Zachary Cohen dives into some of the long-term betting implications for every Week 14 NFL matchup.Our incredible VSiN hosts and analysts are doing a great job of getting everybody prepared for Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season. Between all of our written NFL Week 14 content and live programming, we probably have you covered with picks and analysis for every single game. With that said, you’re not going to find much of that here. Instead, I’m looking at every Week 14 NFL game and trying to see what they could mean moving forward. Every game means a little something, whether it impacts the order of the 2025 NFL Draft or the futures market. Well, I looked under the hood and tried to uncover all of it. So, keep reading for an outside-the-box way to look at the Week 14 NFL schedule.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans – 1:00 pm ET
While I have a best bet on this game, there isn’t much on the line here — outside of the fact that both teams are in the running for the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, one interesting nugget is that Doug Pederson is the odds-on favorite to be the next coach fired at several offshore sportsbooks. Would this be the game that does him in? Jacksonville has had a few other opportunities to pull the trigger, so it would be a little odd to do it after a game that will feature Mac Jones under center. But perhaps a divisional loss to Will Levis can be the straw that breaks Shahid Khan’s back?New York Jets at Miami Dolphins – 1:00 pm ET
The Dolphins are running out of time to make their push for the playoffs. At 5-7, Miami probably can’t afford to lose another game the rest of the way. But the team does have a golden opportunity to move to 6-7 this week. The Jets are a nightmare right now. So, if you’re bold enough to take the Dolphins to make the playoffs at +450 odds, you might at least get a nice little jump start here. Outside of that, it makes some sense to keep an eye on rookie defensive end Chop Robinson here. With 3.5 sacks over the last five weeks, we’re starting to see a late push for Defensive Rookie of the Year. At 20-1, Robinson has a lot of work to do. But crazier things have happened.Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – 1:00 pm ET
This is a massive game in both the NFC North and NFC South. The Vikings still have a shot at stealing the division from the Lions, especially with the two set to play in Week 18. However, they need to win this game first. Meanwhile, the Falcons are battling the Buccaneers for the top spot in the NFC South. Atlanta has the tiebreaker in the division, as the team has two wins over Tampa Bay. But the Falcons have a tougher rest-of-season schedule, and that starts with this brutal road game. As of right now, Atlanta is -110 to win the NFC South. Meanwhile, Minnesota is +750 to win the NFC North.This is also a game that Kevin O’Connell bettors need in the Coach of the Year market. Dan Campbell is the odds-on favorite to win that award right now, and his gutsy fourth-down call in the Thursday Night Football game helped his case. But O’Connell is third on the oddsboard. He’s still very much in this.
New Orleans Saints at New York Giants – 1:00 pm ET
There isn’t much at stake here. The Saints are favored by more than a field goal, and the Giants would probably be better off with a loss. New York is in the running for the top pick in the draft. However, Brian Daboll is another coach that is near the top of the board to be fired next. He’s sandwiched in between Pederson and Antonio Pierce.Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles – 1:00 pm ET
The Panthers are another team in the hunt for the top pick in the NFL Draft, but this game is all about the Eagles. Philadelphia is +400 to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC and +250 to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX. Well, the Eagles can’t afford to let this one slip away if they want to unseat the Lions and steal home-field advantage in the playoffs.This is also a big game for Saquon Barkley. Listed at -470 to win Offensive Player of the Year and +400 to win MVP, a big performance against the Panthers will help his case for both awards. Only Dallas has a worse Rush EPA per play allowed than Carolina (0.058), so this is a dream matchup. Also, a big enough performance from Barkley can also help him get closer to breaking the single season rushing record. He’s at 1,499 yards right now. That’s 606 yards away from Eric Dickerson’s 2,105.
Let’s also see what rookie Quinyon Mitchell does in this one. He’s +150 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and it isn’t crazy to think that he’ll be the betting favorite with some big plays against this offense.
