NFL Odds Week 14: Betting Tips after Friday's Injury Reports and Practice News
The New England Patriots upset the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, riding a 21-point first-half explosion to a 21-18 victory.
While some may blame the fact that Pittsburgh was forced to start backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky for the loss, the absence of Kenny Pickett (ankle) wasn't the Steelers' biggest issue. The defense came out flat, and the offensive playcalling wasn't good enough for Pittsburgh to engineer a comeback.
While injuries didn't play a huge role in the Week 14 opener, they're likely to have an impact on the remaining slate. Below, we'll dive into some of the latest injury buzz and practice reports to identify a few games we like heading into rest the weekend.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders Over 40 Points
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The Minnesota Vikings have decided to stick with quarterback Joshua Dobbs in the wake of his four-interception performance in Week 12. Wideout Justin Jefferson, who is set to make his return from injured reserve (hamstring), is excited to finally play with Dobbs.
"It's been a pleasure working with him, kinda learning things that I can learn from him, that he can learn from me, and it'll be better for us when we go out on that field," Jefferson said, per NFL.com's Nick Shook.
With Jefferson back in the fold, Minnesota should move the ball and score points against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders defense has flashed under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, but it has struggled with in-game adjustments. Against the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, for example, Las Vegas raced to a 14-0 lead but ultimately fell 31-17.
With two weeks to prepare, the Raiders should also find some offensive success in this one. Minnesota's defense has shown positive growth under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, but it isn't a true shutdown unit.
This over/under is simply two low for a game featuring the likes of Jefferson, Davante Adams, Jordan Addison and Josh Jacobs.
Cleveland Browns -3 Versus Jacksonville Jaguars
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With quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson spending the week in concussion protocol, Joe Flacco appears likely to make his second straight start for the Cleveland Browns. Thompson-Robinson is now out of the protocol, but head coach Kevin Stefanski has declined to name a starter.
Flacco mostly played well in Week 13, aside from a game-changing fourth-quarter interception. Cleveland may also have wideout Amari Cooper back. While Cooper has to clear concussion protocol, he did return to practice on Friday.
The bigger news for Cleveland is that Denzel Ward (shoulder) returned to practice this week. The Browns defense is simply much better at home and with Ward in the lineup.
That's not great news for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who watched Trevor Lawrence suffer a high-ankle sprain on Monday. Lawrence is expected to be a game-time decision, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.
If Lawrence plays, he won't be at 100 percent, and backup C.J. Beathard is a clear downgrade.
The other issue is that Jaguars leading receiver Christian Kirk is on injured reserve with a core muscle injury. Jacksonville could have a very tough time moving the ball against Cleveland.
The Browns, meanwhile, should be able to find some offense against a Jags defense ranked 25th in net yards per pass attempt allowed and 24th in total yards allowed.
If the Jaguars were healthier, they'd be the pick. However, the Browns are good enough to hold serve at home and win by more than a field goal.
San Francisco 49ers -11.5 Versus Seattle Seahawks
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The good news for the Seattle Seahawks is that quarterback Geno Smith appears fully recovered from the elbow injury that plagued him against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago. He threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns with an interception against the Dallas Cowboys last Thursday.
Smith is, however, dealing with a groin injury.
The bad news is that Seattle's top running backs, Kenneth Walker III (oblique) and Zach Charbonnet (knee) are both banged-up and listed as questionable. That's likely to limit what the Seahawks can do on the road in San Francisco.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are largely healthy and riding a four-game winning streak. Their defense has played better since the bye, and the offense—headlined by Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle—is clicking.
San Francisco has topped 30 points in three of their last four games. Last week, the 49ers went into Philadelphia and handed the 10-win Eagles their second loss of the season and did it in 42-19 blowout fashion.
Over the past four weeks, San Francisco has won by an average margin of 21 points and by no less than 13. The 49ers won the first meeting with Seattle 31-13, and the rematch is likely to feature a similar margin.
*Injury information via NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
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