NFL Week 14 Betting Previews and Picks

The playoff picture is getting a bit clearer. After Week 13, the AFC is almost surely going to place the Denver Broncos (probably first) and the New England Patriots (probably second) as the top two seeds. Indianapolis and Cincinnati are fighting for the third and fourth seeds at this point, and they’ll meet this upcoming Sunday to very likely determine that seeding order in the conference. The AFC West runner-up is now almost certainly going to be the Kansas City Chiefs, following their loss to Denver. In the group of teams fighting for the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot, the San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets all stumbled to fall to 5-7 while the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins bagged huge wins to move to 6-6. Baltimore owns a head-to-head tiebreaker, so the Ravens hold the sixth position with four weeks left in the season.

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In the NFC, Seattle holds the top spot with a two-game lead and a tiebreaker over New Orleans. At this point, the only real question is whether New Orleans or Carolina will end up with the No. 2 seed. Those two teams have equal records (9-3) and will face off twice in the final four weeks. The NFC North and NFC East will compete for the third and fourth seeds. Detroit’s game at Philadelphia this Sunday will influence that particular part of the NFC’s playoff picture. The fifth seed will very likely go to the NFC South runner-up, since both Carolina (at 9-3) and New Orleans (9-3) have beaten San Francisco head-to-head. The 49ers are in position to get the sixth seed after Arizona lost this past Sunday to Philadelphia.

Here’s the inside scoop on Week 14 of the NFL season.

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints

Game Line: Saints -3.5, 47 O/U

The Saints are coming off a short week following their Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks and this will be a quick and tough turnaround that will challenge Sean Payton’s team. However, New Orleans gets this game at home and this is going to be the loudest crowd Cam Newton has had to deal with this season. It’s true that Carolina has won eight games in a row but one would have to think that the odds point to a Panther loss at some point. Can this team really win 12 games in a row to finish the season 13-3? That’s a big task for the Panthers, who are not immensely familiar with late-season pressure situations. If you really had to lean in one direction in this game, you would want to go to the Saints because of their pedigree. Drew Brees’ quick release should be able to neutralize the Panthers’ formidable pass rush and give New Orleans the offensive dexterity it needs in order to win this game.

[geo-link-us link=”http://nflob.old/go/bovadabet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Saints and the over. Saints 34-27.[/geo-link-us][geo-link-ca link=”http://nflob.old/go/bodogbet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Saints and the over. Saints 34-27.[/geo-link-ca]

Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos

Game Line: Broncos -13, 49 O/U

This game might feel easy but that’s the temptation for the Broncos. They are injured on defense – especially up front – and they are also staring at a Thursday game in Week 15. Those who bet on the NFL know that they cannot look beyond this game or ignore the Titans. This could be a trap for Denver but one should expect Peyton Manning to keep this team centered and grounded. His Broncos should also benefit from the fact that head coach John Fox – who has been away from the team for the past month – will return to the sidelines to coach. Those who like NFL betting tips will see Fox’s return as a source of motivation for the Broncos. That should be just the thing to give the Broncos the intensity they will need in order to handle Tennessee and keep their hold on the top seed in the AFC playoffs.

[geo-link-us link=”http://nflob.old/go/bovadabet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Broncos and the over. Broncos 37-17.[/geo-link-us][geo-link-ca link=”http://nflob.old/go/bodogbet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Broncos and the over. Broncos 37-17.[/geo-link-ca]

Indianapolis Colts @ Cincinnati Bengals

Game Line: Bengals -6, 44 O/U

The Colts and Bengals both lost in the AFC wild card round last season and they’re trying to at least get to the point where they can win one playoff game this season. The winner of this game will put itself in a position to achieve that goal. The winner of this game will take command in the race for the No. 3 seed in the AFC while the loser will very likely be fourth. The third seed will play a team that will likely go 9-7, such as the Baltimore Ravens or the Miami Dolphins. The fourth seed will probably play the fifth-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round. The better draw goes to the third seed, so both teams will want this game badly. The Colts’ defense is strong enough to hold down the Bengals’ offense and keep this game under the NFL online betting total but the Colts’ offense has not looked good in a long, long time, so the Bengals will win straight up.

[geo-link-us link=”http://nflob.old/go/bovadabet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Colts and the under. Bengals 20-16.[/geo-link-us][geo-link-ca link=”http://nflob.old/go/bodogbet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Colts and the under. Bengals 20-16.[/geo-link-ca]

Detroit Lions @ Philadelphia Eagles

Game Line: Eagles -3, 54 O/U

In the NFC, these are two teams that still have a lot to prove. The Lions and Eagles have fattened up on weak divisions, and they haven’t been able to win their toughest inter-conference games against good AFC teams. These teams are question marks right now and what’s more is that they don’t know what to expect when they go up against each other, multiplying the degree of uncertainty that hangs over this game. Philadelphia, though, needs this game a lot more than Detroit does, because Philadelphia is tied in its division while Detroit has a one-game lead over the Chicago Bears plus a head-to-head tiebreaker. That bit of incentive should give the Eagles more of a forward push in this contest but it’s also worth noting that the Eagles are 6-1 in games where quarterback Nick Foles takes most of the snaps. Take them with your NFL betting picks.

[geo-link-us link=”http://nflob.old/go/bovadabet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Eagles and the over. Eagles 31-27.[/geo-link-us][geo-link-ca link=”http://nflob.old/go/bodogbet.php”]Free Pick: Take the Eagles and the over. Eagles 31-27.[/geo-link-ca]

Home Dog with the Best Chance to Win is: The Jacksonville Jaguars

If you’re betting on the NFL this weekend, get an early jump by taking the Jaguars. They won outright in Houston a couple weeks ago as a 10.5-point underdog. Clearly, they aren’t getting any respect at home. Houston has lost 10 straight while Jacksonville has won three of four. The Jags (3-9) actually have a better record than Houston (2-10). Take a shot with the Jags as they have more momentum right now.

Home Dog of the Week: Jaguars

Most Important Injury of the Week is…

Jay Cutler. NFL football betting cappers should note that Thursday’s practice should determine his status. He’s recovering from an ankle injury and is going to be questionable most of the week. Sure, Josh McCown has looked good from a stats perspective but you can’t argue with the fact that the Bears are 4-2 in games that Cutler starts and finishes, and are 2-5 otherwise.

7-Point Teaser of the Week: Cardinals +1 & Steelers +4

For our first pick, we’re going to shift the NFL betting odds with the Arizona Cardinals at home. They are 5-1 in their own confines and are in need of a win to stay in the playoff hunt. Meanwhile, the visiting St. Louis Rams are just 2-4 on the road.

For our second play, we’ll move the Steelers into the role of a home dog as they host the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers won’t lose at home to the Dolphins team they need to catch in the AFC wild card race. They’ll have 10 days to prepare while the Dolphins have just one win in their last four road games.