NFL Week 14 Picks 2022 (December 8-12)

I should be adding Week 14 Picks to this thread all through the next couple of days, but wanted to get the Thursday Night Football selection out there.

Ups and downs through an eighteen week regular season have to be accepted, but this is the time to build some momentum towards the PlayOff Picks coming up in January as the NFL begins the long slog towards the Super Bowl.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Rams Pick: The expanded PlayOffs that the NFL have begun using last season may have kept alive the hopes of the Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) to force their way into the top seven of the Conference. They edged into the post-season in Week 18 last season, but a miserable start to this season under new Head Coach Josh McDaniels had given most the feeling that the Raiders were going to miss out in 2022.

Back to back Overtime wins and then another victory over a Divisional rival have put some momentum behind Las Vegas, even if it comes too late to really challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. They are now 2 games behind the New York Jets for the final PlayOff spot on offer to the AFC and the Raiders will feel they could get back into the post-season if they can finish up with nine wins.

When the schedule was released back in April, the Las Vegas fans will have been thinking about this short journey to the City of Angels and wondering how tough it would be. They would be facing the Super Bowl Champions Los Angeles Rams (3-9), but this has been a miserable defence to the crown with injuries piling up and forcing the Rams to begin thinking about next season.

Six losses in a row have ended the Rams hopes of returning to the post-season, while they are going into this Week 14 Thursday Night Football encounter without Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kuup and Aaron Donald, three prominent members of the team that won the Super Bowl in this Stadium in February.

Baker Mayfield was released by the Carolina Panthers and has been picked up by the Los Angeles Rams, although it feels like a long shot to see him suit up for this one. John Wolford has been banged up at Quarter Back though and has not practiced yet so there is a feeling that the Rams could throw Mayfield in quicker than they would like, especially as they would have some time to get him up to speed for any Week 15 outing they want from him.

Bryce Perkins is the other Quarter Back on the roster and no matter which way you cut it, this does not feel like an ideal short week for the Rams. It is never easy regardless, but the injury problems and playing off an emotional effort in coming up short against Divisional rivals Seattle Seahawks makes this much tougher than usual.

Regardless of who is going be taking place under Center, the Rams have to try and impose the run game on the Raiders Defensive Line if they are going to have a real chance of winning this game. In recent weeks the Offensive Line has gotten something going when it comes to run blocking, but it feels like they are facing Las Vegas at the wrong time with the Raiders really stepping up their intensity up front.

I do think the Rams will have some successes while the game is close, but it is unlikely to be consistent and the Running Backs may actually be bigger threats in the passing game. That has something to do with the very strong pass rush that the Raiders have been generating in recent games, one that should get the better of the Los Angeles Offensive Line and see Wolford/Perkins/Mayfield under intense pressure when it comes to throwing down the field.

Losing Cooper Kuup is obviously a massive blow to the passing attack and it could be a chance for the Raiders to improve their Interception rate against inaccurate passers. There are holes in the Las Vegas Secondary, but it is hard to imagine this Los Angeles Rams Offense being able to exploit those on a consistent basis and it could be a tough day for the home supporters.

There will also be plenty of black and silver in the stands and that should only aid Derek Carr and the Raiders Offensive unit, which could be bolstered by a returning Darren Waller in Week 14. The Tight End has been a big miss, although Carr and company have kept the good times rolling thanks to Josh Jacobs at Running Back and Davante Adams at Wide Receiver.

Los Angeles' Defensive Line have been stubborn against the run in recent games, but this Raiders Offensive Line may be blocking as well as any unit in the NFL right now. Josh Jacobs is running angry and it is almost impossible to believe that the Rams, who invested as much as they did on Sunday, can have the intensity to clamp down on the run completely.

Any move up front is big for Derek Carr and his time to make throws down the field from Quarter Back- he is also protected by a Line that is just as happy pancaking pass rushers as run blocking and that should mean Carr is able to locate like the likes of Adams, Waller and Mack Hollins down the field.

Turnovers are likely to be the biggest worry for Derek Carr who will be throwing against a Secondary that has allowed some big numbers in recent losses and I do like the Raiders to win and cover on the road.

The Rams should be motivated about being a home underdog, but that was the situation in Week 13 and I do think they have invested so much into trying to spoil the season for a Divisional rival that a non-Conference game may not be on the same radar. And while the Raiders are coming in off a Divisional win of their own, they have so much more to play for if they can keep winning and that focus and mindset can be huge factors in the NFL.

I also cannot ignore the size of the spread, but the Las Vegas Raiders should have enough to win this one by a Touchdown as late turnovers see them pull clear.

Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals Pick: The return of Deshaun Watson may not have gone completely to plan for the Cleveland Browns (5-7), but the win over his former team, the Houston Texans, has kept alive faint PlayOff hopes. Those hopes could be much brighter at the end of Week 14 if the Browns can continue their dominance of Divisional rivals the Cincinnati Bengals (8-4), although the Super Bowl losers from the end of the 2021 season look like a team on a mission to go one better this time around.

Four wins in a row have gotten the Bengals involved in the AFC North Divisional race, but it is even more impressive when you think they have beaten AFC West leaders Kansas City and AFC South leaders Tennessee during that time. With Lamar Jackson banged up, the Bengals have to be considered favourites to win the AFC North at this time, while they are only a game out of the Number 1 Seed in the Conference, which could be crucial when determining the Super Bowl representative next month.

Joe Burrow has been as good as expected since moving from College Football into the professional game, but there is still a couple of things missing from the CV. Of course the biggest is the lack of a Super Bowl ring, but not many will bet against him adding that to the National Championship won in College, while the more surprising check list that has yet to be marked off is a win over the Cleveland Browns.

