NFL Week 10 Picks: Predicting Make-or-Break Games on Sunday's Slate

Don't look now, but the NFL season is crawling closer to the finish line. For some teams, that means the clock is about to strike midnight.

Every team has now hit the halfway mark, minimizing the margin of error to the slimmest of spaces with few illustrious playoff spots at stake. Another loss creates a bumpier road for many contenders while digging an early grave for squads gasping for breath.

No team will clinch a playoff berth or face elimination in Week 10. Heck, a 3-5 squad can still lose on Sunday and win the remaining seven games to soar into the postseason. Am I right, Washington?

Nevertheless, that's not an uphill battle anybody wants to face. This wild season will get even wilder this weekend as these squads look to glide up the standings. 

Away	Home	Prediction
Washington Redskins (-2.5)	Minnesota Vikings	WAS 27-17
Jacksonville Jaguars	Tennessee Titans (-13)	TEN 24-10
Philadelphia Eagles	Green Bay Packers (-7)	GB 34-27
Buffalo Bills	Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)	PIT 23-20
Oakland Raiders	New York Giants (-7)	NYG 27-16
St. Louis Rams	Indianapolis Colts (-10)	IND 31-13
Seattle Seahawks (-6)	Atlanta Falcons	SEA 20-10
Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5)	Baltimore Ravens	CIN 20-13
Detroit Lions (-2.5)	Chicago Bears	DET 31-23
Carolina Panthers	San Francisco 49ers (-6)	CAR 24-23
Houston Texans	Arizona Cardinals (-3)	HOU 27-20
Denver Broncos (-7)	San Diego Chargers	DEN 40-31
Dallas Cowboys	New Orleans Saints (-7)	NO 34-28
Miami Dolphins (-3)	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	MIA 17-12

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers

Chip Kelly is changing football forever! Wait, no. He's awful, and his ploys won't work in the [insert Jon Gruden voice here] National Football League.

Takes a look at Philadelphia's box score from Week 9. Well, maybe he's not so bad after all.

Nick Foles, who stumbled against the Dallas Cowboys after two brilliant performances, regained the starting role and promptly completed 22-of-28 passes for 406 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, seven.

So that offense that everybody figured out? It's averaging 413.2 offensive yards per game, which ranks fourth behind the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.

The defense, which has yielded a league-worst 419.3 yards per game, is the real problem. Will the flimsy secondary get exploited by Green Bay, or can the Eagles subsist as a contender in a shaky NFC East?

Foles has generated 13 touchdowns to zero interceptions, so Philadelphia's high-powered offense cannot be discounted. At 4-5, the Eagles only reside one game out of reach from Dallas.

Despite the Packers' loss to the Bears in Week 9 and potential loss of Aaron Rodgers for an extended period of time due to a shoulder injury, picking against the a Mike McCarthy-coached team with ample time to prepare with Seneca Wallace likely under center is too tough now that they have an actual running game led by Eddie Lacy. Green Bay boasts one of the top rushing defenses in the league, which should be able to contain LeSean McCoy long enough to win a high-scoring contest. 

Prediction: Packers 34, Eagles 27

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

OK, Bengals. Seriously, what are you?

Are you Super Bowl contenders who can stifle Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady while pummeling the New York Jets to a tune of 40 points? Or are you the same team from the past two years that's good enough to make the playoffs but not assembled well enough to exceed any further?

Is the Andy Dalton who posted 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns over three games for real, or should we keep expecting him to follow glimpses of brilliance with three-interception outings?

Not only does this AFC North battle provide us another look into the Bengals' bizarre psyche, but it also represents the Ravens' last chance to remain relevant in the AFC.

Baltimore dropped its third straight loss last Sunday, this time falling to the offensively inept Cleveland Browns. Not that Baltimore is one to judge, as Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce are each averaging a measly 2.7 yards per carry. 

Any time two AFC North foes clash, viewers should expect a grueling defensive battle devoid of fireworks and highlight plays. Although the Bengals are coming off a disappointing defeat to the Miami Dolphins, they're still in far better shape than the Ravens, who can't lose many more games if they want to defend their Super Bowl championship.

The league's fifth-best defense took a massive hit in losing Geno Atkins for the season, but expect the Bengals to bounce back to beat an offense with little big-play ability.

Prediction: Bengals 20, Ravens 13

Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers

The make or break label is a tad strong here since a loss for either side is far from the end of the world.

But a win certainly bolsters Carolina's case as a playoff threat while San Francisco can inch closer to ensuring at least an NFC Wild Card bid.

The Panthers have thrashed their past four opponents by a 20.5-point average margin of victory. Since the St. Louis Rams were the best of that bunch, Ron Rivera's squad has not earned everyone's respect just yet.

That skepticism vanishes immediately if Carolina can thwart Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore's efforts on the ground. In a bout pitting strength against strength, Carolina sports the league's second-best rushing defense while San Francisco runs better than anyone else.

If we're going down the "Who have they beaten" road, the 49ers have also feasted on easy adversaries since topping the Green Bay Packers during the opening weekend.

This is a pivotal game to clear up the NFC playoff picture, but Carolina will make it even messier with a win that speaks massive volumes.

Prediction: Panthers 24, 49ers 23