NFL Pro Football 2008 Week 14 Picks early games

NFL Pro Football 2008 Week 14 Picks

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Fearless Rick's NFL Week 14 Picks - Early Games

Rick Gagliano | December 4-8

All times Eastern - Click here for late Sunday and Monday night games.

THU, DEC 4

Oakland at San Diego (-9 1/2, 42 1/2) 8:15 PM - Hard to believe, but the Chargers are all but eliminated from the playoffs with four games left to play. sure the Chargers could win all four and Denver could lose all of their remaining games, but the chances of San Diego winning the AFC West with an 8-8 record become slimmer by the day. And despite the fact that the Chargers host the Broncos on the last day of the season, there's a guy named Shanahan who will ensure that the game has no meaning.

So, onward to this week's non-event vs. Oakland. The Chargers should win handily, no? After all, the Raiders have proven that they can, and will, lose to just about anybody, and that includes last week's insufferable defeat at the hands of the Chiefs, 20-13. Turnovers were the flavor of the week for Oakland, and their offense has been reliable this season for one thing: sucking. That said, the Chargers aren't much better and won't cover this fat line.

Prediction: Chargers 23 Raiders 17

SUN, DEC 7

Atlanta at New Orleans (-3, 51 1/2) 1:00 PM - OK, we've seen enough of the home team favoritism, when last week only three teams won at home, making the weekend a windfall for Las Vegas. But, hey, they need the money. Business is down all over the Strip. While it is hard to believe, the Falcons have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. At 8-4, they are tied with the Cowboys for the final wild card spot, and trail both Tampa Bay and Carolina in the NFC South by one game. That's good news for the Falcons because those two play each other Monday night and one will be 9-4, so a Falcons win keeps them in good shape.

This game boils down to offense. Atlanta is not going to stop Drew Brees consistently. Nobody has this season, but Matt Ryan and his youthful teammates have stepped up often enough that they must be considered a real threat to any opponent. Besides, the Falcons buried the Saints in Atlanta, 34-20, just a month ago, so they have the weaponry to do it again.

Prediction: Falcons 33 Saints 30

Philadelphia at NY Giants (-7, 43) 1:00 PM - Come on. does anybody really want to take a stand against the Giants? And why would one choose to do so with a team as flaky (and well known to the NY defense) as the Eagles. The G-Men lead or are in the top five in the league in just about every category there is. They've made a mockery of the NFC East and are rolling towards another Super Bowl appearance. Dynasty? They certainly seem to have all the traits. They are so confident that they sent Plaxico Burress home on Tuesday after another one of his absurd incidents. They don't need him in order to win. That's been proven over and over. Now they can move on like a team without distraction. They'll be focused on this one as they can clinch at least a tie for the division lead with a win.

Donovan McNabb should manage to throw at least two passes into the hands of the Giants' secondary.

Prediction: Giants 31 Eagles 19

Jacksonville at Chicago (-6 1/2, 40 1/2) 1:00 PM - The Jaguars are done for the season while the Bears are just beginning to think that the end is near. After losing to the Vikings Sunday night, the chances of making the playoffs - at 6-6 currently - are becoming more remote. A loss here would pretty much finish things in the windy city. But, Jacksonville comes North with absolutely nothing to lose except pride, and most of that has gone down in the 8 losses already suffered this season. Since this is a pretty even matchup, taking the points would seem logical, prudent, maybe even wise.

Prediction: Jaguars 17 Bears 14

Minnesota (-10, 45) at Detroit 1:00 PM - I just knew this would happen. The oddsmakers must have decided that betting against the Lions was just too much of a "gimme" and now they won't publish a line. A sad day for lovers of easy money.

No, not really. There's some deliberation ongoing about just how many points the Lions would need to cover the spread, especially now that the Vikings may lose defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams for the rest of the season for violating league drug policy. There's also the possibility that a court may grant a stay and allow the Williams' to play. The judges are allowing the Williams' to play, for now, thus the fat point spread. I'll take a shot that Detroit somewho covers the line, though as divisional home underdogs of 7 or more cover 80% of the time.

Prediction: Vikings 24 Lions 17

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Houston at Green Bay (-6, 47) 1:00 PM - The Texans won handily on Monday night and they have to travel, so the missed day will have some effect. Green Bay is coming off a tough last-minute loss to Carolina, but they have no excuses, giving up 35 points at home to the Panthers. Let's face it, the 5-7 Packers are not the same team that went to the NFC Championship last season and have the exact same record as their visitors.

So, why are the Packers favored by nearly a TD? Well, maybe because the Texans are 1-5 on the road. But, Houston has won two in a row and they've only given up 23 points in those wins. The Packers have dropped four of the last five decisions and allowed 143 points in the losses. Could be the end of the season in Green Bay, and that's a plus. It gets way too cold up there in December.

Prediction: Texans 28 Packers 21

Cleveland at Tennessee (-13 1/2, 37 1/2) 1:00 PM - After the way the Browns played defense against the Colts last week, another big effort should be in store. The problem for the Browns comes when they have the ball. They don't run well, and their receivers have a nasty habit of dropping passes that are thrown right to them.

The hiccup that was the loss on Nov. 23 to the Jets is a fleeting memory in Nashville, especially after taking care of business on Thursday with an early Thanksgiving romp over the Lions. Like the Titans needed extra time to get ready. Not. A win by the Titans clinches at least a tie in for the division.

Prediction: Titans 27 Browns 7

Cincinnati at Indianapolis (-13 1/2, 41 1/2) 1:00 PM - Here's you walk-over game of the week. Indy struggled, but still won last week in Cleveland, and, as they say, "it still counts." Even though the only TD of the day was scored by the Colts' defense, that may be considered a bright spot. The defense played exceptionally well. At home, against one of the worst teams in the league, there's little doubt about the eventual outcome of this game. A rout of magnificent proportions.

Prediction: Colts 48 Bengals 13

All times Eastern - Click here for late Sunday and Monday night games

Copyright 2008, 2009, Rick Gagliano, Downtown Magazine. All rights reserved. Downtown Magazine is located in the Uinted States of America and is not affiliated with the National Football League or the NCAA. For more information, contact us here. Use of this site is for entertainment purposes only.

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