NFL 2024 Week 14 Prequel
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 8pm
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (-3 1/2) — This is why we watch football. The Packers are 9-3. The Lions are 11-1. A few weeks ago the Lions went into Green Bay and beat them up. The Packers are a good team. The Lions are a great team. Their offense is virtually unstoppable. Jared Goff has a pinball offense. At home in the dome, the Lions will continue to roll. Lions cover
Sunday, December 8, 1pm
New Orleans Saints (-5) at New York Giants — Despite losing last week, the Saints have improved since Darren Rizzi took over as interim coach. The Giants are just dreadful. Derek Carr does have options, but Taysom Hill is not one of them. Hill suffered a season ending knee injury last week. The Saints should win, but the spread is high for a road team with a losing record. Saints win but fail to cover
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6 1/2) — Two weeks ago the Browns shocked the Steelers in the snow in Cleveland. Yet the Browns are coming off a short week. Jameis Winston throws too many interceptions. The Steelers can run the ball. The Browns have improved since Winston took over. He might be able to keep it close, but the Steelers should be able to grind out a win. Steelers win but fail to cover
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-5 1/2) — The Falcons have lost three straight to drop to 6-6. The Vikings overcame a double digit second half deficit to eke out a win last week to get to 10-2. Kirk Cousins sis facing his old team, but he does not have enough weapons. The Vikings have all world Justin Jefferson to stretch the defense. Vikings cover
Las Vegas Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6 1/2) — Twenty years after the Buccaneers shellacked the Raiders in the Super Bowl, the Raiders still have not recovered. Now the Raiders have lost eight straight. The Buccaneers t 6-6 are tied atop their division. The Raiders took Kansas City to the limit. The Raiders defense is competent. The Buccaneers have far more talent on offense. Buccaneers win but fail to cover
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles (-12 1/2) — The Eagles usually win close games, but their road win at Baltimore was very impressive. The Panthers have played much better football in the last three weeks than the rest of the season. The Eagles will win, but a garbage touchdown to beat the spread is very possible. Eagles win but fail to cover
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-3 1/2) — Both teas are awful. Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion last week on a brutal hit. Without Lawrence, the Jaguars have zero chance. Go with the home field against a depleted team. Titans cover
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-6 1/2 ) — The Dolphins are nothing special but the Jets are pathetic. Other bad teams have far less talent and are still competing. The Jets have talented players but never gelled as a team. The worst thing to say about a team as that they quit. The Jets seem to have quit. Tua Tagovailoa is healthy for the moment. Dolphins cover
4pm
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (-2 1/2) — The 7-5 Seahawks and 6-6 Cardinals are fighting for the division lead. The Cardinals blew a double digit second half lead on the road last week. Home field matters very little in this series. Geno Smith is competent. Kyler Murray is exciting but has less help than Smith.If James Conner can run the ball, the Cardinals can shorten the game. Cardinals win but fail to cover
Buffalo Bills(-4 1/2) at Los Angeles Rams — The Rams started 1-4 but Sean McVay held the team together to get them to 6-6. Yet the 10-2 Bills are in Super Bowl mode. The Rams have enough offensive talent to make this a close game, but go with the better team. Josh Allen is a dual threat quarterback. The Bills have the better defense. Bills win but fail to cover
Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-3 1/2) — 40 years ago, this game mattered greatly. The Bears finally fired Matt Eberflus. The 49ers are 5-7, one game better than the Bears. Yet the 49ers are only two games back in their division. The 49ers lost Christian McCaffrey for the rest of the year to injury. Brock Purdy still has more weapons than Caleb Williams. The Bears find ways to lose. 49ers cover
8pm
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-4) — The Chief are the better team but they win close games. The Chargers tend to play the Chiefs tough, and with Jim Harbaugh at the helm, the Chargers defense has improved. Yet the Chiefs are still 11-1. Chiefs cover
Monday, December 9, 8pm
Cincinnati Bengals (-5 1/2) at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys have won two straight with Cooper Rush. The Bengals are doing badly despite Joe Burrow leading the league in touchdown passes. As for why the Bengals are favored at all is a mystery. Go with the trend. Upset special, Cowboys win outright