NFL 2024 Season - Week 14
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Week 13
Mile High Hopes
Top and Bottom
Fourth Time the Charm
Bounce Back
Engage Spark
Line Up
Out in the Cold
Thanksgiving Visitors
Good Enough
Motivation on Steroids
Week 12
Second Best
Heavyweight Bout
QB's Ins and Outs
Everybody In
Too Easy
Walk the Plank
Hot to Trot
Try, Try, Try, Try, Try Again
Week 11
Mouse Trap
Must Game
Malfunction
Easy Does It
Old Foes
Falcons Fly into Mile High
Matter of Time
Improv
To the Brink
Week 10
Odd Man Out
Lions come Calling
Rookie versus Veteran
Call to Action
Full Reverse
When 8-0 is 4-4
Game of Contradictions
NFC West Bunch
Early Boarding
Week 9
Not Enough, Too Much
Real or Imposters
Groin Shot
Best Show
Saddle Up
Dull Edges
Telling Actions
Annihilation Formula
Week 8
No and No
Old Glory
Rookie Face Off
Adding it Up
Holding On
Jets Down
Unload and Reload
No Surprise
Career Paths
It Hurts
Week 7
Harbaugh Monday
Kids Camp
Barkley Back
Bird Battle
Mouse Time
Too Many?
Gone Shopping
Not Bad
40 for 3
Week 6
Try New
Night Vision
Trap Door
Looking Up
Wake Up Call
All Good Things
Bad Idea
Unexpected
Fire One
Week 5
Yes & Yes
Old Rivals
Rookie Sensation
So Close
Lunch in Seattle
Wake the Roosters
No Respect
Too Sweet
Turtle Flip
Week 4
Landmine
Bottoms Up
Winners and Losers
Call Me
Short Line
Reality Bites
Like Tonight
Uptick
Challenge Generates Performance
Week 3
Two Times
Reduced Value
Stars Down
The Other 21
Opportunity Knocks
Lots of Questions
Move Along People
Times Up
Week 2
Confidence Game
First and Second Picked QB's
Avoiding the Donut
Do or Die
One for the Road
Likewise
Adjustment Bureau
Down ... Not Out
Week 1
Time Marches On
Cashing the Trade
Start Here
Say What
Quick Up, Quick Down
Brazil Play Date
Top Two Open
Super Bowl Pick
Season Win Totals
Moving on Up
Breakout to Breakdown
Preseason 4
Preseason Wrap
Rookie Playoff Run
Preseason 3
Short Memory
Two In, One Up
Eagles Hunt
Winning Formula
Preseason 2
Quarterback Shuffle
One Two, or Two One
Starters Sit
Remote Control
Money be Damned
Preseason 1
One Season to the Next
Public Shift
Comets in the Night
Offseason
Mahomes Chasing History
All's Well that Ends Well
Ups and Downs
     
 
Yes It Can
by Dennis Ranahan

The Dallas Cowboys opened the season against the New York Giants and rode them out of MetLife Stadium, 40-0. After beating the New York Jets in second week action, 30-10, the Cowboys were 11 point favorites against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.

And lost.

In what has so far proven to be the Cardinals only win of 2023, they upset the high flying Cowboys who arrived in town after outsourcing their first two opponents by a 70-10 margin and then got upset by what many consider the worst team in football.

So, if that happened, could the Giants have a chance this week when they look to avenge that 40-0 opening day loss?

Not according to the bookmakers and bettors. The Cowboys opened as a 10 point favorite and after it was announced that the Giants have lost to an injury their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, the line has risen like the heat in Scottsdale in August. The Cowboys are currently a 17 point home favorite over the struggling Giants.

We have seen some amazing underdog wins this year in the NFL. The Denver Broncos ended a 16 game losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs a couple weeks ago with a 24-9 home triumph over Patrick Mahomes and company.

But the Giants, with rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito making his first NFL start, seems a stretch.

Yet, this season, the New England Patriots did upset the heavily favored Buffalo Bills.

But the beleaguered Giants without a proven quarterback, do they have a chance?

Here is where a chance can come from.

Do you think the Cowboys, even though they lost last week to the Philadelphia Eagles, are expecting anything but a cakewalk this Sunday when they host the Giants?

Probably not.

Does that matter?

Almost all upsets begin with a favorite that thinks they are 60 minutes of game clock away from a win and an underdog that knows it has to play super just to avoid getting blown out. And, how have teams getting 16 or more points on the spread done in the NFL over the past ten seasons.

Well, the favorites do consistently win, they are 25-4 straight up. But in those same 29 games, the underdog is a near split against the line, 14-15. Also, as a road underdog, like the Giants are on Sunday, the teams getting the bloated lines are 12-12 versus the number.

At least we know that with the points the Giants have as good of a chance of collecting the money as the Cowboys. But is this no more than a 50/50 proposition?

I think not.

This is a divisional game with the Giants looking to snap a five game losing streak against their NFC East Division rivals … and the Cowboys thinking it can’t happen.

It happened against the Cardinals to the Cowboys this season and it could happen here too.

Qoxhi Picks: New York Giants (+17) over Dallas Cowboys