2016 NFL Week 14 Predictions, Picks and Preview

Week 14 of the NFL season is going to be good. There are no more byes from here on out, so it’ll be a complete 16-game slate. There will also be a handful of excellent division matchups, a couple of which will involve two of the best teams in the league – the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders – in rematches against teams which beat them earlier in the year. Check out our against the spread picks and predictions for all 16 Week 14 games below.

NFL News and Previews

Washington Redskins vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview - October 2, 2017

Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos Preview - October 1, 2017

Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots Preview - October 1, 2017

2017 NFL Week 4 Picks and Predictions

2016 NFL Week 14 Against the Spread Picks

Thursday, December 8

Oakland Raiders (+3) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (-3) – 8:30 PM ET

Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders just continue to impress. In the last two games, their grit and resilience has come to the fore. Carr came back from a painful finger injury to lead them to victory against the Texans. And on Sunday, they stormed back from 15 points down to beat the Bills, 38-24. Carr and co. did the business on offense, while Khalil Mack wreaked all sorts of havoc on defense.

The Chiefs will be a tough matchup. They dealt the Raiders one of their two losses earlier this season. But Kansas City’s incredible string of defensive and special teams scoring plays has to dry up some time, though, and if it does, the Chiefs don’t have nearly enough offense to hang with the Raiders.

Writer’s Prediction: The Raiders (+3) pull away in the AFC West with a 28-24 win at Arrowhead.

Sunday, December 11

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) vs. Buffalo Bills (+3) – 1:00 PM ET

The Steelers are renowned for their explosive offense, but their defense looks legit as well. Of course, holding the Browns and the Andrew Luck-less Colts to 16 combined points isn’t all that noteworthy, but keeping Eli Manning, Odell Beckham and the Giants to seven points before garbage time is a bit more impressive.

The Steelers’ very solid run defense should be able to limit the Bills’ run-heavy offense, while Big Ben, Le’Veon Bell and co. should put enough points on the board against a mediocre Bills defense.

Writer’s Prediction: The Steelers (-2) get the 27-17 road win.

Denver Broncos (PK) vs. Tennessee Titans (PK) – 1:00 PM ET

The Broncos proved once again that they don’t need much of an offense to win. They could only muster 206 total yards of offense on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but their defense forced Blake Bortles to three turnovers, and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Obviously, the Broncos’ chances of winning will be much, much, higher if quarterback Trevor Siemian can return in place of rookie Paxton Lynch, who was not good against the Jags. That Broncos defense, though, is certainly good enough to lead them to another victory against the Titans and Marcus Mariota, who is also capable of committing a few costly turnovers himself.

Writer’s Prediction: The Broncos D shuts down Mariota as Denver wins, 17-13.

Washington Redskins (PK) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (PK) – 1:00 PM ET

The Redskins have now dropped two games in a row, but they did remain very competitive in their losses to the Cowboys and Cardinals on the road. Kirk Cousins and crew now have a golden opportunity to bounce back against an Eagles team that is finally unraveling.

The Eagles, meanwhile, have lost three games in a row, and they haven’t looked good at all. All three of their losses were by double-digits. Their offense has fallen off a cliff without a running game, while rookie Carson Wentz has turned into a turnover machine. He has thrown six picks in his last three games. It’s just hard to see the Eagles producing enough offense to pose any threat to the explosive Redskins.

Writer’s Prediction: The Redskins (PK) rout the falling Eagles, 34-17.

Arizona Cardinals (+2) vs. Miami Dolphins (-2) – 1:00 PM ET

The Dolphins’ impressive six-game win streak ended with a thud in their 38-6 drubbing at the hands of the Ravens. Baltimore was able to get up big, stop the run and force Ryan Tannehill to throw; as you’d expect, it did not end well for Miami.

Their next opponents, the Cardinals, look like another bad matchup for the Dolphins in that the Cards can put pressure on Tannehill with their pass rush all night long. They can also pound the ball down the mediocre Dolphins run defense’s throat with the unstoppable force that is David Johnson.

Writer’s Prediction: The Cardinals (+2) come out on top, 28-21.

San Diego Chargers (+1.5) vs. Carolina Panthers (-1.5) – 1:00 PM ET

The Panthers are just a complete mess at the moment. Their offensive line (and their offense as a whole) is a shambles, while their defense has been beat up and inconsistent. But they still have Cam Newton and the still have pride. They were flat-out embarrassed in Sunday night’s 40-7 loss to the Seahawks, and you’d have to expect some sort of the response from the reigning (but outgoing) NFC champs.

The Chargers haven’t exactly been world-beaters, either. They have been too inconsistent from week to week over the last month or so, and they basically have nothing left to play for with the playoffs seemingly out of reach. Look for the Panthers to get their running game back going after getting shut down by Seattle.

Writer’s Prediction: The Panthers (-1.5) restore some pride with a 28-24 home win.

Cincinnati Bengals (-6) vs. Cleveland Browns (+6) – 1:00 PM ET

Cincinnati hasn’t completely thrown in the towel on the season just yet. The Bengals blew out the Eagles 32-14 as they produced on both sides of the ball. Andy Dalton threw for 332 yards (his most since Week 2) and two touchdowns, while the defense forced three turnovers.

The Browns will continue to fight till the bitter end, but they just don’t have the talent to compete. They’ve been beaten by at least two touchdowns in their last three division games, a streak which began with a 31-17 Bengals win in Week 7.

Writer’s Prediction: The Bengals (-6) blow out the Browns, 35-10.

