49ers at Titans
The 49ers have continued to play well down the stretch and will need to keep doing so if they want to make the playoffs. The Titans, on the other hand, have really struggled. Their only recent win was against the Jaguars. San Francisco needs a win more and they’re going to be incredibly motivated given the importance of this game, so they have the edge.
Expert Prediction: 49ers 28, Titans 20
Analytics-Based Prediction: Titans 30, 49ers 27
Browns at Packers
The Browns have struggled all year, but this is the worst they’ve looked given how many players they’re missing. The Packers didn’t play well last week, but they still found a way to get the win. Green Bay might just be the best team in the NFC. Even at full strength, the Browns would probably lose to this Packers team, so with this many Browns players out, the Packers have a clear advantage.
Expert Prediction: Packers 30, Browns 17
Analytics-Based Prediction: Packers 35, Browns 24
Colts at Cardinals
The Cardinals looked awful last week. A loss to the Lions would be bad for any team, but the Cardinals got killed. Arizona has now lost two games in a row, and now might be the time to start panicking. The Cardinals fizzle late in the season fairly often, so this doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. Still, it’s hard to envision them losing three games in a row. The Colts looked really good last week, but the Cardinals won’t let themselves lose again.
Expert Prediction: Cardinals 34, Colts 31
Analytics-Based Prediction: Colts 28, Cardinals 27
Lions at Falcons
The Lions have suddenly started to show some life. They’re already out of the playoffs, but if they can keep playing this way heading into the offseason, they have something to be excited about. Detroit has now won two of its last three games. The Falcons, on the other hand, have looked really bad recently. Still, they’re alive in the playoff picture and are a much better team than the Lions on paper. Even though Detroit has pulled off some magic, they don’t seem likely to win two games in a row.
Expert Prediction: Falcons 27, Lions 23
Analytics-Based Prediction: Falcons 33, Lions 30
Rams at Vikings
The Rams were able to get a win last week, but they struggled to beat a Seahawks team that was 5-8 at the time. That wasn’t a very impressive win. The Cardinals also just lost to the Lions, so the Rams’ big win might have been more about Arizona struggling than Los Angeles being a good team. The Vikings looked solid against the Bears, but the Rams are much better than Chicago. This should be a close game, but the Rams have the edge because they have been a little better in recent weeks.
Expert Prediction: Rams 31, Vikings 28
Analytics-Based Prediction: Rams 27, Vikings 20
Jaguars at Jets
The Jaguars and the Jets are probably the two worst teams in the NFL at this point in the season. Jacksonville is dealing with a mid-season change at head coach, which is bound to make them even worse than they already were. In games between two teams this bad, it’s tough to predict which team will play better. Typically, the winner will be the home team, and when you throw in Jacksonville’s coaching change, the Jets seem like the clear favorite.
Expert Prediction: Jets 24, Jaguars 14
Analytics-Based Prediction: Jaguars 20, Jets 17
Giants at Eagles
The Giants will be without Daniel Jones for the remainder of the season. They were struggling even with him on the field, as he is far from a great player, but the alternative options are far worse. New York has been unable to move the ball without Jones. They’ve put up under 10 points in two of their three games without him. The Eagles, on the other hand, have looked good over the last couple weeks. They lost to the Giants earlier this year, but that was in New York and Daniel Jones was playing. The outcome of this game will likely be different.
Expert Prediction: Eagles 23, Giants 10
Analytics-Based Prediction: Eagles 17, Giants 9
Bills at Patriots
The Patriots didn’t look good last week, but that was bound to happen eventually. New England had won seven games in a row, so they were going to have a bad game at one point. Even in a game in which seemingly everything went wrong against one of the AFC’s better teams, the Patriots still had a chance to win at the end. That proves that they are a good team. The Patriots beat the Bills earlier this year, but that was in an incredibly windy game. The Bills will be able to move the ball more effectively. This game will be close, but if the Bills struggled to stop the Patriots when they were running the ball every play, it’s hard to see how they could keep this offense in check when there’s a threat for them to pass the ball. Because of that, the Patriots have the advantage.
Expert Prediction: Patriots 30, Bills 28
Analytics-Based Prediction: Patriots 24, Bills 20
Ravens at Bengals
The Ravens have been playing really poorly recently. They’ve lost their last three games in a row, albeit 1.5 of them were without Lamar Jackson. Even with Lamar, Baltimore has been losing, however, and they were seriously struggling in their wins as well. The Ravens simply aren’t a good team. Lamar Jackson may be healthy for this game, but the Bengals will probably win regardless of whether or not he plays. The Bengals have looked really good recently, and they killed the Ravens earlier this year. This one will probably be a demolition.