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – 1:00 pm ET
Mike Tomlin is second on the oddsboard to win Coach of the Year. So, a win here would help him keep pace with Campbell. I haven’t yet watched the new in-season version of Hard Knocks, but that’s apparently going to do Tomlin some favors as well. He’ll be top of mind for all voters between the show and social media reactions to the show.However, the most important thing for Pittsburgh is to maintain its spot atop the AFC North standings. The team is -180 to win the division at DraftKings Sportsbook, but the Ravens aren’t going to go away. So, Pittsburgh needs to win the games it’s expected to win. This is one of them, especially with the Browns having upset the Steelers a few weeks ago. Pittsburgh also gave up 38 points in a win over Cincinnati last week. Under Tomlin, the Steelers are 30-8 when coming off a game in which they gave up more than 30.
One last thing to watch here is the battle in the Defensive Player of the Year market. T.J. Watt is the odds-on favorite, but Myles Garrett is second. Would a big performance from Garrett change that?
Las Vegas Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1:00 pm ET
Pierce is third on the oddsboard to be the next coach fired, and the next miserable performance from Las Vegas could be his last on the sidelines. But the most important storyline in this game is Tampa Bay getting into the win column. With the Falcons facing the Vikings, it’s very realistic to think that the Buccaneers will be 7-6 and have temporary possession of the top spot in the NFC South heading into Week 15. That’s something to keep in mind with Tampa Bay sitting there at -105 to win the division.Brock Bowers is also out there at 11-1 for those that are bolder than I am and believe he can win Offensive Rookie of the Year. I’m not sure he can pass the two quarterbacks listed above him, but it isn’t out of the question.
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – 4:05 pm ET
This is one of the biggest games of the weekend. Seattle is 7-5 and currently at the top of the NFC West standings, but Arizona is 6-6 and can change that with a win. The Seahawks beat the Cardinals at Lumen Field just a few weeks ago, so Arizona will be hoping that the change in scenery can help. As of right now, you can get the Cardinals to win the NFC West at +180. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are listed at +170 to finish the year where they are now.This game also has some Coach of the Year implications. Mike Macdonald and Jonathan Gannon have both fallen down the board a bit, but they’re both 25-1 at DraftKings Sportsbook and aren’t out of it yet.
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams – 4:25 pm ET
The Seahawks and Cardinals aren’t the only teams fighting for the NFC West. Los Angeles is still very much alive, as the team is 6-6 and currently tied with Arizona. However, the Rams will be in rough shape if they lose this game. And beating the red-hot Bills won’t be easy. There’s a reason you’re getting almost double the price on Los Angeles to win the division with the team listed at +300.For Buffalo, the team is +500 to win the Super Bowl, +210 to win the AFC and +125 to be the top seed in the AFC. All of those things are there for the taking but losing this game would hurt in the hunt for home-field advantage. And the Bills would like to avoid facing the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the playoffs.
As far as awards go, Josh Allen is as high as -250 to win MVP this year. Another big performance here would move those odds even more. Also, Sean McDermott is becoming a popular bet to win Coach of the Year. Winning the AFC would go a long way in helping him do that. Also, I have mentioned Defensive Rookie of the Year a few times, but it’s Rams rookie Jared Verse that is the favorite right now. So, this is another chance for him to make some big plays — and it’s arguably going to be the biggest stage of the season for him. However, his teammate, Braden Fiske, will also have the same platform to turn some heads.
Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers – 4:25 pm ET
The Bears aren’t competing for much of anything here, but the 49ers still have an outside shot at making the playoffs. They’re just 5-7 at the moment, so it’d be foolish to rule them out considering the amount of talent on the roster. DraftKings Sportsbook currently has San Francisco listed at +750 to make the playoffs and -1400 to miss them. But this game offers a good opportunity for the Niners to move to 6-7. If they do that, they’ll host the Rams for a chance to move to .500 next week. After that, it’s a road game against Miami, a home game against Detroit and a road game against Arizona. Is it a long shot? Sure. But is it impossible? No way.Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs – 8:20 pm ET
The Chiefs are currently as high as -149 to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and they’re also as low as +110 to finish with the best record in the NFL. However, everybody knows that this team has a weak point differential, and the team has been flirting with danger all season. So, it’s a little hard to imagine the Chiefs running the table. In fact, this is one of several remaining games in which Kansas City is in legitimate danger of losing.Oddly enough, this game doesn’t have any real awards implications. Success is expected with this team. However, Andy Reid is 20-1 to win Coach of the Year at DraftKings Sportsbook. If the Chiefs win this game and eventually go on to be 16-1, doesn’t somebody have to win something?