Chicago Bears (+7.5) vs. Detroit Lions (-7.5) – 1:00 PM ET

The Lions are legit. They’re now 7-1 in their last eight games with a four-game win streak after beating the Saints at New Orleans, 28-13. Everyone has raved about Matthew Stafford’s play, but the defense saved the day once again. They got the game-winning pick on Thanksgiving against the Vikings, and followed that up by holding the explosive Saints offense to 13 points, while forcing three turnovers.

The Bears were able to beat up on the lowly San Francisco 49ers, but don’t expect them to further jeopardize their draft position by trying to go for another win in Detroit.

Writer’s Prediction: The Lions (-7.5) take care of business as they beat the Bears, 31-21.

Houston Texans (+6.5) vs. Indianapolis Colts (-6.5) – 1:00 PM ET

Sometimes, it’s just as simple as picking the better quarteback. And in this matchup, there’s only one right answer. Andrew Luck reminded everyone just how good he can be by throwing four touchdowns against the Jets on Monday Night Football. The Texans defense should be able to put up a bit more resistance, but would you really trust Brock Osweiler to outgun Luck, even against a subpar Colts defense?

Writer’s Prediction: The Colts (-6.5) win and cover, 28-21.

Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (+3.5) – 1:00 PM ET

The Vikings have certainly played enough to win their last two games, but came away just short on both occasions. After starting the season 5-0, they have now gone 1-5 in their last six. Their defense, though, has silenced doubts about their ability as they limited the high-powered Cowboys offense to just 264 yards and 1-of-9 on third downs in a tough 17-15 loss.

After seeing what the Denver defense did to Blake Bortles and the hopeless Jags, expect a bit of the same against the Vikings, who will be desperate to avoid a complete collapse.

Writer’s Prediction: The Vikings (-3.5) shut down the Jags en route to a 17-10 win.

New York Jets (+3) vs. San Francisco 49ers (-3) – 4:05 PM ET

It’s tough to know exactly who wants to win this game. Perhaps the Jets, as head coach Todd Bowles is likely on the line after a disastrous season. And as bad as Ryan Fitzpatrick is, Blaine Gabbert is still worse.

Writer’s Prediction: The Jets (+3) win, 21-17.

New Orleans Saints (+3) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) – 4:25 PM ET

Don’t look now, but it’s probably time to believe in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They’ve now won four in a row, and are now in a tie for first in the NFC South. Jameis Winston is not making nearly as many boneheaded plays as he used to, and the defense has been making lots of timely plays. They’ve forced 11 turnovers during their current win streak.

It’s actually been ever reliable vet Drew Brees who’s looked pretty shaky. He threw three more picks in their loss to the Lions, and now has six in his last four games. The Saints on their best day can topple anyone, but they’ve just been too erratic to be trusted at the moment, especially against a Bucs team that’s beginning to figuring things out.

Writer’s Prediction: The Bucs (-3) keep pace in the division with a 31-28 home win.

Atlanta Falcons (-6.5) vs. Los Angeles Rams (+6.5) – 4:25 PM ET

The Falcons lost by just about the roughest way possible as they gave up a game-losing “pick-two” shortly after they got the go-ahead score against the Kansas City Chiefs. There’s no shame in losing to a very good Chiefs team, but don’t expect them to suddenly drop two in a row, especially not against a rookie quarterback.

Jared Goff and the Rams have been put to the sword in his first two starts, both of which have been blowout losses. They could be set for an even worse beatdown as they face the Falcons, who are the league’s leading scorers (32.5 points per game).

Writer’s Prediction: The Falcons (-6.5) run away from Goff and the Rams, 38-14.

Seattle Seahawks (-3) vs. Green Bay Packers (+3) – 4:25 PM ET

The Seahawks most likely lost Earl Thomas long-term, which isn’t good news ahead of a matchup with Aaron Rodgers. However, the Seattle offense is finally hitting its stride. The passing game is clicking with a healthy Russell Wilson pulling the strings, while Thomas Rawls (15 carries, 106 yards, 2 TDs) tore the Panthers to shreds on the ground in their 40-7 win on Sunday night.

Despite the Packers’ recent resurgence, their pass defense remains a liability Wilson can exploit. Meanwhile, the return of Seahawks pass rusher Michael Bennett could mean trouble for Rodgers and his offensive line.

Writer’s Prediction: The Seahawks (-2.5) stop the Packers’ revival with a 28-24 win.

Dallas Cowboys (-3) vs. New York Giants (+3) – 8:30 PM ET

The Cowboys had to slow down some time, and they’re doing so now. Despite winning their last two games against the Redskins and Vikings, they allowed late scores which have seen them go 0-2 ATS after starting the season 9-1-1 ATS.

However, the Cowboys have every incentive to go full throttle against the Giants, who beat them by one point in Week 1. A win would also essentially clinch the NFC East for the Cowboys, so they should be going right for the jugular.

The Giants have played Dallas fairly closely in recent meetings – four of the last five meetings between the two have been decided by three points or fewer – but with their defensive line banged up and their offense a disaster, they are in danger of a second-straight loss.

Writer’s Prediction: The Cowboys (-3) all but clinch the division with a 28-21 win.

Monday, December 12

Baltimore Ravens (+7) vs. New England Patriots (-7) – 8:30 PM ET

The Ravens may be aggressively unsexy and uninteresting on offense, but they’ve been just effective enough. Joe Flacco, though, is coming off easily his best game of the season, as he threw for 381 yards with four touchdowns against the Dolphins. He now faces a Pats pass defense that’s been one of the very worst in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore defense has been terrific for most of the season. The Patriots are not quite the same explosive offense without Rob Gronkowski, so the Ravens should be able to keep Brady and co. in check.

Writer’s Prediction: The Patriots win, but the Ravens (+7) keep it close, 27-24.

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