NFL Week 11 Predictions: Initial Vegas Odds, Lines, Spreads and Projections

How about a clean sweep of the AFC West for the Chicago Bears?

The very idea would have been laughable at the start of the season, when the Bears were looked at as one of the two or three worst teams in the NFL by a number of preseason publications.

But a funny thing has happened to the Chicago Bears under head coach John Fox and his high-level coaching staff. They have simplified the playbook, worked wonders with quarterback Jay Cutler and started playing respectable defense.

The team that went 5-11 in 2014 and ended the season with a five-game losing streak has won two consecutive road games and improved to 4-5 in 2015.

The Bears have already beaten the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers, and if they can get the best of the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field, they will have four-flushed the AFC West.

The Bears played their best game of the season in Week 10, rolling over the St. Louis Rams by a 37-13 margin. Cutler was on target throughout the game, throwing for 258 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.

Cutler threw long touchdown passes to tight end Zach Miller and rookie running back Jeremy Langford, and the Chicago defense held rookie phenom Todd Gurley to 45 rushing yards.

While the Bears are starting to make their climb, the Broncos are stumbling after a brilliant start. They moved to 7-0 after beating Green Bay in Week 8, but they have lost consecutive games to Indianapolis and Kansas City.

Early in the season, the Broncos were beating opponents with their overpowering defense even though Peyton Manning was struggling in the passing game.

However, the Broncos have not been able to overcome Manning's ineffectiveness in the last two games. He went just 5-of-20 for 35 yards with four interceptions in the Week 10 home loss to the Chiefs.

He was pulled in the second half and replaced by backup Brock Osweiler.

The Broncos are 1.5-point road favorites in this matchup, according to Odds Shark. 

Look for the Bears to continue to improve, while Denver head coach Gary Kubiak must figure out what he is going to do at the quarterback position. Whether Manning starts or sits, this does not look like it will go well for the Broncos.

The Bears will make it three wins in a row and get the cover as home underdogs.

Game	Line	Selection
Tennessee at Jacksonville	Jacksonville -3	Jacksonville
Indianapolis at Atlanta	Atlanta -7	Indianapolis
St. Louis at Baltimore	Even	St. Louis
Washington at Carolina	Carolina -8.5	Washington
Denver at Chicago	Denver -1.5	Chicago
Oakland at Detroit	Even	Oakland
N.Y. Jets at Houston	No line	N.Y. Jets
Dallas at Miami	Even	Dallas
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia	No line	Philadelphia
Kansas City at San Diego	Kansas City -3	Kansas City
Green Bay at Minnesota	Even	Minnesota
San Francisco at Seattle	No line	Seattle
Cincinnati at Arizona	No line	Arizona
Buffalo at New England	New England -9	New England

Surging Chiefs found their stride

Few teams appeared to be in worse shape than the Kansas City Chiefs in late October. After dropping a Week 6 game at Minnesota, the Chiefs had fallen to 1-5, and it appeared their season was going to end in disaster.

Not only had they lost five games in a row, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles was out for the season with a torn ACL and the pass defense was just awful.

Head coach Andy Reid appeared to be out of answers. But when things looked their darkest, the Chiefs rallied. They struggled to win at home game against Pittsburgh, but then went to London and dismantled the Detroit Lions.

After their bye week, the Chiefs came up with their most significant win of the season. They beat the first-place Denver Broncos 29-13 on the road and served notice that they were no longer the team they were in the first two months of the season.

The Chiefs have an opportunity to reach the .500 mark when they face the Chargers in San Diego in Week 11. The Chargers have lost five games in a row and have fallen to 2-7. While quarterback Philip Rivers continues to fight and leave everything on the field, he is not getting enough support from his teammates.

The Chiefs are three-point favorites in this game, and they should be ready to play another complete game.

The role of road favorite in a divisional matchup is never preferred, but it's difficult to see the Chargers playing a 60-minute game against a team that believes in quarterback Alex Smith and has seen much-improved play from Justin Houston and its defense.

The Chiefs should reel off a big win here.

Matt Hazlett/Getty Images

Redskins will keep it close vs. Panthers

The Washington Redskins were in the same boat as the Bears at the start of the season. They were a near-unanimous pick for last place in the NFC East, and head coach Jay Gruden appeared to be in trouble.

Gruden didn't like the idea of Robert Griffin III starting at quarterback, and he benched him before the start of the season and went with Kirk Cousins.

That decision may not have been popular in the owner's box, but it may have saved the Redskins' season.

Washington is not the most talented team in the league, but the Redskins improved their record to 4-5 after they rolled over the Saints 47-14 in Week 10.

The Redskins are still not getting much respect. They are 8.5-point underdogs to the Carolina Panthers in Week 11. Carolina may be undefeated, but Ron Rivera's team is not perfect by any stretch. 

The Panthers rank 27th in passing yards per game, and if the Redskins defense can contain the running of Jonathan Stewart, they may have a chance to steal this game in the final minutes.

Even if they give up a few big plays, Cousins and the Redskins offense is playing well enough to keep this game close. The Redskins will keep it within the spread for their backers.