NFL Picks Week 11: Latest Vegas Lines, Odds and Predicting Winners, Final Scores

If stores can hang up Christmas decorations right after Halloween, NFL fans can think about the playoffs in November.

Heading into Week 11, several squads are suddenly running out of time to earn a postseason bid. While it's probably too late for some, the league's lack of quality contenders opens the door for everyone to remain hopeful. 

None of the dozen four-win teams will pack up for the offseason just yet. In their quests to stay alive, two of those 4-5 clubs face opposite circumstances. As one goes against a 2-7 team welcoming back its star quarterback, the other hosts a 7-2 franchise sitting its legendary signal-caller.

Elsewhere, an unlikely joust for NFC North supremacy will unfold in a matchup Vegas is struggling to peg. Here's an early look at Week 11 odds, courtesy of Odds Shark as of Wednesday morning, and predictions.

Day/Time (ET)	Away	Home	Spread	Prediction
Thurs., 8:25 p.m.	Tennessee Titans	Jacksonville Jaguars	JAX -2.5	23-17 JAX
Sun., 1 p.m.	Denver Broncos	Chicago Bears	Even	17-16 CHI
Sun., 1 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	Miami Dolphins	Even	27-23 DAL
Sun., 1 p.m.	Oakland Raiders	Detroit Lions	OAK -1	28-20 OAK
Sun., 1 p.m.	Indianapolis Colts	Atlanta Falcons	ATL -7	24-23 IND
Sun., 1 p.m.	St. Louis Rams	Baltimore Ravens	BAL -1	17-13 BAL
Sun., 1 p.m.	Washington Redskins	Carolina Panthers	CAR -8.5	27-17 CAR
Sun., 1 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI -7	26-20 PHI
Sun., 1 p.m.	New York Jets	Houston Texans	N/A	24-16 NYJ
Sun., 4:05 p.m.	Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers	KC -2.5	31-24 KC
Sun., 4:25 p.m	San Francisco 49ers	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -13.5	23-9 SEA
Sun., 4:25 p.m	Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	Even	24-20 GB
Sun., 8:30 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals	Arizona Cardinals	ARI -4	28-25 ARI
Mon., 8:30 p.m.	Buffalo Bills	New England Patriots	NE -7.5	30-23 NE

Notable Games

Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins

If Tony Romo were as bad as every hot-take artist suggested, the Dallas Cowboys would remain in the thick of a wide-open NFC East race. Instead, they lost all seven games without their quarterback after winning the first two with him under center.

For Dallas to become back-to-back division champions, it will likely need to win all seven remaining games. If the team goes down, it will at least happen with the starter under center. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Romo should return this Sunday to face the Miami Dolphins:

Contrary to popular belief among those touting Cam Newton as an actual MVP candidate, football is a team sport. Yet replacing Matt Cassel—who replaced Brandon Weeden—with last year's leader in quarterback rating (113.2) and yards per pass attempt (8.52) makes an astronomical difference. The change also comes in time to stampede Miami's No. 26 defense.

Nearly avoiding a three-game losing streak, the Dolphins kept their playoff aspirations alive with a 20-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite gaining 289 total yards to Philadelphia's 436, Miami escaped with a red-zone interception off backup QB Mark Sanchez. Romo is better than Sanchez. Make sure the guy or gal still rambling about the latter's AFC Championship Game appearances with the New York Jets knows it. 

Given their potent offensive line and solid defense, the Cowboys would exist as a top NFC threat if afforded a full healthy season from Romo and wide receiver Dez Bryant. Look for them to make up for lost time on Sunday.

Prediction: Cowboys 27, Dolphins 23

Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears

An NFL team will bench Peyton Manning, and it's tough to tell if it's a considerable downgrade.

After throwing four interceptions, raising his season total to an NFL-high 17, Manning took a seat for Brock Osweiler against the Kansas City Chiefs. ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported the 39-year-old quarterback was playing through a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot. 

Whether it's a significant setback or a convenient excuse to bench an icon, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak announced his decision to start Osweiler against the Chicago Bears this weekend, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

The 24-year-old fill-in will replace arguably the greatest quarterback ever, but he needs to set Manning's 6.77 yards per attempt in 2015 as a barometer instead of his Hall of Fame numbers. Not throwing a pick every game would also help Osweiler's cause behind the league's No. 1 defense. There's little evidence to support him improving Denver's offense, but it has rarely played well all season.

Chicago wouldn't normally look like a treacherous foe, but it has won four of its last six games and ranks No. 4 against the pass. In place of Matt Forte, rookie Jeremy Langford has registered 324 total yards and three touchdowns through two games. 

As noted by SportsCenter's Twitter account, his latest effort puts him in elite company:

Unless Alshon Jeffery can conquer the league's top secondary, the Bears will need a heavy dose of Langford alongside a stout defensive effort. Given his sterling success and the uncertainty around Osweiler, neither scenario seems out of the realm of plausibility.

Prediction: Bears 17, Broncos 16 

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

While the Minnesota Vikings extended their winning streak to five, the Green Bay Packers suffered a stunning loss to the Detroit Lions at home in Week 10, giving them three consecutive defeats. If momentum existed, Minnesota would hold all of it.

Losing to Detroit is baffling. Even if Mason Crosby converted a last-second field-goal attempt, a woefully inefficient offense would remain the game's troubling takeaway.

During Green Bay's three losses, quarterback Aaron Rodgers recorded 5.95 yards per pass attempt. ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky pointed the blame at the reigning MVP:

"

There’s plenty wrong with the Packers’ offense, but it starts with the reigning NFL MVP. Rodgers hasn’t made the fatal mistake that lesser quarterbacks tend to make when things aren’t going well, but on Sunday he was off target, hesitant and -- perhaps most shockingly -- looked like any other Average Joe QB until the frantic late-game comeback bid. 

"

The Packers would have much more reason to panic if the Vikings truly resembled a 7-2 squad. They've yet to beat a team with a winning record, and masking a No. 31-ranked passing offense proves much tougher in tighter games against playoff contenders. 

Minnesota needs another 200 yards from Adrian Peterson against Green Bay's No. 24 rushing defense. Although the Vikings are far tougher defensively than the Lions, an all-time great quarterback in his prime won't stay down for long.

Green Bay will contain Peterson enough (even if that means only 100 yards), while Rodgers won't wait until the fourth quarter to kick-start his offense in a pivotal showdown. 

Prediction: Packers 24, Vikings 20