Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson go head-to-head for first place. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes renew their rivalry. Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels start theirs.
Big-time quarterback matchups highlight the NFL’s Week 11 schedule.
Wilson and the Steelers (7-2) host two-time MVP Jackson and the Ravens (7-3) in a showdown in the AFC North on Sunday. Then Mahomes and undefeated Kansas City (9-0) take on Allen and the AFC East-leading Bills (8-2) in a playoff rematch.
The NFC East lead is at stake when the Commanders (7-3) and Eagles (7-2) kick off the week on Thursday night.
Five road teams are favourites, including Baltimore, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Pro Picks seeks another winning week.
Seattle (4-5) at San Francisco (5-4)
Line: 49ers minus 6½
The Seahawks haven’t defeated the 49ers since Wilson was their quarterback in 2021. San Francisco has won six straight in the series, including a playoff victory. Seattle is a long way from its 3-0 start under rookie coach Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks are coming off a bye, and they have the NFL’s No. 1 passing offence behind Geno Smith but their defence is bottom third. The 49ers just got Christian McCaffrey back last week and this is the time of year when they go on a run. They were 9-0 after a bye in 2022, 6-0 after it last season and started 1-0 with last week’s win in Tampa Bay. Brock Purdy had an excellent game against the Buccaneers and is 5-0 with a passer rating above 115 against the Seahawks.
BEST BET: 49ERS: 31-20
Cincinnati (4-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
Line: Chargers minus 1½
Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals had a shot to knock off the Ravens last week, but blew a 14-point lead and then couldn’t convert a two-point conversion at the end. Burrow is playing his best football but has a tough challenge against a defence that has two straight games of six sacks or more. The Chargers are giving up the fewest points per game (13.1) and Justin Herbert has benefited from a strong rushing attack. The Chargers are 3-0 against the spread as a home favourite. The Bengals are 2-1 ATS as an underdog.
UPSET SPECIAL: BENGALS: 23-20
Washington (7-3) at Philadelphia (7-2)
Line: Eagles minus 3½
The NFC East lead is on the line when Jalen Hurts and the Eagles seek their sixth straight win. Philadelphia has the league’s No. 2 defence and No. 6 offence. Saquon Barkley leads the NFL’s second-best rushing attack. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels and first-year coach Dan Quinn have led a major turnaround in Washington. The Commanders’ offence is fourth in yards and second in scoring at 29 points per game. Washington needs to rebound against a dynamic offence.
EAGLES: 29-24
Green Bay (6-3) at Chicago (4-5)
Line: Packers minus 6½
Fresh off a bye, the Packers seek their first NFC North victory after losing to the two teams ahead of the them: Detroit and Minnesota. Jordan Love has thrown 10 picks in 240 attempts. Caleb Williams has struggled during a three-game losing streak and the Bears fired their offensive co-ordinator this week. Maybe a fresh voice can help Williams get going. Green Bay is 10-0 against the spread in the past 10 games versus Chicago. The Bears are 2-13 straight up in the past 15 divisional games.
PACKERS: 24-16
Jacksonville (2-8) at Detroit (8-1)
Line: Lions minus 14
The Lions found a way to win a difficult road game in Houston despite Jared Goff’s five interceptions. With tougher games coming up, they can’t afford a letdown against the overmatched Jaguars. Jacksonville might be the biggest disappointment in the league this season. The Jaguars are 1-6 in one-score games and have lost 13 of 16 since an 8-3 start last year. Mascot Jaxson De Ville might be the team’s MVP.
LIONS: 31-16
Minnesota (7-2) at Tennessee (2-7)
Line: Vikings minus 6
Sam Darnold is starting to show why he’s on his fourth team, but the Vikings are still winning thanks to a stout defence. Darnold has five interceptions in the past two games and is tied with Love and Geno Smith for the most interceptions in the NFL with 10. Will Levis returned from injury and had his best game for the Titans in another loss. Tennessee still has the top-ranked defence in the league.
