Week 14 NFL Picks: Vikings Get Back on Track in the Sin City
Folks, we fell back under .500 again this past weekend. With a 4-8-1 record, it really couldn’t have gone much worse.
Looking back at this record has made my already bad migraine even worse (this was written in a dark room next to a piping hot bowl of chicken broth), but the show must go on. We have a big weekend in front of us to get back on track, and some are saying that a successful week of picks will be equally as impressive as Michael Jordan’s Flu Game (okay, fine, I’m the only one saying it). Anyways, let’s get into the Week 14 NFL picks.
Here is a look back to how we did in Week 13:
- Cowboys -9 (L)
- Titans +1 (L)
- Chargers -6 (T)
- Lions -4 (W)
- Falcons -3 (W)
- Steelers -5.5 (L)
- Commanders +9.5 (L)
- Broncos +3.5 (L)
- Buccaneers -5 (L)
- Browns +3.5 (L)
- 49ers -3 (W)
- Packers +6 (W)
- Jaguars -8 (L)
Season Record: 95-98-8
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Spread: Steelers -6
- O/U: 30.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Patriots +6
There’s a chance that we don’t even see six points scored in this entire game. The New England Patriots have scored 13 total points in their past three games, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into this matchup without Kenny Pickett at quarterback against a very tough Patriots defense. Nobody should be favored by a touchdown in this game.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
- Spread: Lions -3.5
- O/U: 43.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Lions -3.5
The Bears got to rest up on their bye after defeating the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 12. Even still, it’s tough to trust this offense in any capacity right now. The Lions can essentially wrap up the NFC North division with a couple more wins, so they should be very motivated to get this victory against an inferior opponent.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
- Spread: Falcons -1.5
- O/U: 39.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Buccaneers +1.5
Anytime the NFC South has a chance to turn into a mess, it is going to do so. The Buccaneers can jump back into first-place in the division by beating the Falcons, and Atlanta put together a very underwhelming showing against the Jets last weekend.
Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals
- Spread: Colts -1
- O/U: 43.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Colts -1
We probably won’t get the same showing out of Jake Browning that we saw against the Jaguars, but it also probably won’t be as bad as what happened against the Steelers. However, the Colts have won four-straight games for a reason. They are rounding into form right now and should be able to capture this win.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns
- Spread: Browns -3
- O/U: 30.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Browns -3
Not only could Trevor Lawrence be out for this game, but C.J. Beathard is also dealing with a shoulder injury of his own heading into the weekend. While it seems like Beathard should be able to play, if neither of them are able to go, Nathan Rourke would be the starter for Jacksonville. Whether it’s Beathard or Rourke, it will be a tough ask for them to lead a win against a tough Browns defense that should be motivated after their loss to the Rams.
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
- Spread: Saints -5
- O/U: 37.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Saints -5
Jameis Winston seems to be in line for a start with Derek Carr in concussion protocol, but the QB spot is far from the only question for New Orleans right now. New Orleans had seven players listed as DNP on their Wednesday injury report, including Tayson Hill, Cam Jordan, Marcus Maye, and Rashid Shaheed. Even still, this just isn’t a Panthers team that anyone should feel comfortable picking regardless of the opponent. New Orleans will narrowly cover this game.
Houston Texans at New York Jets
- Spread: Texans -3.5
- O/U: 33.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Texans -3.5
Even without Tank Dell, this Texans offense can find a way to get the job done. Nico Collins stepped up in a huge way last weekend, and Houston’s defense should be able to shut down Zach Wilson. Texans win big.
Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens
- Spread: Ravens -7
- O/U: 40.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Ravens -7
The Ravens are coming off a bye week, and this is a big trip for the Rams. Los Angeles has been playing some great football as of late, but Baltimore’s defense will be too much for them to handle this weekend.
Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders
- Spread: Vikings -3
- O/U: 40.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Vikings -3
The Vikings are rolling with Josh Dobbs for at least one more week, and Justin Jefferson is returning to the lineup. Minnesota’s receiving group will be too much for this Raiders secondary to handle, and they bounce back following the bye.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
- Spread: 49ers -10.5
- O/U: 46.5 points
Frey’s Pick: 49ers -10.5
San Francisco looks like the best team in football right now. They’ve dominated opponents ever since they got fully healthy on the offensive side of the ball, and that shouldn’t change on Sunday.
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
- Spread: Chiefs -1.5
- O/U: 48.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Bills +1.5
Both teams desperately need this win, but the Bills have the advantage of coming off their bye week. Kansas City had a very tough loss to the Green Bay Packers, and they just seem out of sync on the offensive side of the ball. This should be a very good game, but it goes in the Bills’ favor.
Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers
- Spread: Chargers -3
- O/U: 43.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Broncos +3
Speaking of games that both teams need to win, this is another such matchup in the AFC. Both Denver and Los Angeles are clinging to hopes of becoming a Wild Card team in the playoffs, LA had a very lackluster showing against the Jets, and Denver needs to avenge their close loss to the Texans.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
- Spread: Cowboys -3.5
- O/U: 51.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Eagles +3.5
It’s a battle for the NFC East lead on Sunday night, but you know the deal. We’ve been picking Dallas against the top teams in the NFL all season, and that continues here. Philly is coming off a blowout loss to the 49ers and should be mad coming into this matchup.
Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
- Spread: Dolphins -13
- O/U: 46.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Dolphins -13
I’ve been burned by picking against the Dolphins in each of the past two weeks, but I won’t be letting that happen again. Miami is rolling on all cylinders right now, control the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and they are back at home after back-to-back road matchups.
Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
- Spread: Packers -6.5
- O/U: 36.5 points
Frey’s Pick: Giants +6
I’m not necessarily convinced that the Giants can pull off an outright win against Green Bay on Monday night, but this is letdown territory for the Packers. They’ve had back-to-back emotional wins over the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, and now, they have to go on the road to face a frisky Giants team. New York can keep this one close.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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