The Bengals are significant favourites to do that in Week 14, but the schedule spot is not ideal off those big wins over the Titans and Chiefs. Cincinnati had to really dig deep to win those games, while they are now facing a Cleveland team with a Quarter Back who will feel he has shaken off some of the match rustiness and can have a much bigger performance all around.

Deshaun Watson is not going to reach the level of his last season in Houston, but the Browns may not need him to do that in this match up, which has been in their favour over the last couple of years. For starters the biggest edge the Browns have seemingly had over the Bengals is the strong ability to run the ball and it would almost be a surprise if that is not the case in Week 14 of the 2022 season.

When they met a few weeks ago, Cleveland piled up 172 yards on the ground and it does feel like they can at least get Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt established in this one too. In recent games the Bengals Defensive Line have been a little tougher, but this Cleveland Offensive Line is a confident one that can bully teams up front and I think they will feel the strength of the Quarter Back behind Center will just give opponents a bit more pause for thought.

In saying that, the Bengals cannot have been that impressed with Watson last week and they may actually dare the former Texan to show he still has the ability to make huge plays in the NFL. A struggle against the Houston Secondary is a slight concern, but I do think Deshaun Watson will be a little bit more aware of the strengths of the Receivers in Week 14 and could also have David Njoku back at Tight End to bolster the options.

Cleveland should be able to move the ball with some consistency, but it is also hard to expect Joe Burrow to continue to struggle against this Divisional rival. The Bengals did not run the ball at all well in the loss to the Browns a few weeks ago, but they should have Joe Mixon back this week as they try and do a little better.

Even with the quality Running Back behind Burrow, the Bengals Offensive Line have not been at their best opening holes up front and it may be tough to do that against this Browns Defensive Line, despite the inconsistent performances from Cleveland. In recent games they have largely shut down Tampa Bay and Houston on the ground, but the Buffalo Bills were able to really ramp up the pressure with the run, although Joe Burrow is perhaps not the same threat as Josh Allen with the ball tucked under his arm.

One difference from the first game though is that the Bengals have been giving Joe Burrow more time in the pocket in recent starts and that may be the case here. For some reason the Cleveland pass rush has been failing to get to the Quarter Back, perhaps due to the struggles to stop the run, while the absence of Ja'Marr Chase in the first meeting was clearly a blow for the Bengals.

Cleveland do have a Secondary that has been playing well, but this Bengals team have a number of Receivers who can step up and I do think stopping them completely is tough for any team. However, the Browns have had plenty of success against Joe Burrow, including holding him under 200 passing yards on Halloween, and this could be enough for the Browns to keep this one close.

The Bengals will be focused as they finally look to crack the Cleveland conundrum, but there is no doubting how much they have invested to beat the Titans and Chiefs and this feels like a 'let down' spot for the team. I do think it is hard to ignore the way these teams have performed at the betting window in recent times with the Browns struggling for covers and Cincinnati proving they are a potentially great team, but the underdog is 6-0 against the spread in the last six between these rivals.

Add in the fact that Cleveland are 4-2 against the spread when given less than 7 points as the underdog this season and I will take the Browns with a healthy start.

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills Pick: Three losses in five games has slowed the surprising progress that was being made by the New York Jets (7-5), but the decision to move from Zach Wilson to Mike White at Quarter Back still looks the right one despite the loss last week. It was poor play from Wilson which saw the Jets lose two of three games, but White has given them. chance to back up the Defensive effort which has propelled the Jets all season.

If the PlayOffs were to begin this week, the New York Jets would surprisingly have earned the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. However, there are still five weeks of the regular season to get through and the New York Jets have to find a way to win at least three of their remaining games to have a realistic shot of earning a post-season berth for the first time since 2010.

It has already been seven years since the New York Jets won more than seven games in a single season and so a lot of credit has to be given to Head Coach Robert Saleh who finished 4-13 in his first season with the team in 2021. The turnaround has been down to the Defensive side of the ball, which is where Saleh has made his reputation in the NFL, and I do think there will be a confidence that they can reach the post-season when you think of how the schedule breaks down in their final five games.

This looks the toughest test left with a trip to the AFC East leading Buffalo Bills (9-3) who are coming in off a mini-bye having beaten the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football in Week 13. Sunday proved to be an important day for the Bills as they have pulled into the lead for the Number 1 Seed in the AFC too, but Sean McDermott and his staff will know they have yet to really take control of the Division, let alone the Conference.

Two of the three Buffalo defeats in 2022 have been against Divisional rivals and they still have three more games to play against those rivals. Back to back home games against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins should keep the Bills plenty focused, especially as they have lost the first meeting with both of those teams, and I think that will see Buffalo produce a big performance in Week 14.

Illness and injury have been concerns for Buffalo in the last couple of weeks, while a storm meant displacing them from home for a game too. However, through it all, the Bills have kept rolling and they will feel they can be much more productive Offensively than they were in the 20-17 loss to the Jets in early November.

Despite being a big favourite on the road, Josh Allen struggled at Quarter Back in that defeat and threw 2 Interceptions that proved to be costly. This will be another test for Allen, but he should be able to have some success running the ball, while the Bills have made a positive decision to give James Cook more of an opportunity at Running Back and he has certainly paired up well with Devin Singletary to offer the Bills a genuine punch on the ground.

I expect they can move the ball effectively against this Jets Defensive Line, while that also should be crucial in slowing down the New York pass rush. Josh Allen will be challenged by this Jets Secondary, but he has a number of Receivers who can step up outside of Stefon Diggs and I also expect the Bills to utilise James Cook when he leaks out of the backfield.

