NFL Predictions Week 14: Last-Minute Picks and Advice for Sunday's Schedule

This is a crucial two-game stretch for the Kansas City Chiefs as they attempt to cement their status as the top-seeded AFC team prior to the start of the playoffs.

The Chiefs have a one-game lead over the explosive Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West, and they are ahead of the New England Patriots by the same margin as the top team in the conference.

However, they face the most difficult part of their schedule in the final quarter of the season. In addition to facing the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chargers head to Kansas City for a Thursday night game in Week 15, and the Chiefs are on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16.

If they don't take care of business, they could fall from the No. 1 spot to a wild-card spot in the postseason.

Kansas City has been depending on its explosive offense all season, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been in the MVP discussion as a result of his strong arm, athleticism and excellent touch. However, the Chiefs' well-rounded offense took a hit prior to Week 13, when they cut running back Kareem Hunt after a video surfaced on TMZ that appears to show him kicking a woman.

Hunt was consequently waived by the Chiefs, and Kansas City will turn to Spencer Ware for much of their running game. They still have explosive wideout Tyreek Hill to stretch the field, along with Sammy Watkins, and tight end Travis Kelce is the best in the league at his position.

The Ravens are a formidable challenge because they have the No. 1 defense in the league in yards allowed and points. Linebackers in Matt Judon and Za'Darius Smith have combined for 12.5 sacks and have done an outstanding job of bringing pressure.

Linebacker C.J. Mosley leads the team with 77 tackles, and cornerback Brandon Carr has 35 tackles, nine passes defensed and an interception.

This unit is confident, and the Ravens may have a better chance of slowing down the Chiefs offense than any other defense in the league.

Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson is going to start for Baltimore again, and while he is still learning on the job, he has the athleticism to cause huge problems for the Kansas City defense with his legs, even if his passing is not quite on point yet. Jackson has rushed for 404 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry this year.

Kansas City is a 6.5-point favorite per OddsShark, but we see the Ravens finding a way to cover the spread and registering the road upset.

Week 14 NFL Odds

Point spreads and totals according to OddsShark.

Atlanta at Green Bay (-4.5) | O/U 51

Baltimore at Kansas City (-6.5) | O/U 51

Carolina (-1) at Cleveland | O/U 47.5

Indianapolis at Houston (-4.5) | O/U 50

New England (-7.5) at Miami | O/U 48.5

New Orleans (-9.5) at Tampa Bay | O/U 54.5

N.Y. Giants (-3) at Washington | O/U 40.5

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (-4) | O/U 37.5

Cincinnati at L.A. Chargers (-14.5) | O/U 48.5

Denver (-3.5) at San Francisco | O/U 45

Pittsburgh (-10) at Oakland | O/U 51.5

Detroit (-3) at Arizona | O/U 40

Philadelphia at Dallas (-3) | O/U 45

L.A. Rams (-3) at Chicago | O/U 51

Minnesota at Seattle (-3) | O/U 45.5

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Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers know they have a huge game coming up in Week 15 at Kansas City, but they won't do themselves any good if they overlook the struggling Cincinnati Bengals at home.

That does not seem likely to happen because Philip Rivers is a fiery leader who will try to exploit Cincinnati with his razor-sharp passes.

The Chargers have followed up a disappointing home loss to the Denver Broncos with back-to-back wins over the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, so they are close to being at the top of their game

The combination of Rivers and wideout Keenan Allen is one of the most dangerous in the league, and Tyrell Williams is a solid receiver as well. The Chargers won't have Melvin Gordon running the ball because of his knee injury, but Austin Ekeler is an excellent backup who has the kind of quickness needed to make big plays.

The Bengals have been hurt badly by injuries to quarterback Andy Dalton and wideout A.J. Green, but that's not this team's only issue. Cincinnati seems quite willing to accept its fate, and there is not a lot of fight in this team.

Head coach Marvin Lewis not been able to rally his team

The Chargers are 14.5-point favorites, and that's a scary spread in the NFL. However, the Bengals won't put up enough of a fight to stay in the game past the first period. The Chargers win by a big margin and cover the spread.

Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears

This Sunday night matchup between two of the best teams in the league is vital to the Chicago Bears, who are coming off a Week 13 loss to the New York Giants.

They were favored in that game, but the Giants came out and set the tone, withstood a late Chicago rally and beat the Bears in the extra session.

If the Bears lose, their lead in the NFC North could be down to a half game if the Minnesota Vikings can beat the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night. The Bears have a powerful defense, led by Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith and Akiem Hicks, but slowing down Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Todd Gurley and Jared Goff will be difficult.

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is expected to be back in the lineup after missing two games because of a shoulder injury. Trubisky has returned to practice, and he excels at making plays with his legs.

He also has a couple of fine receivers in Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, so the Bears should be able to stay in this game.

However, the visitors are more of finished product, and they know how to play big games. Look for the Rams to win and cover the spread as three-point favorites.