Week 10 NFL Picks: Vegas Odds, Spread Advice and Predictions

The Minnesota Vikings are in trouble.

They appeared to be the "hot team" at the start of the season when they reeled off five straight victories and looked to have an excellent chance to be the No. 1 contender to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

However, they earned no such honors thereafter, and when the Vikings came back from their bye in Week 7, it was clear that this team had issues. Most of those issues were on the offensive side of the ball, where the Vikings did not have superstar running back Adrian Peterson and the offensive line was ruined by injuries.

The Vikings have dropped three games in a row and also suffered the indignity of losing offensive coordinator Norv Turner to an unexpected resignation prior to their Week 9 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Can the Vikings turn it around against the Redskins, or will their three-game losing streak turn into a full-fledged free fall?

The Redskins are 4-1-1 in their last six games after an 0-2 start, and quarterback Kirk Cousins is the trigger man for the fourth-ranked offense in the league. He has completed 67 percent of his passes and thrown 12 TD passes.

Matchup	Spread	O/U	ATS and O/U Pick
Cleveland at Baltimore	BAL -7.5	45	CLE/U
Houston at Jacksonville	HOU -1.5	42.5	JAX/O
Kansas City at Carolina	CAR -3	44	KC/U
LA Rams at NY Jets	NYJ -2	40	NYJ/U
Atlanta at Philadelphia	Pick'em	50	ATL/O
Green Bay at Tennessee	GB -2.5	49.5	GB/O
Minnesota at Washington	WAS -3	41.5	WAS/O
Chicago at Tampa Bay	TB -1	46	CHI/O
Denver at New Orleans	NO -2.5	49	DEN/O
Miami at San Diego	SD -3.5	48.5	SD/O
San Francisco at Arizona	ARI -13.5	48	ARI/O
Dallas at Pittsburgh	PIT -2.5	50	PITT/O
Seattle at New England	NE -7.5	49	NE/U
Cincinnati at NY Giants	NYG -2.5	47	NYG/O

All signs would seem to point to the Redskins, except for a couple of key technical trends. The Redskins are three-point favorites according to Odds Shark, and Washington has not fared well in that role.

They are 1-8 against the spread in their last nine games as favorites, while the Vikings are 4-1 straight up and against the spread in their last five meetings with the Redskins.

We give these trends full consideration, but we are much more concerned about the way the Vikings are currently playing. Even though quarterback Sam Bradford has earned full respect for the way he has played this season in the absence of Teddy Bridgewater, we just don't see the Vikings coming out of their funk just yet.

The Redskins get the win and the cover.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas at Pittsburgh

We have a legitimate fear of backing one team with a three-game losing streak, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are another story.

Ben Roethlisberger will start his second game since injuring his knee when the Dallas Cowboys come to Western Pennsylvania and should be more productive than he was in Week 9, when the Steelers dropped a 21-14 game to the Baltimore Ravens.

The final score of that game appeared somewhat respectable, but the Steelers were getting blanked after three quarters before Roethlisberger and his offense finally found some success.

When healthy, the Steelers appear to be the most dangerous offensive team in the league with Roethlisberger, wideout Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell leading the way. Still, it has been several weeks since those three were all at their best at the same time.

The Cowboys would seem to be the wrong opponent to bring out the best in the Steelers. They have won seven games in a row and make big plays at key moments with a pair of rookies, quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, leading the way.

However, the desperation factor pushes the game to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is a 2.5-point favorite at home, and the Steelers have to win this game if they are going to rescue their season.

It's also important for head coach Mike Tomlin, who has seen his team fail to play up to its level in games against the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and the Ravens. The inspired Steelers will get the win and the cover.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City at Carolina

In the fast-paced world that is the NFL, handicappers and bettors are not the only ones who look for soft landing spots on a regular basis.

Every once in a while, a coach will look across the field at his opposite number and try to figure out where his team can avoid the stress that is a constant companion during the season.

The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Carolina Panthers this Sunday could be one of those games.

The Chiefs are playing well under veteran head coach Andy Reid and have built a 6-2 record this season. They are a half-game behind the Oakland Raiders and have full confidence, since they have beaten the Raiders already.

The Panthers have won their last two games after a disastrous start, and head coach Ron Rivera's team returns home this week in an effort to rescue their season.

Reid and Rivera are both clear-thinking coaches who want to win with defense and a productive running game. While NFL games rarely play out with those two factors dominating, it could happen here.

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has taken more than his share of heavy hits, while Kansas City signal-caller Alex Smith returns this week from a head injury that he insists was not a concussion.

Running back Jonathan Stewart of the Panthers and opposite number Charcandrick West of the Chiefs should be the main thrust of both team's offensive attacks. The offensive play should be vanilla, and this game will be a battle of field position and field goals. The total of 44 points will not be in jeopardy, and this game is a clear under call.

Look for a final score in the 23-16 range, as both teams lean on their hard-hitting defenses and refuse to take chances with the ball.