Even with the motivation of wanting to prove something, I do think the Buffalo Offensive unit could become a little bogged down at times with the way the Jets match up against them. New York have shown they can at least limit the scoring opportunities and that will give them a chance to cover with the huge amount of points being given to them, and perhaps even win outright.

Winning outright on the road is not going to be easy, but Mike White has shown he can offer the Jets plenty from the Quarter Back position. Zach Wilson did not play badly in the win over the Bills in November, but he only had 154 passing yards on the day and White has produced back to back days over 300 passing yards since being moved into the starting spot.

Running the ball was a key in the upset of the Bills last month as the Jets won the time of possession and just made things that much more comfortable for the Quarter Back. The game plan is likely to be very similar in Week 14, although the Bills Defensive Line have held teams to just 3.5 yards per carry over their last three games and may be daring the Jets to beat them through the air.

If they still had Von Miller, the Bills may have felt more comfortable trying this method, but the loss of their big time pass rusher is a huge blow to this team. In recent games the pass rush has not been nearly as effective as the Bills would have liked and Mike White has shown he can make the plays down the field to his Receivers.

Garrett Wilson had 92 yards Receiving in the first meeting with Buffalo, but had not been on the same page as Zach Wilson for many of the games outside of that one. However, he has been much more involved since White took over at Quarter Back and Wilson has had 95 yards and 162 yards in the last two games and I think he could do some damage in the Buffalo Secondary in this one as well.

I think that will see the New York Jets having success moving the ball too and they should be able to keep this one close, even against an angry, motivated and rested Buffalo Bills team.

Buffalo have been very good at home and they have a strong record against the AFC East when it comes to the spread over the last couple of seasons, although the Bills are 1-2 against the spread in those games this season. They still have to be respected as a team that can blow out any opponent very quickly, but this is a lot of points to be giving to a well Coached Jets team that have covered in their last four games following a straight up loss.

There is every chance the Bills could begin to turn their attention to the Miami Dolphins and the Saturday Week 15 outing against their closest rivals in the Division, and that allows an opportunity for a backdoor cover at the worst with this spread line.

Sean McDermott is an excellent Head Coach and one who has been very good at covering double digit spreads, but his Bills team are just 3-3 against the spread when favoured by 7 or more points this season. As long as the Jets Defensive unit can do what they are capable of, I think the Jets may only need between 17-20 points to cover even in a losing effort and I will back New York with the points.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans Pick: When you trade away a player in his prime who then comes back to wreak havoc on your team the very next time you face him, it cannot be a big surprise that there are going to be serious discussions about why a General Manager would do that. Those discussions would have taken place with AFC South leaders the Tennessee Titans (7-5) having been crushed by AJ Brown in Week 13 and it is clear that Jon Robinson was considered responsible.

Head Coach Mike Vrabel had made it clear only two weeks before the Brown trade was executed that he would not sanction any trade while he was leading the Tennessee Titans. The only real surprise is that it has taken the Titans this many months to make a change in the General Manager office and even more surprising is that they would not have waited two months.

Upheaval aside, the Tennessee Titans are comfortably clear in the weak AFC South, while Vrabel has made it clear that the focus is to finish strong and try and improve the Seeding. They do have to face three games against Divisional rivals, but the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8) have not looked capable of rocking the boat for the Titans and the two games against this opponent have to be won if Tennessee are going to turn things around.

Tennessee have lost three of their last five games, but they are expected to bounce back in this one. Treylon Burks is expected to miss out, but the main focus for Mike Vrabel and the Titans is to get back to doing what they do best and that is running the ball with Derrick Henry.

Recent outings have seen teams clamping down on King Henry, but the Running Back himself has admitted he needs to be better than he has been. He needs to be helped by the Tennessee Offensive Line who have only helped the team produced 3.2 yards per carry in their last three games, but I do think the Jaguars Defensive Line is one that they can get on top of.

It will help the Titans overall if they can find a way to make teams respect the pass- Ryan Tannehill has not been playing badly and the Jaguars have some big holes in the Secondary, but it comes back to the trade to send AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles. With Burks expected to miss out, the Titans will have to rely on Receivers to make plays for them that perhaps don't have the consistency required when it comes to the post-season and I do think there are limitations to this time.

Those are not expected to be exposed by the Jaguars though and I think this is a very good chance for the Titans to bounce back Offensively and at least keep the chains moving.

Moving the chains could be a much tougher ask of the Jaguars who look to be trending towards having to play this game without Quarter Back Trevor Lawrence. They do have a capable backup in CJ Beathard, although I do think Beathard wishes he had stayed in San Francisco where he would have been the starter going into the PlayOffs.

The problem that Beathard will face in this game is that the Jaguars are unlikely to have a lot of success running the ball against the Titans Defensive Line and that means having to throw from third and long behind a vulnerable Offensive Line. Short passes to Travis Etienne may be a way to at least try and stay in front of the chains, while the Titans pass rush has not been as effective of late as they have been for much of the season, but it will still be a test for CJ Beathard having not started a game in 2022.

Tennessee have a Secondary which can be susceptible to the big play though and so Beathard may be able to help the Jaguars have some success. Ultimately, I still think the unbalanced Offensive game plan could come back to haunt the road team who were bludgeoned at the Detroit Lions last week.

As one of the better Head Coaches in the NFL, Mike Vrabel's Tennessee team usually bounce back from a defeat. They have been even stronger when playing on back to back straight up losses with his Titans team going 7-1-1 against the spread in that spot and I do think Tennessee will try and cool the headlines about the firing of Jon Robinson by winning this one well.

