Colts at Titans
The Titans were able to rebound last week, but they didn’t look like the elite team many thought them to be at the beginning of the season. The Colts, on the other hand, looked really bad on Sunday and have maintained the notion that they are only able to beat bad teams. Indianapolis has a great defense, but they might struggle to defend this physical Titans run game. Tennessee should be able to put some points on the board because of that, and on the other side of the ball, the Colts should be able to generate much more offense than last week because the Titans defense isn’t nearly as good as the Ravens defense. This should be a very good game, but the Titans have looked better against playoff-caliber teams than the Colts this year, and for that reason, they seem more likely to win this game.
Expert Prediction: Titans 24, Colts 21
Analytics-Based Prediction: Colts 23, Titans 17
Texans at Browns
Despite winning last week, the Texans were able to reaffirm the fact that they are not a good team. They were going up against a horrendous Jaguars team that was starting a rookie sixth round pick at quarterback and they were barely able to come away with a win. There is absolutely no reason to think they could beat a Browns team that has looked like a possible playoff contender this year. Cleveland might be getting Nick Chubb back as well, and he would provide a great boost to this Browns run game by helping them to run the ball a ton without him or Kareem Hunt getting burned out. Expect the Browns to go heavy on the ground if Chubb returns, getting them an easy win. Even if Chubb does miss more time, however, Cleveland should be able to rely on Kareem Hunt and win this game.
Expert Prediction: Browns 31, Texans 21
Analytics-Based Prediction: Browns 30, Texans 14
Washington at Lions
Washington might have lost to the Giants last week, but Alex Smith looked really good and the Giants have been a pretty solid team recently. The Lions, on the other hand, have started to look pretty bad after starting the season off relatively well. This should be a pretty close game, as both teams are well below average, and expect it to be low scoring. Washington has a great defense that should be able to keep the Lions in check, and on offense Alex Smith looked good enough to score some points. The Lions will try to keep up, but they don’t seem likely to score enough against this Washington defense, so expect Detroit to get another loss here.
Expert Prediction: Washington 27, Lions 21
Analytics-Based Prediction: Washington 17, Lions 10
Buccaneers at Panthers
The Buccaneers looked absolutely horrible last week and will now need to rebound to give themselves a shot at winning the division. The Panthers looked really good last week despite eventually losing, but if Christian McCaffrey does miss time, Carolina won’t be the same. McCaffrey was able to take the Panthers to another level last week and make them look like a playoff-caliber team, but his status is very up in the air for this week and will likely determine what happens in this game. If McCaffrey plays, this should be a very close game. The Buccaneers will be able to somewhat rebound on offense but will struggle at times on defense, making this game come down to the last second. If McCaffrey doesn’t play, however, the Panthers will seriously struggle to move the ball on offense and simply won’t score enough points to win. Either way, expect the Buccaneers to come away with the win, whether it’s close or not.
Expert Prediction: Buccaneers 28, Panthers 24
Analytics-Based Prediction: Panthers 20, Buccaneers 19
Eagles at Giants
This should be a very good game that could ultimately determine the outcome of the NFC East. The Giants have seemingly gotten on a hot streak by their standards, winning two of their last four games with their only two losses being close games to the Eagles and Buccaneers. Now they will have the chance for a rematch against the Eagles, and expect this game to be just as interesting as the first. The Eagles have looked great against NFC East opponents this year and don’t seem to be slowing down in that regard. This game should be somewhat low-scoring, with both teams scoring in the 20s. Ultimately, however, the Giants are at home and it doesn’t seem likely that the Eagles would sweep the Giants this year given how evenly matched the two teams are, so expect the Giants to come away with a close win.
Expert Prediction: Giants 25, Eagles 23
Analytics-Based Prediction: Giants 30, Eagles 17
Jaguars at Packers
The Jaguars looked surprisingly good last week despite losing, as they were starting a rookie sixth round pick at quarterback and were almost able to come away with a win. Jake Luton had over 300 passing yards and looked like he could actually be a solid option moving forward. The Packers were able to rebound after a disappointing loss to the Vikings and will now look to build on that as they try to compete for a Super Bowl. This game should be an easy win for them, even if Luton has been better than expected. Green Bay should be able to get a few turnovers and will be able to move the ball with ease, so expect this game to be over by halftime.
Expert Prediction: Packers 37, Jaguars 21
Analytics-Based Prediction: Packers 32, Jaguars 23
Bills at Cardinals
The Bills and Cardinals have both looked good recently. The Cardinals did lose a close game to the Dolphins, but Miami has looked great as well, so that doesn’t change much about their outlook. The Bills should be able to move the ball with ease against this Cardinals defense, particularly through the air. Expect Josh Allen to build on his performance from last week. The Cardinals should also be able to move the ball pretty well, so expect this to be a close, high scoring game. Ultimately, the Bills have a better defense than the Cardinals, so Buffalo seems more likely to score on a consistent basis, and that gives them a slight advantage in this game.
