NFL Week 14 picks against the spread

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys (-3.5)

The Philadelphia Eagles looked as good as they have all season on Monday Night Football against the Washington Redskins. Obviously, their opponent lost their second-string QB, and was down to Mark Sanchez, so does it really count?

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys beat a New Orleans team that was at the peak of their powers. The offense was having trouble getting going, but the defense came up in a big way. Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch have been everything the Cowboys needed to get right into the conference race. They saved Jason Garrett’s job, and the Cowboys look like a lock to make the playoffs.

This matchup will be seen on FOX across the country in almost every market, but it will not be a very good game. The Eagles just don’t look dangerous like they did last year, despite seeming like they have the same talent level as they did on their run to the Super Bowl. This loss might put a dagger into the Eagles Championship repeat tour.

Dallas 35, Philadelphia 21

Detroit Lions (-2.5) @ Arizona Cardinals

Yuck. This is not a great matchup, even if the Arizona Cardinals did just beat Aaron Rodgers. The Lions have looked lifeless for most of the year and the Cards were fighting for the number-one overall pick for much of the season.

This matchup comes down to one player; Kerryon Johnson. If he plays, the Lions should easily be the favorite. If he doesn’t, the Cardinals could very well win this game. There hasn’t been an update on his status right now, but it seems like he’s a game-time decision.

The Cardinals will set David Johnson loose against the putrid Lions run defense. He could win them the game by himself. Either way, these two teams might not be worth betting because then you would have to watch the game. Either way, go with the Lions if Kerryon is in. We will assume he will play.

Detroit 27, Arizona 20

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) @ Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders showed some fight in their game against the Chiefs last week. They scored 33 points against the top team in the AFC. They are dealing with some injuries right now, but can the backups be any worse than the starters as long as Derek Carr is playing?

The Steelers, on the other hand, come off a huge loss to the Chargers. They lost ground to the New England Patriots in the fight for a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs. With how many skilled guys this Steelers team has, don’t expect this one to be close.

Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster will have a field day against this Raiders secondary. The Pittsburgh offensive line will have an easy time keeping the Raiders away from Ben Roethlisberger, and he will have time to cut up the defense. The Raiders will go down early, and it will never be close.

Pittsburgh 35, Oakland 10