The Titans have strong recent trends, while the Jaguars are 0-3-1 against the spread in their last four road games and who are 1-5-1 against the spread in their last seven games in Tennessee. I would have preferred this spread to be a point lower, but I still think the Titans win by around a Touchdown mark and I will back them to cover here.

Houston Texans @ Dallas Cowboys Pick: The immediate reaction to a spread of the size involved in this Week 14 game is that the favourite doesn't 'need' to beat the underdog as convincingly as the oddsmakers think they should. You also add in the backdoor cover ability with such a number and it makes it hard to back any NFL team to win by more than three scores.

However, the oddsmakers are normally on the money and you can understand why they have asked the Dallas Cowboys (9-3) to lay this many points against the Houston Texans (1-10-1).

There is enough leeway for the Texans to win at least one more game before the end of the season and still end up with the Number 1 Pick in the Draft and that is going to be important to the rebuild in Houston. They are in desperate need of a functional Quarter Back having tried a number of options in this position ever since Deshaun Watson insisted he wanted to leave.

This week Davis Mills is back behind Center after the Texans decision to give Kyle Allen the starts backfired badly. I don't really blame Allen for that and Mills is not much of an upgrade anyway, but big losses at the Miami Dolphins and at home in their 'revenge' game against the aforementioned Watson and his new team the Cleveland Browns has meant another change being made at the most vital position on the team.

Previously you would have imagined that the Texans would have simply handed the ball off to Dameon Pierce and other Running Backs in a bid to control the clock against this very strong Cowboys Defensive unit. For much of the season it has been possible to run the ball against Dallas and try and stay in games against them, but recent outings have really seen the Cowboys make a big effort to stop the run and they have been successful doing that.

In the wins over the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, the Dallas Defensive Line have limited the likes of Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor so facing Pierce and company will not be a challenge they shy away from. The Cowboys have allowed an average of 90 yards per game on the ground in those wins and doing that against the Texans will make it very difficult for the road team to have any Offensive success.

Davis Mills would be forced to throw against a very good Secondary without his top Receiver, while the Offensive Line is not likely to stand up against the pressure the Cowboys have been bringing with their pass rush. That does not bode well for scoring points and the Texans may actually need their own Defense to step up and keep them in this game, while perhaps earning a turnover or two that can offer short fields to the Offensive unit.

I have to respect the fact that the Houston Defensive Line have been playing harder of late, but clamping down on the Ezekiel Elliot-Tony Pollard one-two punch out of the backfield feels like a tall order. The Dallas Offensive Line is going to be bolstered by a returning Tyron Smith this week and I think they are going to be able to run the ball very effectively against the Texans.

Running the ball does shorten the game and make it that much more difficult to cover such a number as this one, but it should give Dak Prescott an opportunity to make some big throws down the field too. The reality is also that it is very difficult to imagine the Texans creating too many stops against this Cowboys team and their own Offensive unit is likely going to have a turnover or two that sees them on the wrong side of a very wide margin of defeat.

You have to give the Houston Texans some credit in the sense that only one defeat has come by more than 17 points this season, but this feels a horrible match up for them. If the Cowboys had a Divisional game on deck, I could perhaps have suggested there may be a distraction, but they are playing hard to chase down the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and I think Dallas will be far too strong on the day.

I can't say enough about how big this spread is, but the Houston Texans are 0-1 against the spread when given more than 13.5 points as the road underdog this season and they may have to accept another blow out defeat against an in-State rival.

Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants Pick: There are a couple of teams in the NFL who look far weaker than their overall record may suggest and one of those has to be the New York Giants (7-4-1). They played out a tie with the Washington Commanders in Week 13, but the Giants have regularly found themselves on the wrong side of the yardage battle and they are still in for a huge fight to make the PlayOffs despite the record.

One of the reasons for that is that New York have a very difficult schedule left to negotiate- they have to face the Commanders again, have a road game at the Minnesota Vikings and, perhaps most importantly, have to face the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) twice.

With a Number 1 Seed coming up over the horizon, the Eagles are not likely to take their foot off the gas at this stage of the season and they will be heading into this Week 14 Divisional game with a lot more confidence than the Giants. While the home team are banged up, the Eagles look pretty settled and the additions they have made in recent weeks have strengthened them even more.

Saquon Barkley is questionable for this Week 14 game and that would be a massive blow for the New York Giants who are going to want to run the ball if only to keep the Philadelphia Offensive unit cooling down on the sidelines. It has been much tougher to do that consistently against the Eagles Defensive Line in recent games and it could become a very long day in the office for Daniel Jones if the Giants fall a couple of scores behind this NFC East rival.

Daniel Jones is a mobile Quarter Back and can make plays with his legs, but trying to throw against the Eagles from behind the chains is an incredibly difficult challenge. Even more so when you think of the injuries to the New York Wide Receivers, which has been an issue all year.

A fierce pass rush will feel they can get to Jones if he spends any time in the pocket and the Philadelphia Secondary are continuing to play at a high level, which only adds to the expected stresses on the New York Offense.

It should be noted that the Philadelphia Eagles have not been as dominant on the road as they have at home and that despite their sole loss being in front of their own fans. Wins on the road have come by much narrower margins, including a one point win at the Indianapolis Colts in their most recent outing on the road, and that is some concern when it comes to judging this spread.

The game plan should be pretty comfortable for the Philadelphia Eagles on the Offensive side of the ball and that will begin with running the ball right at the Giants Defensive Line. Miles Sanders is having a solid season at Running Back, but he is well backed up with the options the Eagles have to spot him and Jalen Hurts is also more than capable of picking up huge chunks of yards on the ground.

