NFL Picks Week 14 – Can Bucs Bounce Back In Week 14?

It’s week 14 of the NFL season and time is running out on a number of playoff runs. Here are some NFL picks Week 14 for four key games:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Washington Redskins

It’s a real surprise that this game is being viewed as a pick-‘em game. Washington looks like a team that has quit on its season. The Redskins, horribly managed by owner Daniel Snyder off the field, have not received good leadership or guidance on the field from head coach Mike Shanahan, whose baffling treatment of quarterback Donovan McNabb has alienated the locker room.

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Meanwhile, the whole Albert Haynesworth drama has lingered over the Redskin franchise like a dark cartoon raincloud this year. Washington is in no position to play well. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay – though coming off a tough loss to Atlanta – has played hard and boldly all season long. The Bucs inspire a lot more confidence than the Redskins do; Tampa Bay should definitely win on the road at FedEx Field.

NFL Picks Week 14: Buccaneers -1.5

Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers

The Falcons are steaming toward the best record in the NFC and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming playoffs. The Panthers are headed for the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Yes, there are always upsets late in a season when underdogs, playing for pride, have nothing to lose.

Playoff teams feel the pressure of the occasion while mediocre squads let loose and take all sorts of chances that lead to game-breaking plays. Yes, these things happen in the NFL, but not between Atlanta and an opponent as horrible as Carolina is right now.

The Falcons are breathing confidence and have to be full of self-belief after winning a tough game at Tampa Bay on Dec. 5. Carolina started brightly at Seattle but then watched a 14-0 lead (14-3 at halftime) turn into an ugly 31-14 loss. This is a mismatch. Expect Atlanta to roll.

NFL Picks Week 14: Falcons -7

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

This is one of the more confusing betting lines of the week. San Francisco – without Frank Gore, by far its best and most important offensive player – is a five-point favorite over Seattle, which is not a great team by any stretch but has a 3-1 record against the NFC West this year.

Clearly, the memory of Seattle’s last trip to the San Francisco Bay Area – which resulted in a 33-3 loss at Oakland against the Raiders – is on the minds of NFL oddsmakers, as are the Seahawks’ accumulated bumps and bruises.

Yet, the 49ers’ own limitations, plus the fact that Alex Smith might very well return as the starting quarterback this Sunday, raises a lot of questions about the form and function of San Francisco’s offense. Are the 49ers in position to be a five-point favorite over anyone other than a few really bad NFC teams right now (Arizona, Carolina, Detroit)? Take Seattle plus the points.

NFL Picks Week 14: Seahawks +5

New England Patriots @ Chicago Bears

Will Jay Cutler beat Tom Brady in a mid-December matchup? Will the Bears and their shaky head coach, Lovie Smith, find a way to knock off Bill Belichick and the Patriots in a game matching teams with two of the NFL’s best records through 12 games?

It seems next to impossible to think that the Bears can rise even higher, despite their offensive limitations. Cutler has begun to play really well, but how long can Chicago’s improbable ascent continue? New England has to be the pick in this game. It would rate as a noticeable shock if the Bears were able to pull out this particular victory.

NFL Picks Week 14: Patriots -3