The playoff picture in both conferences became a little clearer in Week 13. In the AFC, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens picked up big wins to move one step closer to clinching wild-card spots. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks picked up a big win to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams while moving one win closer to clinching a playoff spot. With just four weeks to go, the playoff race heats up once again this week. Here is the NFL rundown for Week 14.
Seattle Seahawks @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Odds: Jacksonville -3
The Seahawks picked up a crucial win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Now they have to go on the road and avoid a letdown to beat a tough Jacksonville team. Russell Wilson has been lights out this year and should be in the MVP conversation but the Seahawks offensive line – until last week – had all sorts of issues. Can the Jaguars – and their league-leading 45 sacks – get to Wilson?
Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs
Odds: Kansas City -4
The Kansas City Chiefs’ demise continued last week with a pathetic loss at the New York Jets. Their 5-0 start has long been forgotten as they are 1-6 in their last seven. One more loss would cough up a division lead that seemed insurmountable at one point. The Raiders have won three of four, edging out some awful opponents in the process. We’ll see if they can beat one more and take control of the AFC West.
Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns
Odds: Green Bay -3.5
The Packers have gone from an afterthought to a contender following a big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. The team announced that Aaron Rodgers could return in Week 15 if Green Bay is still in contention for a playoff spot. That will be the case if they can beat Cleveland on Sunday. The Browns are a legitimate threat to go 0-16 but this figures to be their best shot at getting a win as the Packers come in with a backup quarterback still leading the way.
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Odds: Dallas -6
The Cowboys aren’t technically out of it following a win over the Washington Redskins on Thursday Night Football. However, at 6-6 they will likely have to run the table in order to get in. That means they need to sweep the Giants, Raiders, Seahawks and Eagles, with three of those four games on the road. It starts off easy this week as the Giants just fired their head coach and general manager, and are in complete disarray.
Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Odds: Pittsburgh -7
The Ravens are coming off a big win over the Detroit Lions. With a stout defense, they don’t need much from their offense to succeed. The Ravens have won three straight and four of five but three of those wins came against backup quarterbacks. A matchup against one of the best teams in the AFC will tell us whether the Ravens are legit.
Minnesota Vikings @ Carolina Panthers
Odds: Vikings -3
The Vikings continue to ride the hot hand of Case Keenum and a strong defense. They’ve now won eight straight and sit atop the NFC at 10-2. This week will be a challenge as they face the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed 20.6 points per game at home this season. The Panthers have just one win over a team with a winning record since Week 4.