Week 14 NFL Odds and Best Bets
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Looking for the opportunity to win some free money ahead of Christmas?
SI Sportsbook is here to help you buy that expensive gift you have had your eye on but have been reluctant to purchase.
Earlier this season, two players won $10,000 playing SI Sportsbook’s free Perfect 10 NFL betting contest. Are you ready to join the list of winners in Week 14?
Fans can enter the free Perfect 10 contest at SI Sportsbook every week during the NFL season. The weekly game requires 10 selections against the spread (ATS) for a chance at a share of a $10,000 prize. Every contestant who picks at least six games correctly will be awarded consolation prizes in the form of free bets.
The Week 14 Perfect 10 contest features seven home home favorites. After home favorites went 12-3 ATS two weeks ago, bettors are finding fewer home teams being afforded points while oddsmakers make the proper adjustments.
Let’s take a look at the 10 games in the contest and some trends on tap for Sunday!
Can Jalen Hurts and the Eagles remain unbeaten on the road (5-0) and extend their NFC East lead over a Giants squad that is 0-2-1 over its last three games?
The Bengals have lost five straight games to the Browns. Can Joe Burrow earn his first career win (0-4) against his AFC North rival?
Will Mike White and the Jets, who are 4-2 straight-up (SU) and ATS away from MetLife Stadium this season, upset the Bills for the second time this season as double-digit underdogs?
Should bettors back Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, who are 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS at AT&T Stadium, to cover the biggest spread of the week (-15.5) versus the Texans?
So, which games stand out as best bets?
Our team here at Sports Illustrated is here to help. Let’s see who our team is backing as their best bets for the Week 14 contest.
Conor Orr: Steelers +2.5
I like the Steelers laying points against Tyler Huntley and the Ravens. This Baltimore offense is broken, Kenny Pickett is building into a more consistent thrower and the Steelers, as we predicted, are still going to battle their way back toward .500. A key component of that run starts Sunday
Jimmy Traina: Steelers +2.5
To no surprise, Pittsburgh has been on a roll since T.J. Watt returned from injury. Plus, rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is improving each week. The Ravens’ offense has been inept with Lamar Jackson. Now the star quarterback is hurt. With the Steelers clinging to the slimmest of playoff hopes, they should emerge at home against a team that won’t be able to score many points.
Frank Taddeo: Bengals -5.5
The Bengals are 4-0 both SU and ATS at home. While Cleveland owns a five-game winning streak over Cincinnati, having Deshaun Watson under center is a downgrade right now because he looks rusty and like a player who is in preseason form. The Bengals have been a tremendously lucrative team to invest in dating back to last season, posting an amazing 17-3 ATS mark over their last 20 games. Covering versus the number at an 85% clip, the Bengals, who were missing Ja’Marr Chase in the Week 8 loss at Cleveland, will exact revenge. Joe Burrow has never beaten the Browns in his career (0-4) but ends that skid Sunday.
Michael Fabiano: Lions +1.5
The 5-7 Lions are only a 1.5-point underdog against the 10-2 Vikings? How is this possible? Well not only is it possible, but the line has actually moved to Detroit as a 2.5-point favorite! This very much seems like Vegas is begging you to bet the Vikings, but I’m not going to bite. The Lions are 5-2 ATS at home and 4-0 after victories. On the flip side, Minnesota is a .500 team on the road ATS. This should be a real scoreboard scorcher, and I’m sticking with Detroit even with the “odd” line.
Kyle Wood: Bengals -5.5
The first game between Cleveland and Cincinnati did not go well for the Bengals. The Browns blasted them, 32-13, on Halloween behind a dominant rushing attack. The Bengals have not lost since, going on a four-game winning streak that includes last week’s statement win against the Chiefs. And now Ja’Marr Chase is back. The lopsided final score of Cleveland’s trip to Houston is misleading for what the offense actually did against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. In Deshaun Watson’s first game back from suspension, the Browns did not score an offensive touchdown and instead won with special teams and defense. Cleveland won’t keep pace with Cincinnati, which is tied for the best record against the spread.
Craig Ellenport: Seahawks -4.5
The Panthers are 0-5 on the road this season and they’ve lost those five games by an average of 10 points. Now, they have to travel across the country to play a Seahawks team that always enjoys a strong home-field edge. Seattle is in position to make the playoffs as the NFC’s 7-seed, but its next three games are against the 49ers, Chiefs and Jets. This is a must-win game for Seattle and Pete Carroll is too good a coach not to have his team primed to make this a decisive win.
Jennifer Piacenti: Lions +1.5
I’ll take the Lions plus the points at home. Yes, I am drinking the Kool-Aid! Detroit has won four of its last five, with the only loss coming against the Bills on Thanksgiving - a game in which Detroit still easily covered the spread. The Vikings have a good offense, but as good as their offense may be, their defense is likely to cost them this one. The Vikings are allowing the most passing yards to quarterbacks this year, and Jared Goff certainly has the weapons to take full advantage in front of the home crowd. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark and D’Andre Swift will all do their part to make sure this is a barn-burner, and this Detroit offense- averaging 26.3 points per game (sixth) - will hang with the Vikings until the clock runs out. The Lions are 5-2 ATS at home and 4-0 ATS following a win.
Matt Ehalt: Bills - 9.5
The Bills will get their revenge this weekend in Orchard Park by beating the Jets by at least 10 points. The Jets got lucky once. They won’t get lucky twice. The Bills just soundly defeated the Patriots and they will do so again against the Jets. Mike White has had a nice run, but it’s going to end Sunday. I just don’t see how this game is going to stay all that close. James Cook is starting to come on, and the Bills will be motivated by what happened earlier this year.
Bill Enright: Buccaneers +3.5
I have a very simple rule when it comes to betting on NFL games … Whenever Tom Brady is getting points - TAKE EM! His career record as an underdog is 41-18-2, a 67% winning rate against the spread!!!
Matt De Lima: Cowboys -15.5
It’s never good when you see a team favored by 15.5 points and you think, “Oh, that’s all?” The Texans are going back to Davis Mills after a failed Kyle Allen experiment because why not? Brandin Cooks is somewhere between out due to injury and checked out. Dameon Pierce, unfortunately, can only carry the ball about 20 times when they need him for about 40 more. Dallas is finally healthy on offense and while it may be about two years late, it’s actually giving the ball to Tony Pollard more, which opens up what was already a pretty good offense. Dallas leads the NFL in point differential (127) and I expect that number to grow considerably after landing a proverbial Zangief suplex on Houston.
Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
