The polar vortex swept through the country this week, bringing with it a surge of cold air which, in some parts of the U.S., looks like it’s going to hang around through the weekend.
That will make things interesting across the NFL, as there’s no shortage of cold-weather games on the slate, including potentially record-breaking cold in Chicago and Kansas City.
Speaking of cold, Team NESN had an icy Week 14 in the Las Vegas Westgate SuperContest as part of Team OddsShark. The crew of Mike Cole and Ricky Doyle limped to a 1-3-1 record and fell down a few spots in the OddsShark standings.
They’re hoping for a bounce-back this week and one final push toward the top. Here are their picks.
Miami Dolphins (-2.5) vs. New York Jets, Saturday, 8:30 p.m.
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
The Jets’ run defense is struggling in a big way, allowing 148 yards per game since the beginning of November, including a Nov. 7 game in which Miami’s Jay Ajayi ran for 111 yards. And while Miami has to start Matt Moore at quarterback, we actually feel better about his chances to play a competent game than New York’s Bryce Petty.
New York Giants (-4) vs. Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m.
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
This might be when the Lions’ impressive run comes to an end. There are only so many times you can trail in the fourth quarter and win, and this Giants defense is legit. The G-Men probably won’t allow Detroit back into the game if they’re leading late. Also, no one really knows what Matthew Stafford will be able to give the Lions after injuring his finger last week. Making matters worse for Stafford and the Lions is that there could be some wet weather at MetLife.
Tennessee Titans (+5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Like many games this week, weather might be an issue here. It’s supposed to be frigid in KC. That’s unfamiliar territory for Titans quarterback and Hawaii native Marcus Mariota, so the Titans should try to make it easy for him. They can do that by running the football, and they’re set up for success against a Chiefs defense missing linebacker Derrick Johnson. The Chiefs allowed 2.6 yards per carry last week before Johnson suffered an Achilles injury. After he went down, they allowed 5.2 yards per carry.
Oakland Raiders (-3) vs. San Diego Chargers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
This is a get-right game for the Raiders who still have big aspirations for this season. Derek Carr and Co. struggled in the cold against Kansas City last week, so the mid-60s and sunny weather they’ll find this week in San Diego will be a nice place to land. On the other side of things, how much more can the Chargers take? They’ve been ravaged by injuries all season, and they suffered two big blows last week by losing Melvin Gordon and Joey Bosa.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+6.5) vs. Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 8:30 p.m.
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
The Bucs’ defense is playing some great football right now, and it’ll need to continue that Sunday night. It’s crucial the Bucs stop the run, especially on first and second down. They have one of the best third-down defenses in the NFL, while the Cowboys’ offense is 2-for-24 on third down over the last two weeks. This also feels like a potential coming-out party for Jameis Winston.
Picks for each Week 15 game in the NFL >>
Thumbnail photo via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