They should be able to stay in front of the chains throughout this game and the Eagles will be motivated to show how far they have come since they last visited this Stadium in November 2021 when losing and scoring just seven points. Establishing the run will just open things up for Jalen Hurts and the passing game that is still operating strongly even without Dallas Goedhart in the line up.

New York are almost better against the pass than the run by default, but I do think the likes of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith will win their battles on the outside and give the Eagles the Offensive balance that will make it very difficult for the Giants to contain.

As I have mentioned, the Eagles are not easy to trust to cover considering they are 1-6 against the spread in their last seven road games. They win games, but rarely blow teams away and the Giants have a team that have found a way to stay in games so a backdoor cover cannot be ruled out for the hosts.

However, I do think the Eagles should be highly motivated in this NFC East rivalry game and they do have a team that are capable of winning and winning well.

The Eagles do have a poor 2-5 record against the spread in their last seven games against the New York Giants, but this Philadelphia team looks much stronger than their Divisional rivals and I think they show that.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers Pick: Injuries are always going to be a massive factor in the NFL, but the San Francisco 49ers (8-4) have to be incredibly frustrated to lose both their starting and backup Quarter Back. Jimmy Garoppolo could potentially return in the PlayOffs, assuming the 49ers get there, but for now the keys to the Offensive unit will be turned over to 'Mr Irrelevant' Brock Purdy.

The rookie didn't play badly when coming into the team in Week 13, but he is ultimately a Seventh Round rookie and that will have an impact on the 49ers. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has been firmly behind Brock Purdy in the pressers in preparing for this game, and has suggested that the 49ers will not need to change their approach with Purdy behind Center rather than Garoppolo.

The headlines write themselves in Week 14 as the rookie Quarter Back in San Francisco prepares to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) and arguably the greatest Quarter Back of all time in Tom Brady. Of course the two do not actually play against each other, but all of the talk with revolve around the two players at the most important position in team sports.

Tom Brady showed off some of the old magic in helping the Buccaneers rally for a big win on Monday Night Football, but there is no doubt that Tampa Bay look short of the very best teams in the NFC. They are a game and a half clear in the NFC South, but winning the Division is anything but secured and the Buccaneers are still lacking the consistency that helped them win the Super Bowl a couple of seasons ago.

One of the big problems for the Buccaneers has been the injuries on the Offensive Line that began in pre-season. It has meant the team have not been able to run the ball anywhere near as effectively as they would have liked and that has only increased the pressure on Tom Brady at Quarter Back.

Effectively this game is going to come down to Brady and the passing game as far as the Buccaneers are concerned from an Offensive point of view. There have been too many moments where big plays have been missed by Brady or his Receivers have dropped the passes, but they can ill-afford to be wasteful in this game if they are going to earn the upset on the road.

While it can be hard to believe they are going to get things right completely in Week 14, I do think the Buccaneers can have some passing successes. As strong as the 49ers are Defensively, they have allowed recent opponents to find some holes in the Secondary and Tom Brady and company have to believe they can produce something positive.

They may actually believe that they match up pretty well with the 49ers on the other side of the ball, especially with Brock Purdy playing at Quarter Back. In recent games the return of some key players on the Defensive Line have made the Buccaneers much more stout against the run and stopping the 49ers from getting in front of the chains would be a huge advantage for Tampa Bay.

Of course, you cannot underestimate Kyle Shanahan being able to scheme up something in place of a traditional run game by getting the ball into the hands of his skill players with short passes from the Quarter Back. Christian McCaffrey is the obvious threat, but Deebo Samuel is another who could benefit and at least keep Purdy and the Offensive unit in front of the chains.

Brock Purdy's test could be whenever he is in third and long spots as he will be dealing with the Buccaneers pass rush and I expect some exotic looks to be given to the rookie. This is a Defensive unit that has kept Tampa Bay in games when the Offense has been struggling and I think the Buccaneers will believe they can slow down the run and make Brock Purdy beat them through the air.

The young Quarter Back played well against the Miami Dolphins last week, but this time the Buccaneers will have been preparing all week to face Brock Purdy and that can make the difference for another team from Florida to have more success.

With that in mind, I can't have Tom Brady and the Buccaneers as an underdog that could cover even if they lose the game.

There are plenty of trends that favour the 49ers, including the long trip being made by Tampa Bay on a short week, but the Buccaneers as an underdog for the first time this season is appealing. The Defensive unit can at least contain the San Francisco Offense to give Brady and the Buccaneers the chance of a backdoor cover at the worst and I do think Tampa Bay will play with a considerable effort knowing they have been set as the underdog against a third string Quarter Back.

Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers Pick: It is never ideal to spend a week away from home and not in the midst of a difficult scheduling period when set to play three road games in succession. Becoming a good team also means being picked for National Television coverage and that is something the Miami Dolphins (8-4) have not been asked to do for a long time, but now they have to deal with also being flexed into a Sunday Night Football slot before having to take on Divisional leaders the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in another single game position.

Head Coach Mike McDaniel is not bemoaning the spot and instead asking his players to embrace it- ultimately he has arrived in Miami with the ambition of the team being strong enough to play Prime Time slots and the players have to get on board with that.

A loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13 is a blow, but not a fatal one to where the Miami Dolphins want to go this season and they are still in control of their own destiny. At this point, missing the PlayOffs would be a huge disappointment, but the Dolphins are aiming higher and they will win the AFC East if they can win out with five games left.

