NFL picks, predictions, odds for Week 14: 49ers take down Bucs

The NFL Week 14 schedule brings us the final bye week of the 2022 season, with six teams on a break. That means on Sunday, we get seven early games and just three late ones along with the customary Thursday, Sunday night, and Monday matchups. So, as we continue down the back stretch of the 2022 NFL season, let’s continue our NFL odds series with the Week 14 picks and predictions for every game on the schedule.

In Week 13, Joe Burrow got the best of Patrick Mahomes for the third straight time, the Buffalo Bills reclaimed first place in the AFC, and the Dallas Cowboys had a fourth quarter for the ages. We also learned the rest of the 2022 NFL season will go on without Jimmy Garoppolo and Von Miller, while Lamar Jackson will also be out, at least for Week 14. That means, this week, we say hello to 2022 “Mr. Irrelevant” Brock Purdy and Tyler Huntley.

On this week’s schedule, we get back the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals from their byes but say “bye-bye” to the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Commanders.

Previous NFL Picks & Predictions: Week 13 |Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8

So, without further ado, let’s do the NFL picks, predictions, and odds for each game on the Week 14 board.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the NFL odds.

Las Vegas Raiders (-6.5) @ Los Angeles Rams

Full Raiders-Rams betting preview

We begin our NFL Week 14 picks and predictions with a Thursday night game that is a tale of two teams headed in opposite directions. The Raiders have won three in a row, while the Rams have lost six straight. With Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs burning up the box score, this shouldn’t be much of a contest. In fact, the most intriguing thing about this game is that we could see Baker Mayfield playing quarterback at some point after the Rams claimed him off waivers following his release by the Panthers. If that happens, you know it’s a blowout.

Prediction: Raiders 34-13

Update: The Raiders completely gagged against Baker Mayfield and the Rams, suffering a killer 17-16 loss as Mayfield played hero on a 98-yard touchdown drive. 

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions (-1.5)

The Vikings are 10-2, with their only two defeats coming at the hands of the Eagles and Cowboys. So, why do Vegas and the public still have no faith in Kirk Cousins and company? Minnesota beat Detroit 28-24 back in Week 3, and the Lions have come a long way since then, especially with their high-powered offense. Still, the Vikings find a way to win close games while the Lions find ways to lose them. That’s why I’ll take the Vikes in these NFL Week 14 picks and predictions.

Prediction: Vikings 24-21

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills (-10)

After the Bills took care of business against the Patriots last Thursday night, all they had to do was sit back, relax, and the next thing you know, they were once again in first place in the AFC. This week, the team welcomes the Jets to Orchard Park with revenge on their minds after losing to Zach Wilson and company in Week 9. This time, Gang Green has a more competent quarterback in Mike White, so this AFC East grudge match will be a close one. The Bills will take this game seriously and get the win to stay in first, but they won’t cover the nearly double-digit spread.

Prediction: Buffalo 28-27

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-1.5)

With Lamar Jackson “week to week” right now with a knee injury, this game will feature backup quarterback Tyler Huntley starting for the Ravens. As good as Huntley has been coming in off the bench and securing wins when Jackson goes down, he’s just 1-3 as a starter in his career. On the Steelers side, they are 3-1 since their bye week, with the only loss being a one-score defeat at the hands of the Bengals. Mike Tomlin (unsurprisingly) has figured things out this season, and Kenny Pickett and company will get the win to move to 6-7, inching closer to keeping Tomlin’s perfect record of .500 or better seasons intact.

Prediction: Steelers 20-17

Philadelphia Eagles (-7) @ New York Giants

The Eagles are flying high with three consecutive wins and 75 points in their last two games, while the Giants are a disappointing 0-2-1 in their last three. Regardless of where the teams are at, my default position is usually that all NFC East games will be tight this season. And I do think this will be a game for three-plus quarters. However, I see the Eagles salting this one away at the end and winning by a touchdown.

Prediction: Eagles 21-14

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5)

Apparently, you can’t take two years off of football and look like a $46 million quarterback in your first game back. That’s what we learned from Browns QB Deshaun Watson in the team’s Week 13 win over the Texans. That said, Cleveland still got the W, but that says more about Houston than anyone else. This week, the Browns have one of the hottest teams in the NFL as Joe Burrow and the Bengals look for the team’s seventh win in their last eight games. With Ja’Marr Chase back and Joe Mixon potentially returning to a backfield where Samaje Perine has flourished in his absence, the Bengals should win this one handily. This will be the real “Welcome back to the NFL” game for Watson.

