We got swept in Week 14 – for a second week in a row – as the Ravens and Bills blew last-minute leads and covers for us. There’s no room for sulking in sports betting, though, so we'll look for a bounce-back in Week 15.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys 
James HarrisonThe Pittsburgh Steelers stumbled badly at home in Week 14, but they got a big favor courtesy of the team they are playing this week: the Dallas Cowboys. “America’s Team” beat the Cincinnati Bengals on a last-second field goal, which protected the Steelers spot in the playoffs (as a Wild Card entrant). 
Dallas has now rather surprisingly won four of five, but those wins have all been by the skin of their teeth. They probably should have lost to Cincinnati, they barely beat Philadelphia the week before, they needed overtime to upend Cleveland and their last win in the streak was a second hard-earned win against Philadelphia. Overall, the Cowboys are just 3-3 at home. 
The Steelers play well against the NFC, going 3-0 this year and winning 29 of their last 35 against the conference. They should be able to run the ball this week as the Cowboys defense has been gutted by injuries. 
Pittsburgh has played to the level of their opponents this year. They have losses to bad teams but played Denver tough on the road, and beat the Ravens and Giants on the road. I’ll take the points with them. 

Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans 
The Indianapolis Colts are playing winning football, but many bettors continue to doubt them. As hard as it might be to believe, the Colts can actually still win the AFC South. They have two meetings with the Texans in the final three weeks of the season, and they will use that as motivation. 
The Texans will be coming off a Monday Night Football affair against the New England Patriots, and on a short week, they might not be as fresh as they’d like. They’ve also played four of their last five games on the road – including three straight – and sometimes teams are a bit flat-footed coming home off a road trip. 
And on top of that, this is still a division rivalry and the Colts are red hot, winning three straight and seven of their last eight. They should compete with Houston and cover the big spread. 

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders 
In a battle of two of the crummiest teams in the NFL, I have to lean with the Oakland Raiders simply because they are at least somewhat capable on offense. The Chiefs are pathetic. 
Kansas City actually ran the ball for 180 yards and a touchdown last week, and most people would figure that if Jamaal Charles is rushing for 165 yards, the Chiefs are in great shape. However, they lost 30-7 in Cleveland in a laugher. The Chiefs are seemingly incapable of forward passes as they average just 167 per game. That could go down now that their top receiver, Dwayne Bowe, is sidelined. 
The Raiders have had 10 days to prepare for this game after being embarrassed on national television. I look for Darren McFadden and Carson Palmer to lead the way as the Raiders win and cover. 

NFL Picks: Lions vs. Cardinals


The Lions can win because… 
John SkeltonThe Cardinals seem incapable of scoring points. Last week, they were shutout by the Seattle Seahawks, and while that was embarrassing, they’ve actually scored fewer than 20 throughout their current nine-game losing streak. As a matter of fact, Arizona has averaged just 10.3 points per game over their last six. If Detroit can score two touchdowns, they’ll win this game. 
The Lions have experienced their own share of struggles during a five-game losing streak, but the truth is, they’ve played some really tough teams in that stretch. They’ve lost to Minnesota, Green Bay (twice), Houston, and Indianapolis. Each of those teams is playoff caliber, Arizona is not. 
The Lions have blown leads in each of their last four losses. Arizona’s offense is not good enough, however, to come from behind, so if Detroit gets an early lead, they’ll have no problems holding on. 
The Cardinals can win because… 
The Lions are a demoralized bunch right now. While the general assumption is that the Lions are better than the Cardinals, the standings show that both teams are 4-9. Furthermore, it’s hard to gauge where the Lions mindset is at these days. 
At the beginning of the season, the Lions were expected to be a playoff team – at the very least. However, a five-game losing streak, which has been fueled by blown leads and a lack of discipline, has torpedoed their season. How fired up will they be for a meaningless game against Arizona? 
The Cardinals offense is a gong show, but there’s no question that they’ll have the better defense and special teams on the field on Sunday. Detroit has been sloppy all season long, and Arizona should have the opportunity to take advantage and cover the spread. 
Outlook & NFL Football Betting Prediction 
Both teams come in to this game on losing streaks, but the Lions can at least use the excuse that they’ve been playing quality competition. Meanwhile, Arizona has been losing to everyone – good teams and bad – and they haven’t even been competitive. 
It’s hard to bet Arizona given the fact that they can’t score points these days. Passing the ball is a big problem, their running game isn’t functional, and their quarterbacks can’t stop turning over the ball. Detroit has proven to be nothing special this year, but at least they still have Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson. That’s good enough to get them a win in Arizona against a Cardinals team that regularly shoots themselves in the foot. 
It’s not the best play of the day, but look for the Lions to take care of business in the desert and snap their five-game losing streak. 
Pick: Lions -5 ---


NFL Picks: Chiefs vs. Raiders


The Chiefs can win because… 
Brady QuinnThe Raiders are just as pathetic as the Chiefs. While the general perception might be that the Raiders are a better squad than the hapless Chiefs, the reality is that Oakland is just one game better than the Chiefs in the standings with three wins on the year. The Raiders have lost six straight, and it’s hard to make the case that they’ve been competitive. During their six-game losing streak, the Raiders have lost by an average of 17.7 points per game. 
The Chiefs offense has shown some signs of life recently. Although their passing game is non-existent, running back Jamaal Charles has been churning out yards regardless. Charles has compiled three consecutive 100-yard rushing yard games and is just 248 yards shy of his career-best. The Raiders have the 27th-ranked rushing defense, giving up 131.2 rushing yards per game. Only two teams have allowed more than their 17 rushing touchdowns this season. 
If Charles can get going – and, all things being equal, he should – the Chiefs should have a chance to win. 
The Raiders can win because… 
The Chiefs have no semblance of an offense these days. Last week, the Chiefs got 165 rushing yards and a touchdown from star running back Jamaal Charles, but the team still ended up losing 30-7 to the Cleveland Browns. In other words, this team can’t muster up enough points to win. 
The forward pass is a foreign concept to the Chiefs. That will be even more challenging now that receiver Dwayne Bowe is out for the season. Brady Quinn has been an absolute gong show at quarterback for the Chiefs, and the passing offense can barely pick up first downs. Last week, Quinn was sacked five times on 26 pass attempts while completing 47.1% of his passes. That’s pathetic. 
On the flip side, the Raiders are nothing special, but at least they have a couple of players that can move the football. Darren McFadden is an explosive back and Carson Palmer – despite the turnovers – is piecing together a decent passing season for the Raiders. 
The Raiders beat the Chiefs 26-16 several weeks ago at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs have only become progressively worse since then and the Raiders should be able to collect the season sweep on Sunday. 
Outlook & NFL Football Betting Prediction: 
The Chiefs will get a big game from Charles, but just as we saw last week, that won’t make a difference. Look for the Palmer and McFadden to lead the way to a Raiders win and cover, as they send their AFC West rivals to another loss. 
NFL Football Picks: Raiders -2.5 at Bodog +++