NFL Week 14 Picks: Final Predictions and Over/Under Odds Before Thursday Night

The Oakland Raiders have passed a lot of tests this season, but they face their biggest to this point in the year Thursday night when they go to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs.

This game is for first place in the AFC West, and while the Raiders (10-2) have a one-game lead over the Chiefs (9-3), the Chiefs would move into the top spot if they win the game. A victory would give the Chiefs a sweep of the season series since they handled the Raiders with ease in a 26-10 victory at the O.co Coliseum in Week 6.

Kansas City is a steady team that wants to establish its running game and its short-passing game. It wants to turn it into a field-position game and let quarterback Alex Smith pick his spots to go after a vulnerable Oakland defense that ranks 30th in yards allowed.

The Chiefs have been limited in recent weeks because Jeremy Maclin has been out with a groin injury. However, there is a good chance he can return for this game, and his ability to get open and then pick up yards after the catch will make him a key factor in this game.

When it comes to moving the football and creating scoring opportunities, the Raiders have a slew of weapons that have been attacking all season. Derek Carr is completing 65.5 percent of his passes and has a remarkable 24-5 touchdown-interception ratio.   

Matchup	Point Spread	Over/Under	Prediction
Oakland at Kansas City	Kansas City -3	46	Kansas City; Over
Denver at Tennessee	Tennessee -1	43.5	Tennessee; Under
Pittsburgh at Buffalo	Pittsburgh -2	47	Pittsburgh; Under
Washington at Philadelphia	Even	46.5	Washington; Under
Minnesota at Jacksonville	Minnesota -3	39	Minnesota: Over
Cincinnati at Cleveland	Cincinnati -6	43	Cleveland; Under
Arizona at Miami	Miami -1	43.5	Arizona; Over
San Diego at Carolina	Carolina -1.5	48	San Diego; Over
Chicago at Detroit	Detroit -7.5	43.5	Detroit; Over
Houston at Indianapolis	Indianapolis -6	47	Indianapolis; Over
N.Y. Jets at San Francisco	San Francisco -2.5	44	N.Y. Jets; Under
New Orleans at Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay -2.5	51	Tampa Bay; Under
Atlanta at Los Angeles	Atlanta -6	45	Los Angeles; Under
Seattle at Green Bay	Seattle -2.5	46.5	Seattle; Over
Dallas at N.Y. Giants	Dallas -3	47.5	Dallas; Under
Baltimore at New England	New England -7	45	New England; Over

Wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are big-play producers, combining for 135 receptions and 11 touchdowns.

The difference may come from the Kansas City defense. While the Chiefs rank 29th in yards allowed, they have several game-changers, including cornerback Marcus Peters (five interceptions), safety Eric Berry (three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns) and outside linebacker Dee Ford (10 sacks). Additionally, pass-rusher Justin Houston has returned to the lineup, and he already has four sacks and a forced fumble.

Those big-play developers on defense may make the difference for the Chiefs, who are listed as three-point favorites according to OddsShark.

Many of the trends favor the visiting Raiders. The Raiders are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 visits to Kansas City, while the Chiefs are just 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games.

Despite Oakland's technical advantages, we like the Chiefs to win the game and cover the spread at home.

Houston at Indianapolis

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are in a tight battle along with the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South title. All three teams are 6-6 and clearly in charge of their own destinies.

The Texans and Colts battle this week in Indianapolis, and while the Texans are coming off a 21-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers and have lost three games in a row, the Colts are coming off a one-sided runaway victory over the New York Jets last Monday night, and they have won three of their last four games.

The Texans shave lost five of six road games this season. All of that points to a big game for the Colts.

We expect the Colts offense, with Andrew Luck, Frank Gore and T.Y. Hilton, to have a big game, but we don't expect the Houston offense to roll over.   

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

The Texans and quarterback Brock Osweiler have had some difficult days, but they should be getting a reprieve against the Indianapolis defense. The Colts rank 28th in yards allowed, and that unit will have a hard time slowing down DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller.

The Colts are six-point favorites, and the total in this game is 47 points. We like the over in this game, as both teams should be able to move up and down the field with relative ease.

These two teams will combine for at least 50 points, and the over comes through.

Chicago at Detroit

Bill Feig/Associated Press/Associated Press

The Lions are in first place in the NFC North with an 8-4 record and have been playing consistent football thanks to the leadership of quarterback Matthew Stafford and his pinpoint passing. 

Stafford seemed to turned his career around midway through the 2015 season, and he has continued to surge this season. Instead of throwing the ball into tight coverage, Stafford has either thrown the ball away or run effectively. The NFL gave him a shoutout for his Week 13 performance:   

Stafford has only picked up 178 rushing yards, but many of his 30 rushing attempts have resulted in first downs or avoiding sacks.

Stafford has thrown for an average of 256.1 yards per game, and he has 21 touchdown passes and just five interceptions.

That kind of consistency has allowed the Lions to build a two-game lead in the NFC North, and they should be able to stretch their winning streak to five games as they host the 3-9 Chicago Bears.

A series of injuries and suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs have shattered the Bears, and they just don't have enough weapons to compete here. Matt Barkley is limited at quarterback, and his receivers have been dropping passes frequently.

The only real weapon the Bears have on offense is running back Jordan Howard, who has rushed for 883 yards and five touchdowns. That's not enough to stop the Lions from dominating.

Detroit is a 7.5-point favorite, and we expect the Lions to win by double digits and cover the spread.