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NFL Picks Week 14: Examining Recent Odds and Expert Predictions
- Updated: December 8, 2016
Thursday night games in the NFL have often been tedious affairs this season. The players are working on short rest, have had little time to fully absorb new game plans and are maybe still getting over the highs or lows of the previous Sunday. Many of the games have been decidedly lopsided, or contested between two also-rans hardly worthy of a national spotlight.
Week 14’s Thursday night game could be very, very different from some of the previous 13 iterations. At the very least, the stakes will be the highest they’ve been all season when the Oakland Raiders take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Raiders are 10-2, tops in the AFC West and in line for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs are right behind the Raiders at 9-3, second in the AFC West and the No. 5 seed in the postseason bracket.
Kansas City has a brilliant opportunity to get level with the Raiders and turn the AFC West into the league’s most interesting division down the stretch, with the Denver Broncos lurking at 8-4 and the San Diego Chargers with the opportunity to play a dangerous spoiler role. It’s one of the best matchups of Week 14 and will likely be one of the toughest to pick for bettors and experts alike. There’s plenty more great football to be had in this week as the tension mounts in the December push to the playoffs.
Here’s a look at the latest odds for each game as well as expert predictions for the entire slate.
Though it’s not an eye-popping spread by any means, one of the more surprising lines of Week 14 is is the Tennessee Titans holding as one-point favorites at home over the Broncos, the defending Super Bowl champions no less.
The Titans have been one of the league’s poorest teams over the past couple seasons—and one of the league’s worst at home—but have found their footing in 2016. A powerful, effective run game led by DeMarco Murray (1,043 rushing yards) has allowed second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota (25 TDs, 8 INTs) to succeed against honest defenses prone to over-committing on play-action passes.
As a result, the Titans are 6-6 and have a shot at the playoffs in the weak AFC South.
The Broncos come into this game desperately in need of a win to shore up their own postseason chances. After the Titans, the Broncos have a murderers’ row of the New England Patriots, Chiefs and then Raiders to close out the season. A big game out of Von Miller will go a long way toward spoiling the Titans’ surprising status as favorites. The Titans won’t be able to get away with long-developing pass plays if he’s putting constant pressure on Mariota.
Wideouts Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe have blossomed as the season has come along, but the Broncos’ generally airtight secondary should be able to bottle them up. It will be up to Murray and tight end Delanie Walker to keep the chains moving for Tennessee as they try to outscore the Broncos’ lackluster attack.
The Broncos will hope quarterback Trevor Siemian is fully fit to play against the Titans. After throwing for 368 yards and three touchdowns in Week 12 against Kansas City, Siemian was out for the Broncos’ 20-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13 with a foot injury.
Per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, Siemian is out of a walking boot and expected to play against the Titans.
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