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There will be six teams on a bye during Week 14. They include the Ravens, Texans, Commanders, and Broncos, each of which have playoff aspirations. Among the games that will be on the docket is an intriguing matchup between the Lions and Packers on Thursday Night Football.
Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format that requires it. The games will be grouped into locks, semi-confident picks, and toss-ups. The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least confident pick. The winner picks are italicized.
Some weeks, you may see a subcategory of “Wait and See” because some platforms require all games to be selected before the kickoff of Thursday Night Football. There may still be some injury questions for Sunday and Monday games. If that’s the case, I’ll leave those games off to the side and suggest where they should be placed if a player is in or out. Let’s get to our Week 14 picks.
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Week 14 NFL Pick'em Pool Locks
The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least-confident pick. The higher the number, the better. The winner picks are italicized.
- 13 – Philadelphia vs. Carolina
- 12 – Tampa Bay vs. Las Vegas
- 11 – Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
The Panthers have played much better lately. They won back-to-back games against the Saints and Giants, then lost to the Chiefs and Buccaneers by three points each. While they look like a more competitive team, asking them to beat an Eagles team in Philadelphia that has won eight straight games is a tall order.
Most Rush Yards in the NFL:
1. Saquon Barkley - 1,499
2. Derrick Henry - 1,407
3. Josh Jacobs - 987
4. Saquon Barkley *just in the 2nd half* - 982
5. Jahmyr Gibbs - 973 pic.twitter.com/19z97Jezvg— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 2, 2024
The Buccaneers have won back-to-back games to move into a tie atop the NFC South standings. They will try to extend their winning streak to three games against the Raiders, who have lost eight straight games and are 1-6 on the road. The Buccaneers are the vastly superior team here, so look for them to take care of business at home.
This will be the fourth straight game that the Steelers have played within their division. They defeated the Ravens and Bengals but lost to the Browns in Cleveland in Week 12. The Steelers will be at home for this rematch, and the Browns have won just three games all season. It would be a major surprise if the Browns swept the season series against a Steelers team that is currently 9-3.
Semi-Confident Picks For Week 14 Pick'em Pools
10 – Miami vs. New York Jets
I debated making this a lock but ultimately decided to put it in the semi-confident section because anything can happen in a divisional matchup between two teams that have a losing record.
The Dolphins mostly have a losing record because Tua Tagovailoa missed time earlier this season with a concussion. The Jets are 3-9 and seem to find a new way to lose each week. The Jets are 1-5 on the road, so the Dolphins should emerge from this matchup with the victory.
Tua x Achane + YAC =
TOUCHDOWN!!! pic.twitter.com/oep2Tk4d1O
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) November 29, 2024
9 – Kansas City vs. Los Angeles Chargers
This is another marquee matchup for the week. The Chargers are 8-4 but are still three games behind the Chiefs in the AFC West. It’s not always pretty, but the Chiefs just continue to find ways to win games. They are 6-0 at home and have Isiah Pacheco back from injury, making them even more formidable. He should play more in this game after receiving just seven carries in his return last week.
8 – Minnesota vs. Atlanta
The Vikings have won five straight to improve to 10-2 for the season. They are 5-1 at home, with the lone home defeat coming against the Lions. Kirk Cousins is struggling right now for the Falcons, which has contributed to them losing three straight games. This is not a favorable situation for them to break out of their slump.
7 – Detroit vs. Green Bay
This should be one of the better Thursday Night Football games of the season. The Lions have won 10 straight games, and the Packers have won three straight games to improve their record to 9-3. That has included them going 4-1 on the road. As impressive as the Packers have been, the Lions are the better team and will have the advantage of playing at home. This is the Lions' game to win.
NFL Pick'em Toss-Ups Of Week 14
6 – Cincinnati at Dallas
The Bengals should be the prohibitive favorite in a matchup between Joe Burrow and Cooper Rush. However, their defense has been awful and has been the main reason why they have disappointed at 4-8. They should be able to outscore the Cowboys, but with how bad their defense has been, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if the Cowboys make this close.
5 – San Francisco vs. Chicago
The 49ers sit in last place in the NFC West with their 5-7 record. They are only two games out of first place, but passing three teams in the standings won’t be easy with Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) out. While their offense may be limited moving forward, I’ll still lean toward them beating a Bears team that is 0-5 on the road.
4 – Tennessee vs. Jacksonville
We’re likely looking at Mac Jones against Will Levis after Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion Sunday. One important stat for this game is that the Jaguars are 0-6 on the road. Things can go either way when two bad quarterbacks face each other, but the Titans should have the edge with this game being at home. Levis has also recorded at least two touchdown passes in three of his last four games.
3 – Buffalo at Los Angeles Rams
The Bills are 10-2, and the Rams are 6-6, so this doesn’t exactly have the initial look of being a toss-up. However, both losses suffered by the Bills have come on the road. Matthew Stafford is dealing with a minor ankle sprain but should play in this game. He has his top-2 receiving options at his disposal and will be at home, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the Rams pulled off an upset.
Passing TD ✅
Rushing TD ✅
Receiving TD ✅Josh Allen is the first QB to ever do this in the same game. pic.twitter.com/bAItbsRLHe
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 2, 2024
2 – Arizona vs. Seattle
These two teams have been wildly inconsistent. After winning four straight, the Cardinals have lost back-to-back games. That included a Week 12 loss at the hands of the Seahawks in Seattle. After losing five of six games, the Seahawks have now rattled off three straight victories. Slight lean toward the Cardinals here because they are 4-2 at home.
1 – Saints at Giants
The Giants are a trainwreck. Drew Lock will start again at quarterback, but the biggest news is that Dexter Lawrence II (elbow) has been placed on injured reserve. He is the centerpiece of their defense. As bad as the Giants have been, the Saints are just 1-4 on the road. The Saints are less of a mess right now, so I’ll give them a slight edge. However, this game could go either way.
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