetings with the 49ers.
Writer’s Prediction: Seattle keeps its postseason hopes alive with a huge 31-13 win.
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals stormed to their third consecutive win Sunday with a thrilling 39-32 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Carson Palmer threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns for the Cardinals who are now three games clear at the top of the NFC West standings. The Cardinals will be hard-pressed to extend that winning streak, however, as they will next face the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals are a perfect 4-0 on the road this season. The Bengals, however, are coming off their first loss of the season, absorbing a disappointing 10-6 loss to Houston on Monday night. Andy Dalton had a tough time against the Texans’ defense, completing just 21-of-37 passes for 187 yards with an interception and three sacks.
Writer’s Prediction: Arizona’s winning run continues with a 34-27 victory.
Monday, November 23
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Can anyone stop the New England Patriots? That’s the question on everyone’s lips after the Pats escaped with a dramatic 27-26 victory in Week 10 against the New York Giants. Stephen Gostkowski starred in New England’s latest triumph, hitting a 54-yard field goal with a second remaining in the game clock to preserve the Pats’ unbeaten record.
The Patriots will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they take on the Buffalo Bills this coming Monday. The Bills are coming off a morale-boosting 22-17 victory over the New York Jets on Thursday. The Bills’ defense stood tall in this win, holding the Jets to just 318 total yards. They will have their work cut out for them, however, against a New England offense that is second in the league in that said department, averaging a whopping 418.7 yards per game this season.
Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this Monday Night Football clash.
Writer’s Prediction: The Patriots preserve their unblemished slate with a 30-17 win over the Bills.
