Tag: NFL picks

Final score predictions for Colts vs. Bengals in Week 14

A final prediction for Colts vs. Bengals in Week 14.

The Cincinnati Bengals could clutch a playoff seed or potentially be effectively all of the way out of the running by the time the Week 14 slate concludes, depending on the outcome of their AFC encounter with the Indianapolis Colts.

Cincinnati’s shocking performance last Monday on primetime to save the season has put them in this spot. Backup Jake Browning went 32-of-37 with 354 yards and two total touchdowns in an upset of Jacksonville, earning weekly AFC honors in the process.

Sunday’s game against the Colts might come down to how much his performance regresses.

Because a regression is a certainty. No team the rest of the way is going to get caught off guard by the backup and now what the offense wants to do with him under center is all over the film.

Still, even a regression might be just enough to slip past the Colts.

The Colts are 7-5 and winners of four in a row, though every team they’ve defeated during that stretch has been at least two games under .500, including three-win New England and one-win Carolina.

Offensively, the Colts have struggled without breakout rookie passer Anthony Richardson, with Gardner Minshew boasting just 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions over 12 games. The unit also won’t have star running back Jonathan Taylor on Sunday.

And defensively, the Colts rank in the bottom five with 24.7 points allowed per game on average and in the bottom seven with 133.3 rushing yards allowed per game. Notably, the unit does get after quarterbacks often, with the 42 sacks ranked among the league leaders.

Even then, the Colts ruled out two defensive starters on Saturday, forcing them to rely on a rookie and undrafted corner to cover the duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

That’s where this prediction needs to focus the most, really. Starting duos have problems with Chase and Higgins, so everyone taking the field on Sunday will know what the Bengals intend to do.

Yet with the way the offense for Browning is designed, he should have high-percentage throws often enough that create big YAC opportunities for his weapons.

Barring boneheaded turnovers as the regression kicks in, the Bengals should be able to put together plenty of scoring drives to win this one. It could be more proof yet again that a further commitment to the run, play-action and bootlegs is just what even Joe Burrow’s offense needs next year.

Unlike last Monday’s game, the Bengals have the better roster at almost every spot and if Browning can come close to what he did last time out, one could make the same argument at quarterback, too.

Provided the defense doesn’t turn in a stunningly bad performance against a backup (they mostly kept Travis Etienne Jr. in check last week), the dramatically new-looking offense should be able to outpace Minshew.

Prediction: Bengals 28, Colts 21

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NFL Week 14 best bets: Winners, spread and total picks

Check out our betting picks for all the games left on the Week 14 schedule.

The Arizona Cardinals will not play in Week 14 as they are on their bye. But with the Thursday night game in the books, there are 14 games left on the schedule.

That gives you 14 games to make some money on simple game bets, either picking the winner straight up, betting the spread or betting the total.

Below are my picks for the rest of the games in Week 14 for the winner, spread and total.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

NFL Week 14 picks: Nearly every expert is taking Ravens over Rams

A whopping 97% of experts are taking the Ravens to beat the Rams, but a large portion of them expect the game to be within one score

The odds are stacked against the Los Angeles Rams this weekend as they take on the Ravens in Baltimore. Not only are they 7.5-point road underdogs against the well-rested Ravens, but almost no experts are taking the Rams to beat Baltimore on Sunday afternoon.

According to Tallysight, 97% of experts who submitted picks are taking the Ravens to beat the Rams straight-up. That’s a massive margin, but a good portion of them are picking the Rams to cover the spread and at least keep the game within one score.

Of those who have submitted picks, 48% are taking the Rams to cover the spread. Experts are also leaning heavily toward the over, with a whopping 74% taking the over at 40 points.

The over/under has moved significantly since the start of the week when it was 44.5 points, likely due to the expectation for rain on Sunday in Baltimore. At 40 points, it’s hard not to like the over in this matchup, despite the weather forecast.

