December 08, 2020
For the second week in a row, the NFL weekend has stretched into the mid-week, with the Ravens and Cowboys playing some Tuesday night football a day after COVID-19 issues forced a Monday doubleheader. As of this writing, however, every Week 14 game is expected to take place on a normal NFL schedule, with one game each on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights, with the bulk of the action taking place on Sunday afternoon.
That will be a welcome return for bettors and fantasy players alike, as the odd schedule has produced some odd results around the league and forced some to rethink their strategy before laying down some money. Of course, all of this is subject to change at moment's notice, but for now, we'll do out best to give you a glimpse at the entire NFL slate for Week 14 and the early betting lines.
This week, let's take a look at the odds you can get at Draft Kings, courtesy of TheLines.com....
Patriots at Rams (-5)
The Patriots played their best game of the season last week, knocking off the lowly Chargers by a score of 45-0. On a short week, they'll again play in Los Angeles, this time against a much better Rams team that's not only expected to put up more of a fight, but one that's also coming into the game as five-point favorites. Can Cam Newton and the Patriots get back above .500 or will Jared Goff and the Rams pick up their ninth win of the season to ensure they remain atop the NFC West for another week?
Texans (-1.5) at Bears
The once 5-1 Chicago Bears are now just 5-7 on the season after losing six straight games, including Sunday's 34-30 loss to the Lions. This week they'll host the Texans, who have actually been playing better lately. They lost to the first-place Colts in a close AFC South matchup last week, and prior to that won back-to-back games over the Lions and Patriots. Meanwhile, their opponent has been in a free-fall and continues to start Mitch Trubisky over Nick Foles.
Vikings at Buccaneers (-6.5)
After an awful start to the season, the Vikings have pulled themselves back into the playoff picture at 6-6, thanks to an overtime win over the 1-11 Jags. And a victory on Sunday over the 7-5 Bucs could go a long way toward helping them advance to the postseason. Not only would it be a crucial win heading down the stretch, but it would come against a team they'll likely be battling for a wild card spot. The Bucs, meanwhile, haven't quite performed up to expectations this year, and they're currently three games off the pace in the NFC South, a division that will almost certainly be won by the Saints. Coming off a bye — that followed back-to-back losses — Tom Brady and Co. need a win just as badly as the Vikings. This could be a good game, assuming the good version of
Titans (-7) at Jaguars
The Titans turned what looked like a spanking from the Browns into just a six-point loss in Week 13, but it was a loss nonetheless. And it cost them first place in the AFC South. Now, they'll look to bounce back with a win over the Jags, who have the second-worst record in football behind the winless Jets. After that spanking last weekend in Cleveland, Tennessee may come out with something to prove and this one could get ugly.
Cowboys (-3) at Bengals
Dallas has yet to play their Week 13 game — at least as of this writing — but they're already three-point favorites against the Bengals. It's not surprising that's the case in this matchup between two teams that have a combined five wins. Cincinnati, like Dallas, will be without their starting quarterback on Sunday, as both Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow both sustained season-ending injuries earlier in the year. The difference is that the rest of the Cowboys roster — including their backup QB Andy Dalton — is considerably better than what the Bengals have to offer. That's why they'll head into Week 14 as road favorites.
Cardinals (-2.5) at Giants
Well, well, well. A few weeks ago, the expectation here would be that the Cardinals enter this game as touchdown favorites following Daniel Jones' injury. But, the QB looks like he could be back sooner than expected — and even if he's not, backup Colt McCoy just led New York into Seattle last week for an upset of the Seahawks. That was the Giants' fourth straight win. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are trending in the opposite direction after losing three straight.
Broncos at Panthers (-3.5)
The Panthers have lost five of their last six. The Broncos have lost four of their last five. They're both 4-8, and someone has to win this game. And Carolina could be getting Christian McCaffrey back this week. If they do, you might see this line shift a little more in their favor.
Chiefs (-7) at Dolphins
I know the Dolphins have won seven of their last eight games and are a surprising 8-4 on the season. But the Chiefs as only a seven point favorite in Miami (site of their Super Bowl win 10 months ago), where the weather should be perfect for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense? What do the oddsmakers know* that I don't?
*A lot.
Colts (-2.5) at Raiders
The Raiders' picked up a miraculous win over the 0-12 Jets last week — and got defensive coordinator Gregg Williams fired in the process. The Colts, meanwhile, have won three of their last four, with their only loss coming against the Titans two weeks after Indianapolis beat them in their first meeting of the season. The Titans have a layup this week against the Jags, so if the Colts want to keep pace with Tennessee atop the division, they'll need to win games like this.
Jets at Seahawks (-13.5)
The Jets almost pulled off the upset last week. The Seahawks were the victims of one of the bigger upsets of the weekend. Expect things to return to normal in Week 14.
Packers (-7.5) at Lions
After beating the Eagles on Sunday and finally forcing the team to turn the offense over to rookie Jalen Hurts, the Packers will head into Detroit for a divisional matchup against the 5-7 Lions. Coincidentally, the Lions have been playing much worse at home this season (just 1-4 compared to 4-3 on the road). After winning four straight in this matchup in 2017-18, the Lions have lost three straight. Aaron Rodgers has played like an MVP this season and there's really no reason to expect that to change this weekend against a Lions team that is 31st in points against and 28th in yards allowed this season.
Falcons (-2.5) at Chargers
Another matchup between two teams who won't be playing in the postseason this year. The Falcons have lost two of their last three, with both losses coming against the Saints. Sandwiched in between those losses was a 43-6 win over the Raiders. The Chargers, meanwhile, have struggled this season after losing Philip Rivers in the offseason and spending much of the year without top running back Austin Ekeler. He's back now, but he was also back last week when Los Angeles was blanked by New England.
Washington at 49ers (-3.5)
After upsetting the Steelers and handing them their first loss of the season on Monday night, the Washington Football team remains a road underdog on Sunday heading into San Francisco Phoenix. That's right, this will be a neutral site game as COVID restrictions in Santa Clara forced the team to relocate its games. Even still, the 5-7 49ers are more than a field goal favorite against the 5-7 Football Team that has won three straight games and is surprisingly close to a wild card spot. Wait, could the NFC East — you know, the division that everyone's been ripping to shreds this season — actually get two playoff teams? Turns out anything is possible in 2020.
Saints (-7.5) at Eagles
We'll have a lot more on this game as the week goes on, but it will be interesting to see if this line moves at all now that Jalen Hurts will be getting his first NFL start.
Steelers at Bills (-2.5)
Man, lose one game to a team that doesn't have a name and you're suddenly 2.5-point underdogs despite an 11-1 record? That will happen when you're playing on the road against the first-place Buffalo Bills (9-3). This should be a great primetime matchup as Ben Roethlisberger will look to bounce back against Josh Allen and the upstart Bills.
Ravens (-1) at Browns
The Ravens still have a game to play, so this line could change, but who would have thought heading into the season that Baltimore would be favored by a single point heading into their Week 14 matchup against the Browns? Sure, COVID has really messed up the Ravens schedule of late, but that's more of a credit to first-year Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski than anything else. The Browns are currently in second place in the NFC North and 2.5 games ahead of the Ravens.
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