Of course that means not overlooking the Los Angeles Chargers (6-6) who are firmly in the Wild Card mix in the AFC and who are also looking to recover from a road loss. The defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders means the Chargers have lost three of their last four games and they are certainly struggling to maximise Justin Herbert's ability at Quarter Back.

It isn't the Coaching fault in reality, but injuries have hurt the Chargers on both sides of the ball and it has made it very difficult for Los Angeles to find any sort of consistency through the season. The record underlines the point, but the Chargers will feel their remaining five games gives them every chance to win at least four and reaching ten wins should be enough for a Wild Card place.

Still, any team that has been losing as much as the Chargers have been will have some questions to answer and they will be hoping the week the Miami Dolphins have spent on the West Coast has been a distraction rather than a help for the road team. In recent games it has felt like all the pressure has been on Justin Herbert to pass the Chargers to victory and they are facing a Miami Defensive Line which has really begun to clamp down on the run this week.

A banged up Los Angeles Offensive Line have also struggled to create the holes for Austin Ekeler at Running Back and I do think Herbert will be called upon.

He does have Keenan Allen back at Wide Receiver, but Ekeler may be the more important player considering the problems Justin Herbert has in getting enough time to throw. His Offensive Line are missing key players and are acting like something of a revolving door in recent games as Justin Herbert continues to be hit, and hit hard, and time runs out pretty quickly for him.

Bradley Chubb's arrival in Miami has sparked a fierce pass rush and I do think they will get to Justin Herbert any time they have the Quarter Back behind the chains. This will stall drives or force Field Goals and that is not a good thing against one of the most improved Offensive units in the NFL.

Miami have been a real revelation on the other side of the ball thanks to the addition of Tyreek Hill and the Mike McDaniel mind at Head Coach. This has rubbed off on Tua Tagovailoa, although the Quarter Back was a little banged up last week and will be needed closer to full health for the Dolphins to get back to winning ways.

I wasn't convinced about Tagovailoa, but he has made a fan out of a doubter and I do think he is going to find huge holes to exploit in this one. Last week he missed some throws, perhaps down to the injury he picked up, but I do think the Quarter Back will look closer to his old self in this one and the Chargers Secondary is one that will struggle to hold onto Hill and Jayden Waddle.

Tua Tagovailoa can only be helped by the Running Backs- the arrival of Jeff Wilson has been huge for the Dolphins- and the Miami Offensive Line are expected to open things up against this porous Chargers Defensive Line. Moving in front of the chains opens the play-action down the field and it is hard to imagine the Chargers containing Miami barring Tagovailoa being way under 100%.

The Quarter Back is not expected to be faced with much pressure from the pass rush from the Chargers and that should only make things that much more comfortable for Tagovailoa.

The game at the Buffalo Bills next Saturday is a potential distraction, but the loss in Week 13 should have sharpened the Miami focus.

Miami have not always been at their best bouncing back from a loss and they are just 1-4 against the spread in their last five road games, but the Chargers are struggling.

In a shoot out, I think the Dolphins prevail with their superior balance on both sides of the ball and I think they can be backed to cover.

MY PICKS: Las Vegas Raiders - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Cleveland Browns + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

New York Jets + 10 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Tennessee Titans - 3.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Dallas Cowboys - 17.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (2 Units)

Philadelphia Eagles - 7 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (2 Units)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers + 3.5 Points @ 1.83 William Hill (2 Units)

Miami Dolphins - 3 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Weekend Football and Fantasy Football GameWeek 16 Picks (December 10-12)

I spent a few days up in Manchester with the main reason being the short space of time between the Arsenal and Crystal Palace matches at Old Trafford.

It was a great decision- weather aside- and I truly love the place.

The people are some of the best, although I am a little disappointed that some of the character of Manchester has been lost with a new skyline making it feel like you are not that far away from London. Even then, it was a wonderful time to get away for a few days and an opportunity to spend time with friends that is not always there on a match day thanks to the long travelling time it takes to reach the ground.

I am already looking forward to going back and there will be potential dates to do so before the end of this season.

It did mean I was not really concentrating on the Fantasy Football choices and I actually missed the Saturday deadline after a good Friday night out on the tiles. Ultimately the points suffered, but I was not too bothered about being able to hold a transfer, but more on that below my thoughts for the Weekend Premier League games that kick off on Friday through Sunday.

Brentford v Watford Pick: The opening Premier League game of this weekend comes from West London on Friday night and it involves two teams that came up from the Championship last May and who are looking to consolidate their place in the top flight.

If you asked random people on the street as to which of these teams is having the more successful season, the chances are the majority would say Brentford. However, Watford have picked up some vital points at key times and a win on Friday would mean they are only a point behind Brentford.

In recent weeks Brentford have struggled for victories in the Premier League, but they were unfortunate to not record another success when conceding late in the 2-2 draw at Elland Road last Sunday. The defensive vulnerabilities continue to hurt Brentford of late as they are without two of the key performers at the back and I do think Watford have shown enough in the final third over the last six weeks which should see them have joy when they get forward.

Watford created some very good chances in their last away game at Leicester City and they played well in their defeat to Chelsea. The loss to Manchester City showed some of the problems Watford are having in defensive areas too though and Brentford can cause problems even without Sergi Canos and Ivan Toney.

I think those absences hurt, but Brentford play good football and Thomas Frank will have had a week to prepare his team to make up for those that are missing. That should help Brentford, who beat Everton 1-0 in their last game here, but I also think Watford will be better for the time off to work under Claudio Ranieri on the training field.

