NFL Picks Against the Spread Week 10: Underdogs That Will Win Outright

Few dislike an underdog story, and there are several of those entering Week 10 of the 2013 NFL season.

A couple of home teams are being picked to lose in their stadiums in marquee divisional clashes, while another in the midst of a long losing streak isn't garnering much respect despite sticking closely to its past two division-leading opponents.

Preceding a complete list of picks against the spread, check out which perceptibly inferior teams will not only cover the spread but will also win their games outright on Sunday.

Baltimore Ravens (+1.5) over Cincinnati Bengals

It would be shocking to see the defending Super Bowl champions fall all the way to 3-6, especially still being within 2.5 games of Cincinnati for the AFC North lead.

The loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 9 was a setback, but the Bengals present a more favorable matchup for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

Superstar Cincinnati defensive tackle Geno Atkins tore his ACL in the Bengals' loss last Thursday night to the Miami Dolphins, creating a huge void in the trenches. Not only is Atkins stout against the run and commands a double team, but he also registered six sacks in nine games of action.

Without top cornerback Leon Hall, either, it will be a difficult road trip for Marvin Lewis' team to prepare for.

The tandem of Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce has to get going at some point for Baltimore, because there's really nowhere to go but up.

Without Atkins in the lineup for Cincinnati, this is as good of a chance as ever for the Ravens to pound the rock.

The dynamic combination of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green should continue driving Cincinnati's passing attack, but look for Flacco's superior arm talent to make a few more plays and for the Ravens to run the ball better in a tight win.

Prediction: Ravens 20, Bengals 17

Houston Texans (+2.5) over Arizona Cardinals

Case Keenum has provided a spark for the Texans even in losing his first two NFL starts. He's posted a passer rating of 118.0 and has yet to throw an interception against tough defenses such as Kansas City and Indianapolis.

Week 10 presents Keenum's most favorable matchup yet in the Arizona Cardinals, who are 24th against the pass.

Also not helping Arizona's cause at home is that quarterback Carson Palmer is borderline immobile and is going to be facing a pass rush led by the terrifying J.J. Watt. Palmer doesn't have a consistently dependable running game to complement him, and the Texans have the No. 1 pass defense in the league.

That all seems to spell trouble for the Cardinals, yet they remain the favorites perhaps only because of home-field advantage.

A hungry Houston team will fight to snap a six-game losing streak and work toward building a respectable record the rest of the way by getting another stellar performance from Keenum and a standout defensive effort.

Prediction: Texans 31, Cardinals 24

San Diego Chargers (+7) over Denver Broncos

The familiarity factor here is huge. Chargers head coach Mike McCoy is as versatile of an offensive mind as there is in the league, having been offensive coordinator in Denver for quarterback Tim Tebow in 2011 and Peyton Manning a season ago.

In the tough AFC West that features the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs and the Broncos, McCoy has done an admirable job in keeping San Diego competitive.

But the Chargers sit at 4-4 and are three games behind Denver for second in the division. The Philip Rivers-led offense can put points on the board in a hurry, but San Diego's defense has been its downfall.

It's going to be a shootout in matching up with Broncos legend Peyton Manning and his high-octane offense, though.

This game will come down to the final possession, but look for McCoy's inside knowledge to contribute to the game plan against Manning and for the Chargers to seize the moment in this essential must-win scenario.

Prediction: Chargers 41, Broncos 38

Away Team	Home Team	Pick (Spread)
Washington Redskins	Minnesota Vikings	Redskins (-2.5)
Buffalo Bills	Pittsburgh Steelers	Steelers (-3)
St. Louis Rams	Indianapolis Colts	Rams (+9.5)
Jacksonville Jaguars	Tennessee Titans	Titans (-11.5)
Detroit Lions	Chicago Bears	Lions (-2.5)
Philadelphia Eagles	Green Bay Packers	Eagles (PICK)
Seattle Seahawks	Atlanta Falcons	Falcons (+6)
Cincinnati Bengals	Baltimore Ravens	Ravens (+1.5)
Oakland Raiders	New York Giants	Giants (-7.5)
Carolina Panthers	San Francisco 49ers	49ers (-6)
Houston Texans	Arizona Cardinals	Texans (+2.5)
Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	Chargers (+7)
Dallas Cowboys	New Orleans Saints	Saints (-6)
Miami Dolphins	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Dolphins (-2.5)