It is another exciting week in the NFL – as so many teams remain in the hunt for the playoffs with only five weeks of football left.
It is the final week of byes in the NFL – but even with four quality teams off this week, there are some great betting opportunities in Week 14. We searched through the best 2021 NFL betting odds to find the best NFL Week 14 betting picks below.
Seattle can Move back into the Playoff Picture with Win over the Texans
After picking up a pivotal win against the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks have a chance to move within a game of a Wild Card spot with a win against Houston. Russell Wilson is looking healthy after returning from a hand injury in Week 10.
With Russ moving the ball down the field, the Seahawks are always a threat to go on a run. That run can start this week against the lowly Houston Texans. The Texans are arguably the worst team in the NFL. They have the worst point differential this season at -159.
The Texans are the first team since 2002 to get shut out twice in a season while allowing at least 30 points. Their QB situation is a mess and the team does not have any consistency in the run game. Bet on the Seahawks moving to 5-8.
Chargers can Win but 10.5 is a Lot to Cover
The Los Angeles Chargers head into their Week 14 game against the New York Giants as the second-biggest favourites of the week. And while we like the Chargers to win the game, we are apprehensive backing the Chargers covering 10.5 points.
What is in the favour of the Chargers in Week 14 is the Giants quarterback situation. Daniel Jones may not be able to return in Week 14. With him potentially out and Mike Glennon suffering a concussion, the Giants may have to start Jake Fromm. Fromm was a talented college QB but has not played – outside the preseason – in the NFL.
We have seen a couple of times this season new and backup QBs making their debuts and confusing opposing defences. Mike White, Colt McCoy, Gardner Minshew, and Tyler Huntley all won in their first starts this season.
The unpredictable nature of random starting quarterbacks makes a 10.5 spread hard to bet. The Chargers are also a volatile team this season. They went up 24 points in Week 14 to have their lead cut to two points (before putting up 17 unanswered points to win 41-22).
The week before, the Broncos blew the Chargers out of the water. The week before that, they fended off the Steelers dropping 28 points in the fourth quarter to win 41-37. This game feels like a 23-14 win by the Chargers.
Lions have Success Against the Spread when Underdogs by more than Four Points
While the Detroit Lions have the worst record in the NFL – and 2021 Detroit Lions betting odds have them as an underdog in every game – they are not a bad team to bet on. Detroit is 8-4-0 against the spread this season – that is the fifth-best cover percentage in the NFL.
Detroit’s record against the spread is even better when they are underdogs of 4.0 points or more. When the spread is less than 4.0 points this season, Detroit is only 1-3 against the spread. When it is over 4.0 points, they are 7-1 ATS.
Denver is an enigmatic team this season. They are 6-6 and can win and lose on any day. That is why they have only been favoured by more than 6.0 points once since the start of the 2020 season (against the New York Jets in Week 3 this year). The Broncos won that game 26-0 – the franchise’s largest margin of victory since Week 7 2018 (45-10 against the Cardinals).
Do we put faith in the Broncos winning this game by double-digits or do we go with the Lions who have a tenacity about them that leads to late scores and cover? We are taking the Lions to cover against the Broncos.
Go Against the Public and Take the Over on San Francisco – Cincinnati
Early betting trends on the 49ers/Bengals game see 88% of the public (at Sports Interaction) betting on the under. That is a significant percentage of people hammering under 47.5 points – especially when the two teams are a combined 13-11 on the over/under this season.
The 49ers’ offence is playing much better the last six weeks. Five of their last seven games have hit the over, while the 49ers have reached at least 30 points in four of their last six games.
Bengals games have hit the over in five of their last six. The Bengals have also scored at least 31 points in five of their last seven games. In the two games they failed to reach 30 points, their defence allowed 41 points both times. Bet the over on this game.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on the NFL
Find the best 2021 NFL betting sites to bet on the National Football League below.
