NFL Week 14 opening odds, lines, spreads: Steelers vs. Bills has huge AFC playoff ramifications
Pittsburgh at Buffalo is clearly the top game around the NFL in Week 14 -- both still have to finish Week 13 on Monday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will play their third game in 12 days and have arguably their biggest remaining challenge toward finishing 16-0 when they visit the Buffalo Bills in the marquee game of NFL Week 14 next Sunday. Pittsburgh opened as a 2-point favorite on the NFL odds in the matchup of division leaders, but that number could change depending on what Pittsburgh does vs. Washington on Monday and what Buffalo does vs. San Francisco also Monday (plus injuries, etc.) to conclude Week 13.
Yes, it's a double short week for both teams, and because of COVID-19 issues involving the Baltimore Ravens the Steelers are in the midst of about the most cramped three-game schedule any NFL team can have. Pittsburgh had to finish Week 12 on Wednesday night (Dec. 2) vs. Baltimore, had its Week 13 game vs. Washington pushed to Monday night (Dec. 7) and now heads to Buffalo on Sunday night in Week 14 (Dec. 13).
Buffalo, meanwhile, always was scheduled to visit the 49ers on Monday in Week 13, but instead of going to the Bay Area will play San Francisco in Arizona because of COVID-19 restrictions in California.
While it's not a lock that the Steelers will be 12-0 entering this matchup, they are 6.5-point favorites for the Monday home game vs. 4-7 Washington. William Hill Sportsbook projects the following Pittsburgh for its games after Buffalo if the team is still unbeaten: 10-point favorites Week 15 at Cincinnati, 4.5-point favorites Week 16 vs. Indianapolis, and a pick'em Week 17 in Cleveland.
It's the second straight December that the Bills will face the Steelers on a Sunday night. In Week 15 last year, the game in Pittsburgh was flexed into primetime and Buffalo was a 17-10 winner. Read very little into that as the Steelers' QB that day was the eminently forgettable Duck Hodges, and he was picked off four times.
It appears as if all the playoff important matchups, in terms of potential postseason ramifications for both clubs, are from the AFC with Chiefs at Dolphins, Colts at Raiders and Ravens at Browns (Monday). On the flip side, there's the Toilet Bowl matchup of sorts with Dallas visiting Cincinnati. Of course, both clubs lost their starting quarterback to season-ending injuries. That could have major NFL Draft implications in terms of the loser perhaps earning the No. 3 overall pick behind the Jets and Jaguars.
To no surprise, the winless Jets are the biggest underdogs of Week 14, getting 13 points at Seattle – that had been -14.5 Wednesday, but with Seattle looking bad in a home loss in Week 13 and the Jets nearly upsetting the Raiders that lowered the spread a bid.
There are no bye weeks the rest of the regular season – unless the coronavirus changes things.
Week 14 opening NFL odds (subject to change)
- Thursday: Patriots at Rams (-6)
- Vikings at Bucs (-6)
- Titans at Jaguars (+7.5)
- Cowboys at Bengals (+3)
- Chiefs at Dolphins (+7.5)
- Broncos at Panthers (-4)
- Cardinals at Giants (+3)
- Packers at Lions (+7.5)
- Texans at Bears (+2)
- Jets at Seahawks (-13)
- Colts at Raiders (+3)
- Saints at Eagles (+6.5)
- Falcons at Chargers (-2)
- Washington at 49ers (-4; in Arizona)
- Sunday night: Steelers at Bills (+2)
- Monday: Ravens at Browns (+2)
Who wins every NFL game this week? And which teams cover more than 50 percent of the time? Get picks here from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and ranked in the Top 10 on NFLPickWatch three of the past four years on straight-up NFL picks.
