Week 14 Picks and Predictions for the NFL for Free from an Expert

The top two teams are running strong still, but the middle of the pack is going to thin itself out this week with some important divisional matches as well as some games that could really decide who is playoff bound, and who could be eliminated by the end of the week. We get another great Thursday night game, and a Monday night show-down that should be a ratings gem.

The Week 14 Schedule and Week 14 Predictions:

*Oakland Raiders (3-9) at San Diego Chargers (4-8) **Thursday Night Game** -- The young Raiders will make this an interesting one, but it should be a big offensive game for the Chargers, who are looking to salvage something from this season.

Prediction -- Chargers by 8

*Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8) at Chicago Bears (6-6) -- The Bears are in a must-win situation, and are well aware that they need to win this one in order to still dream of the playoffs. That should get the defense working over-time to generate some points for the Bears.

Prediction -- Bears by 10

*Minnesota Vikings (7-5) at Detroit Lions (0-12) -- This one shouldn't even be close, and it could be one of those off-to-the-races games for the Vikings running game. It should get out of hand pretty quickly.

Prediction -- Vikings by 21

*Houston Texans (5-7) at Green Bay Packers (5-7) -- The Texans are looking pretty good lately, but pride is on the line for the Packers, and they should be playing their hearts out on Sunday. Expect them to look pretty good.

Prediction -- Packers by 10

*Cincinnati Bengals (1-10-1) at Indianapolis Colts (8-4) -- In the mis-match of the week, Peyton Manning goes up against a depleted Bengals team. It's not going to be pretty, and the Colts offense should rebound nicely from last week's game (where they only scored 10 points).

Prediction -- Colts by 24

*Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1) at New York Giants (11-1) -- This is going to be a grudge-match, and while it should be tightly played, the Giants are just going to want this one more than the Eagles. If they can avoid any more off-the-field drama, this could be a blow-out.

Prediction -- Giants by 10

*Cleveland Browns (4-8) at Tennessee Titans (11-1) -- The Browns are down to their third-string quarterback, and that is not a good sign going up against the #1 team in the AFC. The Titans just have to make sure that they do not look past this game on the schedule.

Prediction -- Titans by 14

*Atlanta Falcons (8-4) at New Orleans Saints (6-6) -- Atlanta is looking good, but the New Orleans offense is ready for a break-out game again, and they are going to do it in front of their home crowd. This one will all come down to whether or not the Saints can make some stops on defense.

Prediction -- Saints by 5

*Miami Dolphins (7-5) at Buffalo Bills (6-6) -- The Dolphins still haven't proven themselves, but can take one more step towards clinching a playoff spot if they can beat the Bill in what is sure to be some terrible weather.

Prediction -- Dolphins by 3

*New England Patriots (7-5) at Seattle Seahawks (2-10) -- The Patriots need to come out strong and put away the Seahawks early, as this is an important game for them to not let get away. If they can come out of the gate quickly, it should be an easy win for them.

Prediction -- Patriots by 11

*Kansas City Chiefs (2-10) at Denver Broncos (7-5) -- The season is about over for the Chiefs, so the Broncos should be able to take this one home, and make one more step towards clinching the AFC West.

Prediction -- Broncos by 13

*New York Jets (8-4) at San Francisco 49ers (4-8) -- The 49ers are one of the hot teams right now, playing better under their new coach, and they are a much different team than the first week of the season. That probably won't be enough to stop Brett Favre though, as the Jets need a couple more wins to clinch that playoff spot.

Prediction -- Jets by 10

*St. Louis Rams (2-10) at Arizona Cardinals (7-5) -- The Cardinals have to be foaming at the mouth for another chance at taking out the Rams. They are out for revenge for troubles in the last 20+ years it seems. They should have their game faces on to impress their home crowd.

Prediction -- Cardinals by 9

*Dallas Cowboys (8-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) -- This is going to be a great game with Romo facing the Steelers defense. This one is probably going to come down to Big Ben though, and the Steelers really need a win right now.

Prediction -- Steelers by 9

*Washington Redskins (7-5) at Baltimore Ravens (8-4) **Sunday Night Football** -- The Ravens are very, very good on defense, and that should cause the Redskins a lot of problems on offense. Washington is in a must-win game though, which will make the game even more interesting.

Prediction -- Ravens by 12

*Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3) at Carolina Panthers (9-3) **Monday Night Football** -- In the best MNF game of the season so far, this is a great game with playoff implications on the line. Two really good teams are facing off, but only one of the NFC foes can walk away with a win.

Prediction -- Panthers by 4