NFL Predictions Week 11: Favorites That Will Have Little Trouble Covering Spread

Week 11 of the NFL season features some exciting matches, but the favorites definitely seem to have the advantage in most battles.

At this point of the year, it is harder for teams to sneak up on people. This not only counts for squads who have exceeded expectations, but it also includes weaker teams who are trying to pull off surprising upsets. It is too late in the year for top teams to make mistakes.

That being said, some favorites will have a tougher time than others. If you have a choice, it might be smart to stay away from games like the San Francisco 49ers against the New Orleans Saints, or the Monday night battle between the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots.

However, this next set of games should be easy wins for the favorites.

Note: All spread info courtesy of Vegas Insider as of Nov. 16. 

Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5) over Washington Redskins

Nick Foles is the hottest quarterback in the league with 10 touchdowns in his past two games. On the season, he has 16 touchdown passes with no interceptions to equal an incredible 132.5 passer rating.

While it seems likely he will come back to earth eventually as his stats level off, there is no reason to think that will come this week. The Redskins rank 26th in the NFL against the pass and just allowed Christian Ponder to post a career-high 95 QBR.

Even with some extra time to game-plan after playing on Thursday, it seems unlikely the defense has solved any of its problems.

Robert Griffin III played well his last time out, but he will need to be at his absolute best to outscore the Eagles. Based on his inconsistent play this year, it is hard to imagine he is capable of this, and the Eagles should win easily.

Seattle Seahawks (-12.5) over Minnesota Vikings

On one hand, the Vikings are coming off an encouraging win over the Redskins, and the Seahawks struggled with a weaker opponent in their last home game. This provides reason to believe Minnesota could at least keep it close.

On the other hand, are you crazy?

The Vikings might have earned a win, but this is far from a team with momentum. That was actually their first victory in the United States (they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in London) and were still awful defensively.

Meanwhile, Seattle continues to prove it is one of the top contenders for the Super Bowl by displaying impressive play on both sides of the ball. Additionally, the team is just now getting healthy as three starting offensive linemen are set to return, as well as Percy Harvin. 

If these players are in the lineup, the Seahawks will have little trouble against the Vikings in the most intimidating stadium in the NFL.

San Diego Chargers (-1.5) over Miami Dolphins

Although the Chargers have to go across the country to play in Miami, at least this game is a 4:05 p.m. ET start. The previous road losses to the Redskins and Tennessee Titans were 1 p.m. ET starts, which makes it tough for a West Coast team to compete.

More importantly, Philip Rivers continues to play as well as he has in his entire career with efficient passing to move the ball down the field without mistakes. His current quarterback rating of 105.9 is the best of his career, while his 71.6 completion percentage leads the NFL.

Miami has been inconsistent defensively, and the squad is certain to give up plenty of points to this versatile offense.

Of course, San Diego has been limited by its defense as well this year. However, Ryan Tannehill has been the most-sacked quarterback in football and is now without two starting offensive linemen.

The Dolphins will not be able to take advantage of the weak secondary and will struggle once again to move the football. This will lead to yet another loss for Miami as the in-season collapse continues.

Away	Home	Spread	Pick ATS
Atlanta Falcons	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	PICK	Buccaneers
New York Jets	Buffalo Bills	NYJ -1	Jets
Detroit Lions	Pittsburgh Steelers	DET -2.5	Lions
Washington Redskins	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI -4.5	Eagles
San Diego Chargers	Miami Dolphins	SD -1.5	Chargers
Baltimore Ravens	Chicago Bears	CHI -3	Bears
Cleveland Browns	Cincinnati Bengals	CIN -6	Browns
Oakland Raiders	Houston Texans	HOU -9	Raiders
Arizona Cardinals	Jacksonville Jaguars	ARI -9	Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs	Denver Broncos	DEN -8	Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -12.5	Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers	New Orleans Saints	NO -3	Saints
Green Bay Packers	New York Giants	NYG -4.5	Packers
New England Patriots	Carolina Panthers	CAR -3	Panthers

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