NFL Week 14 Picks: Game-by-Game Over/Under Predictions

The slate in Week 14 starts with a bang as the rarely relevant Thursday Night Football game kicks off the week with the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs vying for first place in the AFC West. 

A win for the Chiefs ties them with the 10-2 Raiders for first place in the division, while Oakland can take sole possession of the top spot by two games with a win in the marquee matchup. 

As we draw one week closer to the playoffs, there are several matchups that just mean a little bit more given their ramifications on the standings. From divisional rivalries to teams just trying to claw their way into a wild-card spot, here’s a look at the entire schedule for the week with the latest odds from Odds Shark and a prediction for each:

Oakland at Kansas City

There’s no doubt this is the main event of the week. The AFC West has been the best conference overall this season and could wind up featuring a divisional championship game with the winner going into the final three weeks of the season with serious momentum. 

The first matchup between these two teams wasn’t particularly close, though. 

The Chiefs handed the Raiders one of their two losses this season 26-10 on the strength of a 13-0 run in the second half. 

Since then, the Raiders have ripped off six straight wins and recently had a monstrous second half of their own. Down 24-9 in the third quarter last week, Derek Carr led a comeback that resulted in a 38-24 win. 

So why take the Chiefs against the red-hot Raiders?

Because the Chiefs aren’t much different than they were when they beat the Raiders the first time around. Kansas City has gone on a tear of its own, going 6-1 during the same stretch. 

Then there’s the track record of Alex Smith having some of his best games against the Oakland Raiders. BJ Kissell noted Smith’s career success against the franchise:

In his career, #Chiefs QB Alex Smith is 8-1 against the #Raiders with 18 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions. #RaiderWeek pic.twitter.com/xmXZwhhUZL

— BJ Kissel (@ChiefsReporter) December 5, 2016

Smith is playing some great football right now, too. Taking on the Atlanta Falcons’ explosive offense, Smith did what he had to do to keep up in going 21-of-25 for 270 yards and one touchdown. 

Smith gets a lot of flak for not having the strongest arm or making the most flashy plays, but very few are better at taking care of the ball and putting his offense in a position to succeed.

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