NFL Week 14 Picks: Road Teams That Will Emerge Victorious

When it comes to the NFL, betting on road teams is risky. No matter how good a team may be, winning on the road is a pretty tough trick to pull off.

But thankfully, it's not impossible. Road teams win all the time, sometimes in convincing fashion. You therefore can't be afraid to lay down a bet on a road team. You just have to know which ones to pick.

In Week 14, five road teams are locks to come away with Ws. Let's discuss.

Note: all spreads according to Bodog.

Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals (-3)

The Texans are down to rookie T.J. Yates at quarterback, but don't take that to mean they're a bad team. Houston's defense is arguably the best in the NFL, and Arian Foster and Ben Tate create more than enough offense. 

As far as the Bengals are concerned, you always have to be worried about them when they go up against superior competition. The Bengals are a good, young team, but they haven't shown that they are capable of beating the better teams in the NFL. They've gotten to where they are by beating up on bad teams.

Because the Texans are limited offensively, I don't think they're going to run away with this game. However, I do think they can dominate defensively, ultimately leading to a close victory.

Texans 17, Bengals 14

New Orleans Saints (-4) at Tennessee Titans

Drew Brees and the Saints are on a roll right now, and there's no reason to think they're going to slow down in Tennessee. 

It's going to be a tough one, though. Chris Johnson has really come on strong in recent weeks, and the Saints have had their issues stopping the run this year. If the Titans can get Johnson going early, they're going to frustrate the Saints.

But only to a degree. Brees is simply too good, and he seems to be getting more and more in tune with his receivers every week. He's not going to have too much trouble putting points on the board, and the Titans will ultimately have to trust Matt Hasselbeck to lead them to a win.

At this juncture, asking Hasselbeck to do anything is risky. I don't think he's going to be able to deliver.

Saints 28, Titans 21

New England Patriots (-9) at Washington Redskins

This is going to be a tough game for the Patriots. The Redskins have an underrated defense, and the team as a whole has been playing some pretty decent football in the last couple weeks.

The only trouble is that the Redskins don't have enough offense to hang with Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense. Few teams do.

The only real question is whether or not the Patriots will cover. Honestly, I don't think they will. They'll score points, but their defense is weak enough to make Rex Grossman look good. He's primed to have his best game of the season, and that will ultimately make things too close for comfort for the Pats.

Still, they'll take the win.

Patriots 30, Redskins 23

Atlanta Falcons (-3) at Carolina Panthers

The last time the Falcons played the Panthers, they won handily.

Of course, that was at home. Beating the Panthers on the road will be a little tougher. 

But only a little. Michael Turner should be able to have plenty of success against Carolina's pitiful rush defense, and Matt Ryan should be able to enjoy plenty of success as well.

To be sure, containing Cam Newton is going to be difficult. He's not perfect, but neither is Atlanta's defense. The Falcons are going to take their lumps against Newton.

But as usual, Newton won't finish. 

Falcons 24, Panthers 20

San Francisco 49ers (-4) at Arizona Cardinals

The 49ers have been slightly more human in road games this season, but I don't think the Cardinals represent much of a threat.

Just like they do against everybody they play, the 49ers will render Arizona's rushing attack useless. They're No. 1 in the league against the run, and that's bad news for Beanie Wells.

It's also bad news for Kevin Kolb, who will be tasked with moving the Cardinals' offense all by himself. The 49ers can be beaten through the air, but Kolb isn't good enough to dominate them.

As for the 49ers, they'll run the ball down Arizona's throat and pound the Cardinals into submission. Business as usual.

49ers 23, Cardinals 17