Both teams hitting the back of the net would not be a big surprise, but I think this is a fixture that both Thomas Frank and Claudio Ranieri will be targeting as a potential three point opportunity. That should mean Brentford and Watford chasing the goals to win the game and I do think there will be at least three shared out on what should be a drier evening in West London.

Manchester City v Wolves Pick: One mistake can see a team drop from the top of the Premier League table very quickly and Manchester City are the latest to take over as leaders of the Division.

It could be a worry for their main title rivals considering the experience Manchester City have in winning the Premier League in recent seasons. They have a squad that is coping with injuries and Manchester City have been producing solid performances at the Etihad Stadium.

A defeat at Leipzig will have bothered Pep Guardiola, but his Manchester City team can bounce back on Saturday as they look to set the pace for the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea who play later on.

Beating Wolves will see Manchester City pull clear of their main title rivals before Liverpool and Chelsea have winnable home games, but the manager will be making sure his team are only focusing on themselves. Phil Foden missing out will hurt, but Manchester City have some key players that look to be rounding into good form and the return of Kevin De Bruyne cannot be underestimated.

This week they are facing a Wolves team that continue to struggle for goals and I do think Manchester City will be able to largely contain their visitors. You know Wolves are going to want to counter and use the pace they have in the final third, but they have failed to score in 4 of their last 5 Premier League games including in back to back away games at Crystal Palace and Norwich City.

The worry for Bruno Lage is that his team have struggled to create quality chances in their last few games and Wolves may have issues finding their cutting edge against Manchester City. The home team are not exactly piling up the clean sheets themselves, but opponents have been clinical against them and are largely being kept at arm's length by the League leaders.

Last season Manchester City thumped Wolves home and away, but the resilience Wolves showed in their narrow defeat to Liverpool last Saturday will be encouraging. Better finishing would have made life easier for Liverpool on that day, but Wolves created little against them and I think Manchester City will be able to secure the three points in this fixture.

A clean sheet would not be a big surprise and I think the home team will likely win a game that features fewer than four goals on the day.

Arsenal v Southampton Pick: There will be some positives for Ralph Hasenhuttl after watching recent Southampton performances, but he will be feeling frustrated that they have not been able to hold onto leads against Leicester City and Brighton in their last couple of home games.

Against the former, Southampton led twice, while last Saturday they conceded deep into injury time in the 1-1 draw with Brighton.

The attacking chances being created are impressive, but Southampton have not been able to put the finishing touches to their football. Danny Ings would have made a real difference for them, but Adam Armstrong and Che Adams have been inconsistent in the final third.

A goalkeeping crisis will not help the mood of the away team and especially not when you have a look at the underlying defensive numbers. Earlier this season Southampton were producing some clean sheets, but more recently they have allowed teams to create really good chances against them and I think that is going to be a problem for them when they visit the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal will have had their confidence dented by back to back defeats at Manchester United and Everton and it is particularly disappointing that they were leading in both of those games. The defensive numbers have not been that impressive all season, but Arsenal were getting away with it at times and it all came to a head in those away games.

However, they have been better at home and Arsenal will be looking for a fifth straight win here. The absence of Emile Smith Rowe will hurt, but Arsenal have been creating chances and I think they will be on the front foot at home having sat in on leads in their last two fixtures.

Mikel Arteta doesn't really want his team to do that and I think they are facing an opponent that can be exploited in defensive areas. Southampton may play their part in this one and they have drawn on their last couple of visits to this Stadium, but Arsenal have been a little more clinical at home.

Arsenal have scored at least twice in 4 of their last 5 at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League and I think they can win a game that features at least two goals.

Chelsea v Leeds United Pick: Recent results have been troubling for Thomas Tuchel and he will be looking to get his Chelsea team going back to basics. For much of this season Chelsea have been a very tough team to break down, but individual mistakes have been punished over the last few weeks and the six goals conceded to West Ham United and Zenit St Petersburg would have highly irritated the manager.

At least this weekend Chelsea get to return to Stamford Bridge, even though the last couple of Premier League games have both ended 1-1 here. In both Thomas Tuchel was frustrated with the inability of his team to take the chances they had been creating, but Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku are back and amongst the goals and they can give Chelsea a cutting edge.

For all the negatives about the goals being conceded, Chelsea have scored 7 goals in their last 3 games in all competitions. They will certainly believe getting on the front foot may offer the best defence for a team missing key players in the middle of the park, and at least this week Chelsea are facing an opponent who may be having more difficulties on the injury front.

Leeds United secured a late point in their home draw with Brentford last Sunday, but they may have lost Patrick Bamford in the process of the returning striker scoring an equaliser. Key players in defensive and midfield spots are also set to miss out for Leeds United and I think that is important in deciding which may this game goes.

Over the last fourteen months, Leeds United have struggled when facing the top teams in the Premier League and they have been well beaten by both Manchester United and Liverpool this season. Back to back away games at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad Stadium is a real challenge for Leeds United and I do think the goals being scored by Chelsea will be too much for the visitors to cope with.

At least with Raphinha, Leeds United can offer a threat, but Chelsea should be too strong for a team that has been inconsistent all season. Leeds United did earn a goalless draw at Brighton in their last away game, but Chelsea are not going to be as wasteful in front of goal as The Seagulls were that day and it should see the home team find a way to get back to winning ways.

If Chelsea can get off to a good start, they should be good enough to returning to winning form by securing a victory by two or more goals.

Liverpool v Aston Villa Pick: The television companies have to be kicking themselves for not selecting this fixture for live coverage after Steven Gerrard was confirmed as manager of Aston Villa.

It will be his first return to Anfield as an opponent and the form under Gerrard will give Aston Villa some encouragement as they look to upset the odds. They have won 3 of their 4 Premier League games under their new manager and that includes a 1-2 win at Crystal Palace in their sole away fixture played.