In games where he’s favored by at least seven points, Lamar Jackson is 25-4 straight up. The Ravens are also 8-4 against the spread this season, so there seems to be a decent chance they cover the spread and win by at least eight points based on the numbers.

NFL picks: Experts predict Jaguars vs. Bengals in Week 13

Not many experts think the Jake Browning-led Bengals have much of a chance against the Jaguars.

The majority of experts picked the Houston Texans to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. They were proven wrong by a Jaguars team that scraped out a 24-21 road win to take solid control of the AFC South.

This week, the doubters are few and far between.

That’s largely because the Jaguars have won nine of their last 10 to surge through the AFC standings. With a win Monday, they’d take control of the No. 1 seed in the conference.

It’s also because the Cincinnati Bengals will hit the field at EverBank Stadium without Joe Burrow under center. The team’s star quarterback suffered a season-ending wrist injury, forcing the Bengals to turn to Jake Browning the rest of the year.

Cincinnati has lost three straight and not many experts think the team bounces back Monday. Here’s what experts predict will happen in the Jaguars’ primetime matchup:

Final score predictions for Bengals vs. Jaguars on MNF in Week 13

A final prediction for Bengals vs. Jaguars in Week 13.

The Cincinnati Bengals have to hope the second week of the Jake Browning era goes better than the first if they want to avoid losing a fourth straight game.

Not that the backup quarterback is the only one to blame for the 16-10 loss to Pittsburgh one week ago, but going 19-of-26 with 227 yards, one touchdown and interception with four sacks didn’t help.

The Bengals will get star wideout Tee Higgins back for Monday night’s primetime game. But that won’t help a running game that has appeared broken since the summer and currently averages 3.8 yards per carry.

That’s especially notable because the hosting Jaguars have a defense that ranks third overall against the run at 87.4 yards allowed per game on average. It’s a unit that allows just 20.5 points per game, too,

For comparison’s sake, an underwhelming Bengals defense ranks second last in rush defense at 139.6 yards per game surrendered. The unit’s struggles in coverage aren’t shocking given the youth movement, but the rush defense suddenly being a sour point has cost the team games.

None of this has even mentioned Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has completed 67.3 percent of his passes this year with 12 scores and seven picks and running back Travis Etienne Jr., who has 726 yards and seven scores on the ground and 36 more catches through the air.

Even with the Jaguars missing some key linemen that could help pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson and breaking-out rookie Myles Murphy hit home on Lawrence, the Jaguars were favored by more than a touchdown in this one for a reason.

While this has never felt like a team that will simply throw the proverbial towel if someone as important as Joe Burrow goes down, the difference in losing a top-five passer can’t be understated.

If the Bengals put up a fight on primetime, get some core pieces of the future must-have developmental snaps and even earn the silver lining of better draft positioning, that’s not necessarily a bad thing given the circumstances.

Prediction: Jaguars 27, Bengals 14

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Final score predictions for Steelers vs. Bengals in Week 12

A final prediction for Steelers vs. Bengals in Week 12.

The Cincinnati Bengals start the Jake Browning era against a Pittsburgh Steelers team at a crossroads, too.

Those Steelers are 6-4 despite a minus-29 point differential on the season and enter this one after firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Not only that, Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had a heated exchange after a loss last week, hinting at possible issues there.

Issues for Mike Tomlin’s team or not, the Bengals sit below them in the AFC North at 5-5 and face even bigger problems. The hurdle? Going from a borderline MVP contender Joe Burrow to Jake Browning, who has 15 attempts as a pro.

The Bengals have attempted to paint it as the full offensive approach doesn’t change under the direction of Browning. And while he’s got a better cast of weapons (sans Tee Higgins) than most backups would ever enjoy, it’s a tall order to successfully execute behind an up-and-down line against the T.J. Watt-led Steelers.