Expert Prediction: Bengals 34, Ravens 10
Analytics-Based Prediction: Bengals 31, Ravens 21
Chargers at Texans
The Chargers looked good against the Chiefs and had a very real chance to win at the end, but they ultimately came up short. In such a crowded AFC, Los Angeles will need to win this game. Luckily for them, the Texans are one of the worst teams in the NFL. Houston is coming off a win, but they were playing the Jaguars. The Chargers might be missing some players because of Covid, but that won’t change the outcome of this game. Expect Los Angeles to win with ease.
Expert Prediction: Chargers 35, Texans 7
Analytics-Based Prediction: Chargers 44, Texans 14
Buccaneers at Panthers
The Buccaneers looked really bad last week, and more importantly, they suffered many serious injuries. Chris Godwin will be out for the rest of the year, Leonard Fournette will likely miss the rest of the regular season, and Mike Evans may miss time as well. Antonio Brown should be coming back for this week, however, and he’ll provide an important boost for this offense. It’s time for Tom Brady to prove that he can still win with a lackluster supporting cast. The last time we saw him with a receiving core this weak was his last year with the Patriots, and that was one of the worst years of his career. The Panthers aren’t a very good team, so even with the injuries, the Buccaneers should win.
Expert Prediction: Buccaneers 28, Panthers 14
Analytics-Based Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 10
Bears at Seahawks
The Seahawks were surprisingly able to keep up with the Rams, but they ultimately lost the game. Seattle simply isn’t a good team this year. The Bears have been even worse, however, as they’ve now lost three games in a row. The Bears would only have two wins if they didn’t play the Lions twice this year. The Seahawks are bad, but they’re still a tier above the Bears. The Seahawks want to end the year on a positive note, and this game should be a step in the right direction.
Expert Prediction: Seahawks 24, Bears 10
Analytics-Based Prediction: Seahawks 26, Bears 13
Broncos at Raiders
Both the Broncos and the Raiders have really struggled down the stretch this year. The Raiders won last week, but they were playing a decimated Browns team and only won by two points. The Broncos lost, but they kept it close against a very good Bengals team. Denver lost Teddy Bridgewater to injury, and his status for this week’s game is up in the air. Bridgewater was a game manager, however, so Denver should be fine regardless of whether or not he plays. This game will be close, but the Broncos have looked slightly better recently, so they have the edge, with or without Teddy Bridgewater.
Expert Prediction: Broncos 21, Raiders 20
Analytics-Based Prediction: Raiders 23, Broncos 21
Steelers at Chiefs
The Chiefs have seemingly figured things out on offense and they’re now the AFC’s top seed. Kansas City has won seven games in a row, so they’re due for a loss. It doesn’t matter how good they are, the odds of them ending the season on a 10 game win streak are incredibly low. They’re going to have a bad game at one point, and it seems like this could be the week. The Chiefs have had a Covid outbreak, and both Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill were placed on the Covid list. Both are at risk of missing the game. Even if they do play, they will have missed a lot of practice and will be dealing with non football-related things. They’ll probably be off their game. The Steelers have looked really good recently, so even though the Chiefs are the better team, Pittsburgh seems to have a slight advantage this week.
Expert Prediction: Steelers 28, Chiefs 24
Analytics-Based Prediction: Chiefs 34, Steelers 28
Washington at Cowboys
Washington and the Cowboys played a couple weeks ago, and while it was a close game, Dallas ultimately won. That game was in Washington, so it’s hard to see how a couple of weeks could change the outcome of the game, especially with Dallas getting home field advantage. The Cowboys have now won three games in a row and look like they might be in a position to make a deep playoff run, and this game should keep them on track.
Expert Prediction: Cowboys 31, Washington 21
Analytics-Based Prediction: Cowboys 34, Washington 27
Dolphins at Saints
The Dolphins have continued on their win streak, but they didn’t play well last week. Miami is due for a loss eventually, so time will tell if this is the week. The Saints looked great last week, but they just seem to have the Buccaneers’ number in the regular season. New Orleans isn’t a very good team. The Dolphins have looked significantly better than the Saints down the stretch, but they’ve been playing worse teams. Combine that with the fact that they’re due for a loss and playing on the road, and the Dolphins seem like they’re bound to lose in a close game.
Expert Prediction: Saints 24, Dolphins 21
Analytics-Based Prediction: Dolphins 27, Saints 20