Week 11 NFL Picks: Predictions, Advice for Latest Vegas Spreads, Odds and Props

The Detroit Lions have won back-to-back games, but they may not be on track for the playoffs or a winning season.

The Lions looked strong in defeating the Green Bay Packers on the road in Week 9, but they looked anything but in beating the winless Cleveland Browns in Week 10. The two teams were tied at Ford Field going into the fourth quarter and the Lions put an end to the drama with two fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure a 38-24 victory.

Head coach Jim Caldwell should be concerned as his team goes to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears in another NFC North game. While the Lions have an advantage in offensive personnel, the Bears have been playing excellent defense thanks to aggressive defensive end Akiem Hicks (32 tackles, 7.0 sacks).

Chicago is coming off a disappointing home loss to the Packers, and it was one of the rare times the Bears have been favored in the series. However, rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky was not able to string big plays together, and Packers quarterback Brett Hundley was able to solve the Chicago defense because the offensive line gave him just enough time.

If the Lions offensive line can do the same for Matthew Stafford, Detroit should have an excellent chance of winning on the road. Stafford has become one of the better quarterbacks in the league. He may not rank with the elite because he has no postseason success on his resume, but he has improved quite a bit in the last two years, and he has learned how to limit his mistakes.

While the Lions don't have much of a running attack, wide receivers Golden Tate and Marvin Jones have proved to be quite effective. Tate is one of the toughest and most skilled receivers in the game, and he has caught 56 passes for 659 yards and three touchdowns, while Jones is a speedy deep threat who has caught five TD passes and has 10 receptions of 20 yards or more.

The Lions are three-point favorites in the game, according to OddsShark. The Lions are the better team and should win, but if they don't get off to a good start, it will open the door for the Bears. Look for the Lions to get the win and the cover.

NFL Week 11 Schedule, Odds (Point spreads and totals courtesy of OddsShark)

Tennessee at Pittsburgh (-7) | O/U 44

Detroit (-3) at Chicago | O/U 40.5

Baltimore (-2) at Green Bay | O/U 38

Arizona (-1) at Houston 

L.A. Rams at Minnesota (-2.5) | O/U 46

Washington at New Orleans (-7.5) | O/U 51

Jacksonville (-7.5) at Cleveland | O/U 37.5

Kansas City (-10.5) at N.Y. Giants | O/U 45

Tampa Bay at Miami (E) | O/U

Buffalo at L.A. Chargers (-4.5) | O/U 43.5

Cincinnati at Denver (-2.5) | O/U 39.5

New England (-6.5) at Oakland | O/U 53.5

Philadelphia (-3) at Dallas | O/U 48

Atlanta at Seattle (-3) | O/U 44.5

New England Patriots vs. Oakland Raiders (at Mexico City)

The NFL is going to give its fans south of the border an excellent treat as the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots take on a desperate Raiders team.

It looked like these two teams had a chance to meet in the AFC title game late last season, but when Derek Carr suffered a broken leg, the Raiders were unable to hold on to their momentum or the AFC West title.

The Raiders have suffered through injuries again this season, and they have not gotten the lift from the running game that they thought they would when they signed Marshawn Lynch. The former Seahawk has 323 rushing yards and a 3.8 yards per carry average, and that's not good enough to take some of the heat off the receivers.

Michael Crabtree has caught six TD passes, while Amari Cooper has just three. Cooper has amazing skills and is a remarkable talent, but he has dropped too many passes this year. Tight end Jared Cook has emerged as a force for the Raiders with 39 receptions.

The Patriots continue to dominate on offense behind another spectacular year from Tom Brady. The quarterback has thrown for 2,807 yards with 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

One of the main reasons behind Brady's success is his ability to spread the ball around to a slew of talented receivers, including Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amerndola, Brandin Cooks and Chris Hogan (shoulder).

If Hogan can't play, as was the case against Denver last Sunday night, Brady will find another alternative such as Rex Burkhead.

While the Patriots still have the 32nd-ranked defense in the league, much of the damage was done early in the year.

Matt Patricia's defense is doing a better job of preventing touchdowns and forcing opponents to settle for field goals.

The Pats are 6.5-point favorites, and they should win this game by double digits.

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Prop bet

The Thursday night game between the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers offers bettors another opportunity to select the player who will score the first touchdown of the games.

Superstars Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown are listed at 4-1 and 6-1, respectively, per OddsChecker. Powerful rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Steelers is also listed at 6-1.

Running back DeMarco Murray of the Titans is listed at 12-1, as is Martavis Bryant of the Steelers and tight end Delanie Walker of the Titans.

While we like the Steelers to have a strong effort in this game, we are going to look at Derrick Henry of the Titans to open the scoring. He is listed at 16-1, and the power back has found the end zone three times.

We like his odds and believe he can crease the Steelers defense. We will go with Henry scoring the opening touchdown of the game and look for a big return.