Chargers at Raiders

The Chargers were finally able to get a win after a number of close games, and this could very possibly boost their confidence and enable them to win some more games. The Raiders, on the other hand, have completely dropped off after starting the year off well. They’ve now had three atrocious games in a row and don’t seem likely to rebound given how little time is left this year. The Chargers have seemingly always lost their close games, with the exception of last week, but they could very possibly pull this off with Vegas playing like it is. The game will likely be tight, but ultimately, expect the Chargers to win.

Expert Prediction: Chargers 34, Raiders 33

Analytics-Based Prediction: Raiders 30, Chargers 28

Bills at Broncos

The Bills looked great last week and are looking to go into the playoffs with momentum. The Broncos were able to pull off a nice win last week, but that was against the Panthers, a team nowhere near as good as the Bills. Buffalo should be able to win this game with relative ease. The Broncos have had inconsistent quarterback play all year, and that likely won’t change this week. Buffalo should be able to move the ball down the field with ease against  weak Broncos defense as well. Denver might be able to keep the game somewhat close, as they have played well against good teams this year, but they will eventually lose.

Expert Prediction: Bills 35, Broncos 28

Analytics-Based Prediction: Bills 38, Broncos 17

Panthers at Packers

The Panthers looked very disappointing last week and have continued their trend of inconsistency. They will be hoping to get Christian McCaffrey back this week, however, and he could give them a much needed boost. Either way, however, they will probably struggle against the Packers. Carolina won’t have a way to stop Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, and once Green Bay gets a lead, they can just run the clock out with Aaron Jones. This will be an easy win for the Packers.

Expert Prediction: Packers 31, Panthers 21

Analytics-Based Prediction: Packers 33, Panthers 20

Texans at Colts

The Colts have been on a hot streak recently and will look to continue this week. The Texans had been looking really good, but they were horrendous last week against the Bears. Houston was a completely different team than the one we had seen in the weeks prior. The week before, however, the Texans were able to keep up with the Colts, so it’s tough to say whether or not Houston will be able to stay in this game. Either way, however, expect the Colts to win. Indianapolis has been a much better team than the Texans this year and proved two weeks ago that they can still be the Texans on their best day.

Expert Prediction: Colts 28, Texans 17

Analytics-Based Prediction: Colts 31, Texans 18

Lions at Titans

The Lions were able to keep their game against the Packers closer than expected, but Green Bay was still able to win. Matthew Stafford may also end up missing time with an injury that he suffered late in the game last week. Even if Stafford does play, however, expect the Lions to lose. With the exception of one bad game against the Browns last week, the Titans have been on a roll. Derrick Henry is looking unstoppable right now, putting up some of the best rushing numbers we’ve ever seen. The Lions won’t be able to stop Henry and won’t be able to score enough points to keep up with him, especially if Stafford is out, so expect an easy win for the Titans.

Expert Prediction: Titans 33, Lions 20

Analytics-Based Prediction: Titans 34, Lions 24

Bears at Vikings

The Bears played shockingly well last week, but that can’t distract from the fact that they’ve been consistently bad in almost every game since they started off the year hot. The Vikings may have lost last week, but prior to that matchup they were on a winning streak. Minnesota has simply been a better team than the Bears this year, especially in the last month or so. The Vikings should be able to stop the Bears’ offense and score enough points to win the game, though this matchup might be closer than it should be because the two teams are in the same division.

Expert Prediction: Vikings 25, Bears 21

Analytics-Based Prediction: Bears 24, Vikings 20

Seahawks at Washington

Washington was able to continue its winning streak, but Alex Smith’s injury may have screwed them over. It’s still unclear whether or not Smith will be able to play this week, and if he can’t, Washington will be forced to start Dwayne Haskins. Haskins looked horrible last week, as expected, and has proved time and time again that he isn’t a serviceable quarterback. This game will likely be close if Alex Smith plays, but if he doesn’t Seattle should be able to win. Even if Smith plays and the game is close, however, the Seahawks have a slight advantage because they tend to win their close games.

Expert Prediction: Seahawks 27, Washington 24

Analytics-Based Prediction: Washington 26, Seahawks 24

Patriots at Dolphins

The Patriots might be the hardest team in the NFL to predict on a weekly basis. At times they look like a legitimate Super Bowl caliber team and at other times they look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Patriots typically struggle in Miami and almost never sweep the Dolphins, so a win doesn’t seem very likely. Miami has also been a much better team this year. That being said, if the Patriots play as well as they have at times this season, they have the ability to beat the Dolphins. This game is hard to predict, but the Patriots have looked bad more often than they’ve looked good, so expect the Dolphins to win.

