NFL Week 10 Picks: Early Predictions for Every Game

Week 9 of the 2018 NFL season was one of the more entertaining slates of the year. Of note, two of the three Sunday late-afternoon games went down to the final play, while the Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints matchup featured 80 combined points.

However, the week wasn't particularly surprising. Of note, the biggest "upset" per the sportsbook odds was the Saints' 45-35 win over the Rams, per OddsShark. The Saints were just two-point underdogs entering the game.

The Week 10 ledger has some notable mismatches on paper, with the 7-1 Kansas City Chiefs' game with the 2-6 Arizona Cardinals first among them.

However, the game with the biggest point spread of the year ended in favor of the underdog, as the Buffalo Bills covered the 16.5 points and won outright over the Minnesota Vikings in a 27-6 Week 3 win.

We'll see if any upsets unfold, but until then, here's a look at some Week 10 picks and notes on three games.

Week 10 Picks

Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers: CAR 27, PIT 24

Arizona Cardinals at Kansas City Chiefs: KC 35, ARI 17

Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns: ATL 31, CLE 24

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets: NYJ 13, BUF 10

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: CHI 27, DET 10

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts: IND 20, JAX 16

New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans: NE 35, TEN 17

New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals: NO 38, CIN 21

Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TB 31, WSH 27

Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders: LAC 38, OAK 10

Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers: GB 41, MIA 13

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams: LAR 31, SEA 17

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles: PHI 24, DAL 16

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers: NYG 24, SF 20

Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers are scorching hot heading into this Thursday Night Football game, which stands as the Week 10 main event.

Of note, the offenses have been on fire. The Panthers have scored 78 combined points in their past two games, while the Steelers are riding a near-invincible James Conner (689 scrimmage yards, seven touchdowns) to great success in their four-game win streak.

The key is how well the two offenses can attack the opposing teams' weaknesses. The Panthers have been exposed in their defense against tight ends, as exhibited by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' O.J. Howard in his two-touchdown effort. Can the Steelers' Vance McDonald and Jesse James take advantage?

The Steelers have a much-improved defense after a rough start, as they've allowed no more than 18 points in any of their last four games. However, the team ranked just 23rd in pass-defensive efficiency through eight weeks, per Football Outsiders. The Steelers had allowed the ninth-most receiving yards in the league versus No. 1 wideouts and the fourth-most yards to tight ends.

Can Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess and tight end Greg Olsen step up in this spot? The latter player could be the key to Carolina's success, as the 12-year veteran is on a three-game touchdown streak and has 10 catches for 132 yards in his past two games.

Olsen looks 100 percent after suffering a foot injury that forced him to miss three-plus games, and the guess is that he leads the Panthers to a close road victory.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts

We could be seeing a changing of the guard in the AFC South.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, who won the division last year and started 3-1 in 2018, have lost their last four games. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts, who finished 4-12 last year and started 1-5 this season, are winners of their past two contests.

While both teams have a significant gap between them and the 6-3 Houston Texans for the division, the Colts look like they have a much better chance of catching up.

The offensive line has done a tremendous job protecting quarterback Andrew Luck, Marlon Mack has breathed life into a previously dormant running game, wideout T.Y. Hilton and tight end Jack Doyle are back healthy and linebacker Darius Leonard is one of the league's best rookies.

The good news for Jacksonville is that running back Leonard Fournette should be back, as previously reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN. Fournette, who accumulated 1,342 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns last season, has missed nearly all year with hamstring injuries. He played in Weeks 1 and 4 only and was removed early each time.

As good as Fournette can be, he's in a tough spot coming off a five-week layoff against the hot Colts on the road. Indianapolis is the pick.

Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns may have just lost to the Chiefs, 37-21, but a few encouraging signs emerged from that game.

First, Cleveland did well moving the ball after struggling in that regard for much of 2018. Of note, new offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens masterfully used running back Duke Johnson Jr., who caught nine passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

Second, the Browns hung tough with an excellent team. Cleveland had a chance to cut the lead to eight points with a touchdown and two-point conversation, but Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson intercepted a pass in the red zone with four minutes and 39 seconds left to effectively seal the game.

Now the 4-4 Atlanta Falcons roll into town as winners of three straight.

Cleveland's issue is that the Falcons defense, which has struggled for most of the year, has fared well in its past two games. Atlanta held the New York Giants to six points through three-plus quarters before winning 23-20 and just crushed the five-win Washington Redskins, 38-14.

Even if the Browns offense is improved under new leadership, a more successful Falcons defense is the key to a win. Also, Cleveland faces a significant matchup problem versus star Atlanta wideout Julio Jones, who is well on his way to his fifth straight season of 1,400 or more yards.