NFL Week 14 Pick’em Pool Predictions (2024)
Week 14 is here. The Kansas City Chiefs have already clinched a playoff spot. How will they fare in a divisional matchup against the 8-4 Los Angeles Chargers this week? Elsewhere, one NFC powerhouse is on upset alert, while I make picks for two division matchups that are expected to be close.
Here is our best NFL pick’em advice for Week 14.
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NFL Week 14 Pick’em Pool Predictions
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
This game has no impact on the postseason, but with one of the tightest spreads of the week, this is one of the toughest matchups to pick. After taking a brutal hit last week against the Houston Texans, Trevor Lawrence looks destined to miss this weekend's game. The Jaguars have yet to win a game Mac Jones has played. In both games he started this season, they scored seven or fewer points.
Will Jones find more success this week? After all, the Titans are allowing 27.7 points per game, which is the sixth-most in the league. Teams have scored at least 27 against them in five of their last seven games.
Yet, I don't think Jones can do it. I expect the Jaguars' offense to struggle, while Will Levis throws all over the Jaguars’ weak secondary. While the Titans have struggled for most of the year, they've scored points against almost everyone. The same can't be said for the Jaguars, especially with Jones at quarterback.
Pick: Titans
Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Falcons have lost three consecutive games, scoring fewer than 20 points in each. Kirk Cousins hasn't thrown a touchdown in any of those contests, but he has thrown six interceptions, including four in last week's loss to the Chargers. However, I'm expecting a huge bounce-back game from Cousins on Sunday, as he keeps his team in it against a team that has pulled out back-to-back close wins.
The Vikings are 10-2, but their last two wins are by a combined four points. Their last five wins are all over teams with .500 or worse records. They only won one of those games by more than eight points. The offense isn't clicking like it was early in the season, and that's going to be problematic against a defense that has allowed 21 or fewer points in three of their past four games.
The Vikings keep finding ways to win, and it's hard to be less than confident in a team that manages to pull out victories that seem improbable. But eventually, their luck is going to run out. Look for their defense to struggle to keep Cousins under wraps, as he bounces back from a terrible game and helps lead one of two upsets in Week 14.
Pick: Falcons
Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals
When these two teams met just two weeks ago, the Cardinals put together their worst performance of the season. While they totaled 298 yards, they only managed six points, marking the only time they've scored fewer than 10 points this season. The Cardinals were 0-for-2 in the red zone in that game. While the Seahawks have a decent red zone defense, their stats don't support them stalling the Cardinals again.
The Seahawks have won three games in a row to take over first place in the NFC West, and they're 4-1 on the road this season. Yet, two of their three wins could have easily been losses. Playing in Arizona is a deceptively tough matchup this season.
In the first meeting between these two teams, Kyler Murray threw for 285 yards. It was his second-highest performance of the season. Murray has thrown for more than 260 yards in four games this season. His team is 3-1 in those games. Back at home against a defense that has been prone to giving up huge passing games, look for Murray to throw for over 260 again, as his Cardinals get a win in a true coin-flip game.
Pick: Cardinals
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
This is the week the Chiefs' incredible luck comes to an end. The Chiefs may have 11 wins, but nine of those victories have come in one-score games. Last week, they needed a miraculous fumble by the Las Vegas Raiders. The week before, they needed all 60 minutes to defeat the lowly Carolina Panthers.
Meanwhile, the Chargers' defense got back on track after rough performances against two of the best offenses in the NFL. They turned the Falcons over four times while holding them to just 13 points. It was the ninth time this season the Chargers have held an opponent to fewer than 20 points.
The Chargers held a 10-0 lead in the first meeting between these two teams before the offense completely stalled. While Justin Herbert and company will need to be better than that this week, the defense is going to be the difference-maker in this game.
The Chiefs' offense hasn't looked great for the majority of this season. I expect the Chargers' No. 1 scoring defense to hold them to fewer than 20 points for the second time, while the offense does enough to pull off the upset.
Pick: Chargers
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.