Expert Prediction: Bills 35, Cardinals 31
Analytics-Based Prediction: Bills 31, Cardinals 20
Chargers at Dolphins
This should be a very good game. The Dolphins have been on a hot streak recently and seem like a team that could be capable of making the playoffs and going on a run. The Chargers have made pretty much every game they’ve played very close but are never able to actually come away with a win. Expect more of the same here, as both teams are great and seemingly evenly matched. The Chargers may struggle to move the ball at first, but they will eventually figure out how to put points on the board. Miami should be able to do the same, and based on their recent performances, they should be able to get a turnover or two and capitalize on them. This game will come down to the wire like all Chargers games and ultimately, since the Chargers always seem to lose close games, the Dolphins should end up winning.
Expert Prediction: Dolphins 28, Chargers 27
Analytics-Based Prediction: Dolphins 32, Chargers 25
Broncos at Raiders
The Raiders once again proved that they are a legitimate threat in the AFC last week when they came away with a close win over a Chargers team that even the AFC’s best have struggled with. The Broncos have been very inconsistent this year, at times looking really good and coming away with wins over respectable opponents like the Chargers, but at other times look horrible like they did last week. This game might end up being closer than it should be because it’s a divisional matchup and Denver, despite its poor record, still has a chance at the playoffs. Eventually, however, the Raiders should be able to pull away and will almost definitely end up winning this game when all is said and done.
Expert Prediction: Raiders 30, Broncos 24
Analytics-Based Prediction: Broncos 23, Raiders 16
Seahawks at Rams
The Seahawks have seemingly fallen back down to earth after starting the season well. Their defense is simply too bad for them to actually be a legitimate contender down the stretch, no matter how good Russell Wilson is. They will struggle in this game, as the Rams have an offense fully capable of putting up a ton of points against this horrendous Seattle defense. The Seahawks should be able to move the ball well like they always do, but they will need to be near perfect on offense to give themselves a chance to win this game. It’ll be very close, and the Seahawks have proven that they are capable of winning close games, so expect them to come away with a very tight win over the Rams.
Expert Prediction: Seahawks 35, Rams 34
Analytics-Based Prediction: Seahawks 31, Broncos 23
Bengals at Steelers
The Steelers did not look good last week, but they were still able to come away with a win. The Bengals have proven that they can keep games close and come away with a few upsets, but they aren’t a good team just yet and shouldn’t be expected to win many games. The Steelers should be able to hold this Bengals offense and generate a couple of turnovers, and though they have struggled on the offensive side of the ball, they should be able to put enough points on the board to come away with a win. The Bengals don’t have a great defense and Pittsburgh should be able to convert some of their turnovers to points, so this should be an easy win for the Steelers.
Expert Prediction: Steelers 24, Bengals 20
Analytics-Based Prediction: Steelers 17, Bengals 10
49ers at Saints
The Saints looked incredibly good last week and now seem like they should be considered the best team in the NFC. Michael Thomas didn’t have a huge game, but just having him back in the mix has transformed this Saints offense because defenses now need to make sure they account for him. The Saints defense has quietly been one of the best in the NFL this year and last week proved just how good they can be. The 49ers are one of the league’s most injured teams, so despite having a talented roster at the beginning of the year, they are not a good team. The Saints should be able to win this game with ease, taking an early lead and proceeding to drain the clock.
Expert Prediction: Saints 34, 49ers 14
Analytics-Based Prediction: Saints 30, 49ers 27
Ravens at Patriots
The Patriots’ win over the Jets showed just how decimated this team is. They are missing starters at virtually every position due to a combination of opt-outs and injures, and it shows. New England should return to playoff form in future seasons when they return to full strength, but for now, they are among the league’s worst teams. The Patriots will almost surely struggle to move the ball on offense against this elite Ravens defense and have not been good at stopping the run, so they won’t be able to stop this Ravens offense. This game could easily be a blowout. Despite that, the Patriots have shown the ability to make games against playoff-caliber teams very close, so don’t be surprised if the same is true this week. Either way, however, Baltimore completely outmatches the Patriots and should be able to win this game.
Expert Prediction: Ravens 31, Patriots 21
Analytics-Based Prediction: Ravens 31, Patriots 17
Vikings at Bears
The Bears looked like they have come back down to earth after starting the season very strong and now look likely to miss the playoffs yet again. The Vikings, on the other hand, have looked great recently and will look to continue that trend this week. Dalvin Cook has been incredible recently and Minnesota should be able to rely on him to carry their offense. On the other side of the ball, the Bears have a very bad offense and will likely struggle to move the ball against the Vikings. Because of this, expect the Vikings to get out to an early lead and proceed to drain the clock by running the ball up and down the field with Dalvin Cook, eventually getting them a win.
Expert Prediction: Vikings 27, Bears 14
Analytics-Based Prediction: Bears 30, Vikings 21