Week 14’s Top 5 NFL Games
Can Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers earn a rare win over the New England Patriots?
Week 14 in the National Football League got off to a start Thursday night with the Dallas Cowboys maintaining their perfect road record thanks to a 41-28 victory over the hapless Chicago Bears.
Betting Sports now looks ahead to what remains of this week’s NFL action, bringing you the top five games left on the schedule.
Let’s start with a big divisional showdown in the Queen City.
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Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH (Sun, 1:00 p.m. ET)
The Cincinnati Bengals host the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon in a game that both teams really need to win.
Pittsburgh (7-5, 3-3 road) enters the game having lost two of the last three, joining five other sides with a 7-5 record on the season. The Steelers are going to need wins if they’re to book a postseason berth, and that starts with Sunday’s game against the Bengals.
With five wins in the last six, Cincinnati (8-3-1, 4-1-1 home) is starting to resemble the team that started the season 3-0. Right now the Bengals have the edge in the race for the AFC North title, but there’s very little room to slip up, especially with three divisional games left on the docket.
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Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns
FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH (Sun, 1:00 p.m. ET)
The Indianapolis Colts will face a stiff test on the road this weekend as they head into the Forest City to take on the Cleveland Browns.
Since starting the season 0-2, Indianapolis (8-4, 3-2 road) has looked reasonably comfortable, compiling an 8-2 record over the last 10 games and building a more comfortable than it looks lead in the AFC South. Andrew Luck and Co. should be aiming for a top two finish though, which almost certainly means winning out.
Cleveland (7-5, 4-2 home) is another of the AFC’s six 7-5 teams trying to sneak into the postseason. The Browns – like every other 7-5 team – needs wins more than anything right now, and a win over the Colts would be huge.
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Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ (Sun, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals have played like playoff teams for much of the team, but both risk slipping out of contention as we hit the home stretch.
Kansas City (7-5, 3-3 road) has lost two straight heading into this one, with both games coming in divisional play. The Broncos now own a two-game advantage over the Chiefs, and the Chargers a one-game advantage. Andy Reid’s side will hope catching the Cardinals on a slide turns out to be productive.
With Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer out for the season, Arizona (9-3, 6-0 home) has dropped two straight and looks like it could be about to wave goodbye to its NFL-best record, and a postseason berth in the meantime. If the Cardinals can maintain their perfect home record on Sunday, they’ll put the pressure on the surging Seahawks.
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Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA (Sun, 4:25 p.m. ET)
The Seattle Seahawks will look to maintain a return to form Sunday as they hit the road to face a Philadelphia Eagles side that is undefeated at home this season.
After an unimpressive 3-3 start to the season, Seattle (8-4, 3-3 road) has won five of its last six games and is starting to resemble last year’s powerhouse. Over the last two weeks, the Seahawks have limited opponents (Arizona and San Francisco) to a combined six points. Defense like that will take this team far.
Philadelphia (9-3, 6-0 home) knows how to score points in droves. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans, the Eagles’ last two opponents who were pummeled for 33 and 43 points respectively. The Eagles’ offense will certainly test the Seahawks defense, but the Eagles have struggled against really good teams. With the Cowboys winning on Thursday, the pressure’s on the Eagles ahead of a head-to-head showdown next weekend.
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New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA (Sun, 8:30 p.m. ET)
While perfect at home, the New England Patriots have been decidedly indifferent on the road this season. They’ll look to change that with a win over a San Diego Chargers team that is very good at home.
New England (9-3, 3-3 road) saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end last week in Green Bay. Now the Patriots will look to perform better out on the West Coast. The Patriots are another side looking to finish top of the AFC, which means any loss could prove critical. With five wins in six games against the Chargers, Bill Belichick’s side will be confident heading into this one.
San Diego (8-4, 5-1 home) picked up its third win on the bounce last week, getting a rare East Coast victory in Baltimore. This streak has seen the side move within a game of Denver at the top of the AFC West and into the playoff positions. A win over the Patriots wouldn’t just be huge on the day, it would be huge in respects to the race for the postseason.
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