NFL Week 14 Picks: Final Overview of Consensus Picks

The consensus is 1-0 in Week 14. According to Odds Shark, 59 percent of the public went with the Dallas Cowboys over the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. Dallas covered the spread with ease, cruising to a 41-28 victory and filling plenty of pockets with extra cash.

Now that Sunday has officially arrived, game lines have shifted, and the public has declared its picks once again. There are 15 more games on this week's slate, but many come equipped with spreads that may be a little too close for comfort for most bettors. If you're having trouble deciding which games are safest to wager, looking at the consensus picks is a good practice.

With kickoff just hours away, here's a look at the consensus selections for the remaining Week 14 contests, followed by some in-depth analysis for the three contests the public is favoring the most.

Matchup	Spread	Consensus Pick
St. Louis at Washington	STL -3	Rams, 63%
Houston at Jacksonville	HOU -6	Texans, 67%
NY Giants at Tennessee	Even	Giants, 63%
Tampa Bay at Detroit	DET -11.5	Buccaneers, 54%
Carolina at New Orleans	NO -10	Saints, 52%
Indianapolis at Cleveland	IND -3	Colts, 62%
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati	CIN -3.5	Steelers, 59%
NY Jets at Minnesota	MIN -5	Vikings, 59%
Baltimore at Miami	MIA -3	Ravens, 55%
Kansas City at Arizona	AZ -1	Chiefs, 56%
Buffalo at Denver	DEN -10	Broncos, 58%
San Francisco at Oakland	SF -8	49ers, 56%
Seattle at Philadelphia	PHI -1	Seahawks, 63%
New England at San Diego	NE -3.5	Patriots, 66%
Atlanta at Green Bay	GB -12.5	Packers, 60%

All game odds and consensus percentages courtesy of Odds Shark and current as of December 6.

Public Consensus Analysis

Houston Texans (67 percent) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+6)

Even though they're coming off a victory over the New York Giants, it's easy to like just about any team over the lowly Jaguars. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles is dealing with a very steep learning curve, running back Denard Robinson appears to have been a short-term stud and Allen Robinson still leads the team in receiving yards despite missing the team's last two games.

It's difficult to sum up all of the team's offensive woes, so a graphic is in order:

Meanwhile, the Texans are coming off a brilliant performance by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The veteran signal-caller threw for 358 yards and six touchdowns in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans. With running back Arian Foster healthy and the emergence of the speedy DeAndre Hopkins, Houston simply seems to have too much firepower for Jacksonville to handle.

After all, the Jaguars aren't much better on the defensive side of the ball:

It's pretty easy to see why the public is all over Houston with a minimal six-point spread in this one. The consensus pick appears to be right on the money.

Prediction: Texans 31, Jaguars 17

New England Patriots (66 percent) at San Diego Chargers (+3.5)

Despite losing to the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, the public jumped back on the Patriots train this week against the Chargers. While New England is right to be favored, the 3.5-point spread is slightly concerning given the possibility of a shootout in San Diego.

Both of these teams feature highly potent offenses, as Tom Brady and Philip Rivers lead the league's seventh- and 11th-ranked passing offenses, respectively. Evening things out, the Chargers are ranked seventh in the league against the pass, while the Patriots are ranked 22nd. Here's a look at both teams' offensive rankings:

This one may be closer than most think.

New England's advantage is its bevy of weapons. Tight end Rob Gronkowski is a monster, Julian Edelman is shifty and tough to cover, Brandon LaFell has really emerged on this offense and Shane Vereen is always dangerous out of the backfield. The Chargers are hurting in the secondary and could struggle covering everyone.

While San Diego doesn't have as many weapons, it does have a couple of quality targets for Rivers. Keenan Allen has been spectacular over the last couple of weeks, and he should be expected to have quite a duel with cornerback Darrelle Revis. Tight end Antonio Gates could also cause problems for a Patriots defense that has struggled at times against the position this season.

Don't expect a blowout in either direction in this one. Bettors who choose to wager on this game could be in for a nail-biting conclusion, as this one should come down to the bitter end.

Prediction: Patriots 30, Chargers 27

New York Giants (63 percent) at Tennessee Titans (even)

The Giants couldn't get out of their own way in Week 13, allowing the Jaguars to return two fumbles for touchdowns in a 25-24 loss. Aside from those turnovers, New York was playing some efficient football.

Quarterback Eli Manning continues to generate plenty of rapport with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and the duo connected seven times for 90 yards against Jacksonville. Running back Rashad Jennings also got into the mix, carrying 26 times for 91 yards and two scores.

That offensive production is a great sign against a Titans defense that hasn't been good at all this season. Here's a look at the unit's current rankings:

Making matters worse for Tennessee is the ineffectiveness of its offense. Rookie Zach Mettenberger has been consistent for the most part, but his big arm hasn't exactly led to gaudy numbers. In six games this season, he's eclipsed 300 yards just once, hasn't thrown for more than two touchdowns in any game and has tossed one interception each week.

Although, it's not all Mettenberger's fault. He hasn't been able to get a balanced offense going due to the very average play of running back Bishop Sankey. The second-round selection has averaged only 3.9 yards per carry this season and hasn't factored into the passing game.

The Giants have the advantage on both sides of the ball entering this matchup, and if they can keep away from those costly turnovers, they won't have trouble taking care of the Titans in Week 14.

Prediction: Giants 27, Titans 20