VIKINGS: 23-16
Las Vegas (2-7) at Miami (3-6)
Line: Dolphins minus 8
Miami’s offence is almost back on track with Tua Tagovailoa and the defence stepped up in a road win against the Rams on Monday night. The Dolphins can climb back into the AFC wild-card race with two winnable games coming up against the lowly Raiders and the Patriots. Las Vegas returns from a bye with three new assistant coaches. The Raiders offence can’t score and the defence can’t stop opponents from finding the end zone.
DOLPHINS: 23-16
Los Angeles Rams (4-5) at New England (3-7)
Line: Rams minus 4½
The inconsistent Rams blew a chance to better position themselves for a playoff run with a home loss to Miami. They’ve got an opportunity to rebound against an overmatched team that’s coming off an impressive road win. Drake Maye has been a bright spot for the Patriots and earned his first win as a starter in Chicago. New England sacked Caleb Williams nine times and could make it a long afternoon for Matthew Stafford.
RAMS: 24-17
Cleveland (2-7) at New Orleans (3-7)
Line: Saints minus 1
Jameis Winston returns to New Orleans where he started 10 games in four seasons with the Saints. Winston excelled while leading the Browns to an upset win over the Ravens in his first start and struggled in his second. The Browns are coming off a bye and aren’t as bad as their record. The Saints upset the first-place Falcons in interim coach Darren Rizzi’s debut. Cleveland’s Nick Chubb could have a breakout game against a bottom-six run defence in his fourth game back.
BROWNS: 20-17
Indianapolis (4-6) at New York Jets (3-7)
Line: Jets minus 3½
The Colts are going back to Anthony Richardson after Joe Flacco had six turnovers, including four interceptions, in the past two games. Cornerback Kenny Moore doesn’t think his teammates are working hard enough. The Jets are more of a mess. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t made an impact. The offence is 26th in yards and averaging just 17.7 points per game. Someone has to win, though.
JETS: 17-16
Baltimore (7-3) at Pittsburgh (7-2)
Line: Ravens minus 3
The Steelers have dominated this rivalry, winning seven of the past eight games. Wilson gets his first taste of it after leading Pittsburgh to three straight wins in his first three games. The Ravens have the No. 1 rushing offence and are first overall in total yards. But the Steelers are fourth against the run. Jackson is 2-4 with four TDs, seven interceptions and a 66.8 passer rating against Baltimore. The Ravens are 1-5 ATS in their past six games versus Steelers.
RAVENS: 24-23
Atlanta (6-4) at Denver (5-5)
Line: Broncos minus 2½
The Falcons couldn’t overcome Younghoe Koo’s three missed field goals in New Orleans. Now, Kirk Cousins and the rest of Atlanta’s offence face a tough challenge in Denver against the league’s fifth-ranked defence. Bo Nix outplayed Mahomes last week and should have plenty of time to throw facing the league’s worst pass rush.
BRONCOS: 24-20
Kansas City (9-0) at Buffalo (8-2)
Line: Bills minus 2½
KC barely stayed undefeated thanks to a blocked field goal on the final play against Denver. Their plus-58 point differential is the lowest of any of the 34 teams that have started 9-0. But Patrick Mahomes relishes the underdog role. KC has won five straight games as underdogs, including a victory at San Francisco in Week 7. Mahomes is 11-3 during his career as a underdog. The Bills are off to their best start since 1993 thanks to feasting on teams with a combined record of 26-49. Josh Allen is 3-1 against Mahomes in the regular season, 0-3 in the playoffs, including a home loss in the divisional round last January.
KC: 22-20
Houston (6-4) at Dallas (3-6)
Line: Texans minus 7½
The Texans blew a 16-point lead against Detroit and failed to take advantage of five picks. C.J. Stroud needs to get the offence going and could get help if receiver Nico Collins returns. Houston won’t need to score many points against Dallas, which won’t have Dak Prescott for the rest of the season. The Cowboys can’t run the ball and that makes everything more difficult for backup QB Cooper Rush.
TEXANS: 27-16
Last week: Straight up: 10-4. Against spread: 9-5.
Overall: Straight up: 104-48. Against spread: 81-69-2.
Prime-time: Straight up: 22-10. Against spread: 15-16-1.
Best Bet: Straight up: 7-3. Against spread: 6-4.
Upset Special: Straight up: 7-3. Against spread: 7-3.