NFL Picks Week 14: Early Odds to Exploit for Best Over/Under Score Bets
Week 14 is nearly upon us, as the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots are set to kick it off on Thursday night. While the Patriots aren't playoff contenders, the Steelers are still in the mix.
Week 14 is set to feature several similar matchups with at least one team carrying playoff implications. The week will feature some marquee games too, like Sunday night's clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
Below, we'll dive into a few of the Week 14 matchups and identify some of our favorite over/under betting options based on the early lines.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
Patriots and Steelers Under 30 Points
1 of 3
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered an ankle injury on Sunday and underwent surgery on Monday. He's expected to miss multiple weeks, which means that Mitch Trubisky will get the start against New England.
Barring a major surprise, Trubisky isn't going to provide a major boost to a Steelers offense that continues to struggle. Pittsburgh has looked more efficient under new play caller Mike Sullivan, but it has bogged down when in scoring range.
Over the past two weeks, Pittsburgh has tallied a mere 26 points.
The Patriots have been even worse offensively, losing three straight while allowing only 26 points in that span. It hasn't mattered whether it's been Bailey Zappe or Mac Jones under center, and it's not going to matter on a short week in Pittsburgh.
New England's defense is stout enough to limit Pittsburgh's points, while the Patriots offense is bad enough to limit itself. Rhamondre Stevenson's high-ankle sprain certainly won't help matters.
This is an extremely low line, but a field-goal fest is likely.
Lions and Bears over 41 Points
2 of 3
There was a point in the season when it appeared that the Detroit Lions defense was formidable. While the unit still operates more consistently than it did a year ago, it simply isn't a top-tier unit.
Opposing offenses seem to have figured out the Lions. Over its last four games, Detroit has surrendered 38, 26, 29 and 28 points. Winning with offense is again the best game plan for the Lions.
That's why the over is enticing here, even though the Chicago Bears struggled offensively in their last outing. In Week 12, the Bears scored a mere 12 points against the Minnesota Vikings—in a win.
Expect a bit of a bounce-back game for Justin Fields at home. Before the Vikings win, Fields was playing well, and he helped put up 26 points against Detroit in the first meeting. That game featured 57 total points.
For a game featuring playmakers like Fields, Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, D.J. Moore and Jahmyr Gibbs, this line feels far too low. Expect it to move upward over the course of the week.
Cowboys and Eagles over 53 Points
3 of 3
The Eagles-Cowboys points line has already been climbing in the early week. While it's quite high, there are reasons to believe that it's not high enough.
It starts with the fact that the Cowboys are playing host. Dallas has been markedly better at home, as has quarterback and MVP candidate Dak Prescott. Over their last four home games, the Cowboys have scored 43, 49, 45 and 41 points. Prescott has thrown 15 touchdown passes in those games.
Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys passing attack match up well with an Eagles defense ranked 29th in passing yards allowed. Dallas should have every opportunity to top 40 points once again.
That would leave some light lifting for the Eagles offense in order to reach the over. The Seattle Seahawks provided a blueprint for attacking Dallas' defense last Thursday, unleashing DK Metcalf and dropping 35 points in the loss.
Jalen Hurts should be able to find similar success with A.J. Brown and/or DeVonta Smith while keeping the defense honest with his legs. Philadelphia hasn't scored fewer than 19 points in a game this season, and this over/under is likely to continue going up.
Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
