As we move into the last quarter of the 2020 regular season, we will start to see some interesting outcomes in NFL games. Teams are fighting for postseason positioning, and teams that are fatigued will take a bad loss or two down the stretch. Teams that started the season with high hopes but have seen those hopes dashed may lose motivation. One feature of this bizarre season has been an increase in season-ending injuries, which means that we have more teams than ever using their second or third quarterbacks of the season, with their starters on the shelf until 2021.
We’ve picked a few top NFL betting picks for Week 14 action.
NFL News: Top Games to Wager in Week 14
Sunday, December 13
Kansas City Chiefs (-7) at Miami Dolphins (1:00 pm ET)
The Chiefs have won seven games in a row, but those wins have gotten tougher and tougher. The last four wins in that streak have had a combined margin of 15 points. Last week, the Chiefs beat Denver at home by six, but they only scored 22 points and required a late drive to save the victory. Patrick Mahomes threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, but the Chiefs struggled to run the ball, as Le’Veon Bell led the team with just 40 yards. Without a running game, the Chiefs can’t sustain drives. Travis Kelce did have a huge night, catching eight balls for 136 yards and a score, but if the Chiefs can’t run on a stout Miami defense, this will be a tough game.
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 296 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals, and Myles Gaskin led the team with 90 rushing yards. That was some nice balance — and the Chiefs have some issues on defense, particularly in the pass defense game. Miami has covered in six of their last seven tilts against conference foes. The Dolphins should be able to keep this one close. I like Miami to cover.
Indianapolis Colts (-3) at Las Vegas Raiders (4:05 pm ET)
The Colts have made it to an 8-4 record with a grinding defense and a conservative offense. They are tied with Tennessee atop the AFC South, having split the season series. Another impressive Colts win came in overtime against the Green Bay Packers. The biggest question for the Colts remains their quarterback, as Philip Rivers has nine interceptions along with 18 touchdown passes. His propensity to try to do too much and end up throwing an interception at just the wrong time is just what the Colts are trying to avoid. Their defense permits 22.8 points and 319 yards per contest, thanks to a pass rush led by Justin Houston (7 ½ sacks) and a tackling corps led by Darius Leonard, who has 86. As a road favorite, the Colts have covered in four straight opportunities, and the road team has covered in four of the last five games between the Raiders and the Colts.
The Raiders have looked very impressive at times — their offense was cooking in both of their games against Kansas City, which they split. Derek Carr has a 22:5 TD:INT ratio, showing strength in ball security. He led an impressive 16-6 win over Cleveland on a day that was cold and rainy. He has two touchdown passes or more in eight of the team’s last 11 contests. However, the defense has allowed almost 29 points per game. Takeaways have slipped in Las Vegas, as Jeff Heath seems to have led the team with three interceptions for a month now. Las Vegas has dropped three of four games at Allegiant Stadium this year, and Indianapolis comes in with a solid road record. I like Indianapolis to win and cover.
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