NFL Picks Week 10: Predictions for Prime-Time Matchups

There are some interesting matchups in the national spotlight in Week 10, and it's time to take a look at what's in store for these prime-time games.

Things will get started on Thursday Night Football, as the Washington Redskins will be taking on the Minnesota Vikings.  There have been some wild endings to the previous games on Thursday nights, and this one should be an entertaining game as well.

Let's take a look at predictions for every game this week, followed by a breakdown of the three prime-time games.

Away	Prediction	Home
Washington Redskins	24-13	Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles	17-20	Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars	10-28	Tennessee Titans
Buffalo Bills	27-20	Pittsburgh Steelers
Oakland Raiders	13-21	New York Giants
St. Louis Rams	17-28	Indianapolis Colts
Seattle Seahawks	27-21	Atlanta Falcons
Cincinnati Bengals	24-20	Baltimore Ravens
Detroit Lions	30-20	Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers	24-28	San Francisco 49ers
Houston Texans	21-20	Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos	38-27	San Diego Chargers
Dallas Cowboys	28-31	New Orleans Saints
Miami Dolphins	13-21	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins (3-5) at Minnesota Vikings (1-7)

Date: Thursday, Nov. 7

Time: 8:25 p.m. ET

TV: NFL Network

Prediction: 24-13, Redskins

Neither of these teams have lived up to expectations this season, but this is a chance for either of them to start turning things around.

Despite being just 3-5, the Redskins are still in the NFC East race.  Robert Griffin III is looking much more comfortable on his knee, and he showed more of the same against the San Diego Chargers.  He may have thrown an interception and not scored a touchdown, but he did complete 71.9 percent of his passes and led his team to score 30 points.

The defense for the Redskins has to get better if Washington wants to start stringing wins together.  The team currently ranks 31st in the league in scoring defense, allowing 31.6 points per game.  The only good news is that the Redskins held the Chargers to just 24 points, and things are starting to look up.

Christian Ponder looks like he might have taken back his starting job, at least for now.  He's had three total touchdowns in his last two games and thrown just one interception, leading the offense more effectively than Josh Freeman did against the New York Giants.

Adrian Peterson is having yet another terrific season, although he hasn't gotten as many opportunities as he did last season.  So far, he's ran for 711 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Much like the Redskins, the Vikings have a struggling defense.  Minnesota is allowing 395.1 yards and 31.5 points per game, which is similar to Washington.

With equally bad defenses, I trust RGIII to lead his team to victory more than I trust Ponder.  The Redskins should win this one and possibly start making a run in their division.

Dallas Cowboys (5-4) at New Orleans Saints (6-2)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 10

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Prediction: 31-28, Saints

Two teams with division leads will be taking each other on in this one, and they each need a win in order to keep a comfortable lead in their respective divisional races.

The Dallas Cowboys are in danger of their third straight 8-8 season, but even a .500 record would possibly give them the NFC East title.  Tony Romo is actually having a pretty solid season, posting a 100.0 passer rating.

Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are having great seasons.  They've combined for 96 receptions, 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns, and they have shown why they are two of the best players at their respective positions.  They have to keep up the pace in order to make up for the defense, which has been struggling.

The team as a whole is giving up 419.2 yards per game but only 23.2 points per contest.  It could certainly be worse, but the Cowboys need to find ways to keep opponents from racking up so many yards.

For the New Orleans Saints, Rob Ryan has led the team to a much-improved defense.  After ranking last in pretty much every category, the Saints are allowing just 18.3 points per game, the fifth best in the league.

Drew Brees is having yet another great season.  At his current rate, Brees is on pace to pass for 5,344 yards, 42 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.  Jimmy Graham has been big, even with the foot injury, leading the NFL with 10 receiving touchdowns.

This should be a closer game than many expect, but the Saints should be able to pull it out thanks to their improved defensive play in 2013.

Miami Dolphins (4-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-8)

Date: Monday, Nov. 11

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Prediction: 21-13, Buccaneers

The two most controversial teams this season will be going head-to-head, and unfortunately most of the focus this week hasn't been on this upcoming game.

The Dolphins were finally able to end their four-game losing streak against the Cincinnati Bengals last week thanks to a game-winning safety in overtime.  Their defense has actually been solid, led by the intimidating Cameron Wake along with Brent Grimes in the secondary.  According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Dolphins have the third-best overall defense in the league.

Ryan Tannehill has showed signs of development as a passer, but he may struggle without a couple of his starting offensive linemen.  The Dolphins are averaging just 315.3 yards and 21.8 points per game on offense, and those are certainly numbers they would like to improve on.

The Buccaneers have yet to win a game, but they nearly took down the Seattle Seahawks after going up 21-0.  Unfortunately, the Seahawks came back and were able to win in overtime.

Mike Glennon has actually looked like a solid quarterback so far.  He's completed 60.3 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, and he hasn't thrown an interception in his last three games.  However, the offense has struggled to be productive overall, putting up just 304.3 yards of offense and 15.5 points per game.

Darrelle Revis has played great this season after returning from a torn ACL.  The defense as a whole has been pretty average, however, allowing 23.8 points per game.

Tampa Bay is due to finally win a game, and this is its chance to do it.  The Dolphins are dealing with a lot of distractions right now, and that will make it hard for them to focus and win this game against a team that's getting more comfortable with Glennon under center.