Expert Prediction: Dolphins 27, Patriots 24

Analytics-Based Prediction: Patriots 27, Dolphins 21

Jaguars at Ravens

The Ravens had an impressive win last week and will need to continue to win if they are going to make a run at the playoffs. This week, they play the Jaguars. Jacksonville has been bad all year but at times has been able to keep games close unexpectedly. Given how inconsistent the Ravens are, it’s certainly possible that the Jaguars are able to keep the game close for a little while, but eventually the Ravens will pull ahead. So, expect the Ravens to win the game, but don’t be surprised if this game is closer than many think it will be.

Expert Prediction: Ravens 35, Jaguars 28

Analytics-Based Prediction: Ravens 38, Jaguars 21

Buccaneers at Falcons

The Buccaneers looked pretty good last week and should be able to continue their run towards a wild card spot. The Falcons, on the other hand, once again choked away a game that they should have won. The Falcons will definitely struggle to stop the Buccaneers’ passing attack, and on the other side of the ball, they will probably turn the ball over a few times. Atlanta may be able to keep the game close at first, but they should eventually fall behind. Expect the Buccaneers to win.

Expert Prediction: Buccaneers 37, Falcons 28

Analytics-Based Prediction: Buccaneers 41, Falcons 31

49ers at Cowboys

The Cowboys played surprisingly well last week against the Bengals, but Cincinnati was playing with a backup quarterback, so it doesn’t mean a ton. The 49ers didn’t play particularly well last week, but they were playing a very good team, so that doesn’t mean they won’t be successful for the rest of the year. San Francisco has been much more consistent than the Cowboys and has at times looked really good. The Cowboys will probably struggle to move the ball against this defense. On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys have a bad defense, so the 49ers should be able to score enough points to get the job done.

Expert Prediction: 49ers 26, Cowboys 21

Analytics-Based Prediction: 49ers 27, Cowboys 24

Eagles at Cardinals

The Eagles looked like a completely different team last week with Jalen Hurts in the lineup. He played exponentially better than Carson Wentz and may be able to keep the Eagles in the conversation in the NFC East. The Cardinals played really well last week, so they will be a tough matchup, but given that the Eagles could beat a Saints team that was undefeated with Taysom Hill, Philadelphia could be up to the task. Rookie quarterbacks tend to be inconsistent, however, so even if Hurts played well last week, he might not be nearly as good this week. Ultimately, this could be a close game, but the Cardinals seem to have the advantage.

Expert Prediction: Cardinals 31, Eagles 27

Analytics-Based Prediction: Cardinals 30, Eagles 20

Jets at Rams

The Rams looked great last week against the Patriots and are holding onto the division by a thread right now. They now get essentially a bye week, as the Jets are easily the worst team in the league. The Jets have almost no chance of winning this game. Even when they have played well this year, which has been very rare, they have always found a way to lose the game. This game shouldn’t be any different. Expect this one to be over by halftime.

Expert Prediction: Rams 35, Jets 10

Analytics-Based Prediction: Rams 37, Jets 3

Chiefs at Saints

The Saints will look to rebound after a tough loss last week, and what better way to do that than to get Drew Brees back in the lineup. Things are still uncertain around whether or not Brees will play, but he definitely has a chance. They will need Brees if they are going to win this game, as the Chiefs are probably the best team in the league. If Taysom Hill is starting, the Saints have next to no chance of winning this game. If Brees starts, however, this should be a very good matchup and a potential Super Bowl preview. The Chiefs are due to lose a game, as winning as many games in a row as they have is simply not possible for a prolonged period of time, so a loss here is definitely possible. Ultimately, however, it’s impossible to pick against the Chiefs given how they are playing right now.

Expert Prediction: Chiefs 28, Saints 25

Analytics-Based Prediction: Chiefs 27, Saints 23

Browns at Giants

The Browns might have lost last week, but they looked good and proved that they can keep up with the Ravens, a team that killed them earlier in the year. The Giants, on the other hand, looked awful after going on an impressive win streak in the weeks prior. This game will be New York’s opportunity to get back on track before the division is out of hand. The Browns will also need to continue to win to ensure a wild card spot. If the Giants played like they did in the weeks leading up to last week, this will be a very close game, but if not, the Browns should win with relative ease. Given the uncertainty surrounding how well the Giants will play, the Browns have an edge.

Expert Prediction: Browns 27, Giants 20

Analytics-Based Prediction: Browns 25, Giants 21

Steelers at Bengals

The Steelers had yet another bad game and have seemingly proved doubters correct. The second they got to an even remotely difficult part of their schedule they started to lose. Pittsburgh has benefited from an easy schedule up to this point, but they aren’t truly a Super Bowl caliber team. They are, however, playing the Bengals’ backup quarterback this week, so it should be an easy win. Pittsburgh will be able to completely stop the Bengals’ offense, and on the other side of the ball, they should be able to score with relative ease against a weak Cincinnati defense. This one should be over by halftime.

Expert Prediction: Steelers 30, Bengals 10

Analytics-Based Prediction: Steelers 34, Bengals 13