And a potentially struggling offense doesn’t help a defense that hasn’t looked right all year. That unit finally gets Sam Hubbard back up front, but the young secondary trying to adjust after big roster turnover could struggle against Pittsburgh’s strong cast of weapons.

Still, this feels like one of the biggest coin-flips of the season. Each team wants to rally and reset the narrative for the rest of the year. The Steelers want to prove, behind a surge after a rare in-season coaching move, that they can be a playoff threat. The Bengals want to show they can shock as an underdog and that the rest of the season really isn’t just about development.

Notably, this one goes down in Cincinnati and there’s a glimmer of hope in that a low-scoring game could favor the Bengals. While the Steelers have a new play-caller, quarterback Kenny Pickett has thrown just one touchdown since October 1.

To his credit, Browning came in and led scoring drives last week without any prep time. There’s a small chance he can scratch and claw his way into enough production against a Steelers defense that lost to a rookie quarterback last week to keep the Bengals alive.

Prediction: Bengals 17, Steelers 14

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Dueling expert picks for Cardinals-Rams in Week 12

Check out what the experts are saying about the Cardinals-Rams game and who they think will win.

The Arizona Cardinals face the Los Angeles Rams Sunday at home in Week 12. The Rams come in having won their last game after a three-game losing streak.

The Cardinals are 1-1 since the return of Kyler Murray and, even in their loss to the Houston Texans last week, they had a chance to score a go-ahead touchdown in their final possession of the game.

The Rams won the first matchup in Los Angeles and have won 12 of the last 14 meetings. They have won the last eight at State Farm Stadium.

What are the experts saying?

Below we have expert picks from Cards Wire, Rams Wire and NFL Network.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

Week 12 Rooting Guide: Best outcomes for Ravens with playoff picture developing

We’re looking at the Week 12 rooting guide for the Baltimore Ravens with the AFC playoff picture developing

The Ravens (8-3) have won five of their past six games and are set to travel to the West Coast for an intriguing battle with the Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) on NBC’s Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET
kickoff).

Baltimore is tied with Miami for the AFC’s best record, but the Dolphins’ 34-13 win over the New York Jets gives the No. 1 seed for now.

The Los Angeles Chargers are trying to avoid falling entirely out of playoff contention after a 23-20 loss to the Packers in Week 11.

With only one of the four Thanksgiving and Black Friday games featuring AFC teams, we’re providing a rooting guide for the Sunday and Monday slate of games.

NFL picks: Experts predict Jaguars vs. Texans in Week 12

Will the Jaguars stay on top in the AFC South, or will the Texans get the season sweep? Here’s what experts predict:

When the Jacksonville Jaguars last played the Houston Texans, they were more than a touchdown favorite against the 0-2 visiting team at EverBank Stadium. Houston flipped the script, though.

The Texans cruised to a 17-0 halftime lead and didn’t take their foot off the pedal en route to a 37-17 final score.

Nine weeks later, Houston is no longer viewed as an unlikely underdog. The Texans have won six of their last eight and all of their November games so far to make a push for first place in the AFC South.

Can the Jaguars hold off the surging Texans by getting a road win of their own? Or will Houston get the season sweep to take over the top spot in the division? Here’s what experts think will happen at NRG Stadium on Sunday:

Week 11 Rooting Guide: Best outcomes for Ravens with playoff picture developing

We’re looking at the Week 11 rooting guide for fans as the Baltimore Ravens could land the top spot in the AFC with a Chiefs loss to the Eagles

The Ravens are 8-3 and looking dominant again after Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter to help Baltimore beat Cincinnati 34-20 Thursday night.

The short week now allows John Harbaugh’s team to get some rest, and the weekend will provide fans of both teams ample opportunity to see plenty of other intriguing NFL action from the AFC and NFC.

The remaining Week 11 games offer an opportunity to root against rival AFC foes.  Baltimore could enter Monday night as the top team in the conference with a Philadelphia win over Kansas City.

With kickoff for the Sunday games fast approaching, here’s an updated rooting guide.