Prediction: Bengals 31-13

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans (-3.5)

After back-to-back losses and eight one-score games this season, it’s hard to see the Titans blowing anyone out, let alone an AFC South rival. Sure, the Jaguars got smoked 40-14 last week by the Lions, but the Detroit passing game is much scarier than Tennessee through the air this season. Trevor Lawrence (in good games and bad) has made me look like a fool on multiple occasions this season, but if we get the good Lawrence on Sunday, he should at least keep it to a field goal game.

Prediction: Tennessee 19-16

Houston Texans @ Dallas Cowboys (-17.5)

The Dallas Cowboys scored nine more points in the fourth quarter (33) of their game against the Colts in Week 13 than the Texans have in any game all season. This is a prime letdown game for the Cowboys coming off their historic 55-point outing last week, and 17.5 points is a ton to lay on any NFL game. That said, I believe in Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott more than Texans coach Lovie Smith believes in any QB on his roster. This week he’ll go back to Davis Mills and bench Kyle Allen, but it doesn’t really matter. The Dallas defense will score at least one touchdown this game on their way to another romp, and the Cowboys Super Bowl buzz in the media will hit epic levels.

Prediction: Cowboys 35-10

Kansas City Chiefs (-9.5) @ Denver Broncos

Yes, going into Mile High is always tough, but the Broncos plain stink this season. Last week, they may have hit a new low, losing to the Ravens' backup quarterback, 10-9. The Broncos' offense hasn’t hit 20 points in over a month, and as good as the defense has been, even the best units around the league don’t often shut down Patrick Mahomes. The one note of caution is that the Chiefs often play to the level of their competition, but I don’t think they can play as badly as Russell Wilson and his crew. This is the Chiefs by a lot.

Prediction: Chiefs 34-12

Carolina Panthers @ Seattle Seahawks (-4)

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The Panthers are coming off a bye and have played hard and often relatively well under interim head coach Steve Wilks this season. However, flying across the country to play in Seattle against dark-horse MVP candidate Geno Smith is nobody's idea of a good time. As the Panthers' 4-8 season goes along, the chances of the team having a “get us back in the plane as fast as you can” game goes up dramatically. In 40-degree weather with a 79% chance of rain 3,000 miles from home against a team that is annoyingly hard to play, I can absolutely see the Panthers packing it in early.

Prediction: Seahawks 23-16

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers (-3.5)

This might be the most fascinating game on the docket for picks and predictions in NFL Week 14, with the old (literally and figuratively) Tom Brady going against the guy who might be the new Tom Brady. Brock Purdy, 2022’s “Mr. Irrelevant” (aka the last player taken in the draft), was actually selected 63 picks later than Brady was back in 2000. Now the former Iowa State QB is at the controls of what may be the most explosive offense in the NFL. He was 25-of-37 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception last week coming in for Jimmy Garoppolo. And this week, the legend of Brock Purdy will only grow as he beats Tom Brady by a touchdown.

Prediction: 49ers 27-20

Miami Dolphins (-3.5) @ Los Angeles Chargers

This is what happens when Sunday Night Football gets to flex its games. Instead of watching Russell Wilson and the Broncos stink up our TVs yet again, we get this lovely shootout between Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert. In this matchup, the Dolphins' offense is just too powerful, and SoFi Stadium will have more Phins fans than Chargers ones. That’s why Miami wins and covers.

Prediction: Dolphins 31-27

New England Patriots (-1.5) @ Arizona Cardinals

This is what happens when Monday Night Football doesn’t get to flex its games. Instead of getting Bills-Jets or 49ers-Buccaneers or Giants-Eagles, we get Mac Jones vs. Kyler Murray. This game may be exciting, but likely for all the wrong reasons. This game is probably a coin flip and will depend on which underwhelming quarterback pulls himself together for a small stretch of this game. Since I don’t have a strong opinion on which one it will be, I’ll take the Cardinals getting points at home to finish off the NFL Week 14 picks and predictions.

Prediction: Cardinals 21-19

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