However, the defeat came against Manchester City and Liverpool are playing as well as any team in Europe, never mind England.

Liverpool have been scoring goals for fun and they have looked pretty secure defensively which has helped them surge up the League table. They will want to keep the pressure on their title rivals with back to back fixtures at Anfield to come this week and Liverpool have won 4 in a row here in all competitions, while keeping clean sheets in each of those.

Steven Gerrard is going to know all about the inner workings of Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp so you do have to imagine he will have prepared Aston Villa effectively. Losing some of the midfielders and attackers that could have been really dangerous on the counter attack hurts the visitors though and I think Gerrard will be looking to contain the home team and hope to frustrate them as Wolves did.

Unfortunately for Aston Villa, Liverpool are creating a lot of chances at the moment and have three attackers in very good form that are likely to exploit any spaces they find. Aston Villa have been looking pretty organised under Gerrard, but they will find it tough to contain Liverpool and another home win is likely.

Aston Villa played well last Sunday, but previously they had not been creating a lot of chances and I think Liverpool can do enough to win this one with a clean sheet for a fifth time in succession at Anfield.

Norwich City v Manchester United Pick: This is not the time of the season when a new manager can spend a lot of time working with his players on the training ground with fixtures set to be played every few days.

However, Ralf Rangnick is putting in the extra hours to make sure his Manchester United team are well aware of what is expected of them. After the 1-1 draw with Young Boys, the manager made it clear he was not too happy with the goal conceded even in a dead rubber game and that intensity should benefit this squad as long as the players are all willing to listen.

It sounded like the squad players did not really impress as much as they could have and especially when you listened to Rangnick after the win over Crystal Palace. He seemed surprised the players were able to pick up his ideas as well as they did and I think a strong Manchester United team will make the long journey to Carrow Road with confidence.

A number of the first team players should be well rested as they look for a third Premier League win in succession and they could be facing the right opponent to do that.

Dean Smith has helped Norwich City pick up some impressive results since he came in as manager to replace Daniel Farke, but the 3-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur showed the amount of work to do to bridge the gap to the best teams in the Division. Norwich City created some chances that day, but they looked porous at the back and Manchester United should be able to create opportunities here.

Norwich City will cause some problems, but even having a full week to prepare for this game may not be enough to stay with Manchester United. Make no mistake about the importance of the upcoming game for Norwich City when they face Dean Smith's former team Aston Villa here on Tuesday and I think that could be a distraction for The Canaries.

The first goal is going to be important, but I think Ralf Rangnick will be looking to make sure Manchester United are operating from a solid base and that is key for the visitors. Manchester United have not always been the best away from home this season after a long unbeaten run on their travels in the Premier League, but they can score goals and I think the new manager bounce will help them beat a Norwich City team that are poor at the back.

Burnley v West Ham United Pick: A place in the Last 16 of the Europa League has been secured and that is a second pathway through to the Champions League for West Ham United, but over the coming weeks they can cement their credentials as genuine threat to finish in the top four of the Premier League.

David Moyes has done a terrific job at the London Stadium and his team have beaten both Liverpool and Chelsea at home this season. The only concern is that West Ham United failed to win any of 3 League games after beating Liverpool and they have to show they can back up the victory over Chelsea.

Playing away from home could be a challenge considering West Ham United have struggled to create chances in defeats at Wolves and Manchester City. The first team should be well rested having seen the younger members of the squad take part in the Europa League, but West Ham United still have to come in and try and impose themselves.

They could benefit from the opponent as Burnley are coming in off a defeat to relegation rivals Newcastle United. Sean Dyche is someone who has to be respected for his own performance as manager of Burnley, but this is another slow start to a campaign and the underlying numbers have to be really worrying for anyone who even pays a passing attention to them.

Last weekend it was Newcastle United who dominated the chances and that puts pressure on a Burnley team that are missing some important players. At least Burnley have found a way to goal at home in their last couple of Premier League games here and they should be able to have some success against a visiting team who are without a number of defenders, but ultimately I do think the quality of West Ham United will shine through.

West Ham United won at Turf Moor last season and came from behind to do so and I do think they can do a better job of backing up a big Premier League win by securing another one here.

Leicester City v Newcastle United Pick: Unlike the breakout at Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City's Covid issues are not going to prevent them playing this weekend at the time of writing.

They are due to host Spurs during the week, but that game is much more likely to be postponed and Brendan Rodgers will be focusing on trying to earn an important win on Sunday to move back into the top half of the Premier League table.

It has been an extremely inconsistent season for Leicester City who are underachieving and the fans are losing a little bit of faith in the manager. There have been murmurings of frustration at the King Power Stadium and back to back losses which has included being dumped out of the Europa League will have hurt the confidence of the players.

Leicester City have not been too bad getting forward, but they have been so porous at the back and that has to be encouragement for Newcastle United after winning for the first time this season in their last fixture. Eddie Howe is a manager that likes his team to get forward and cause problems for opponents and Newcastle United have enough quality in the final third to certainly be able to do that here.

Newcastle United have won 3 of their last 4 visits to the King Power Stadium, which will back up their confidence, and it may be a good time to face Leicester City who are travelling back from Naples.

However, I do think Newcastle United are still struggling defensively and Leicester City have shown they can score plenty of goals. The Foxes have scored at least twice in 4 of their last 5 games in all competitions and Brendan Rodgers may feel his team will be very dangerous on the front foot.

Both teams should have chances to score goals, but Leicester City may be able to edge to the points. Newcastle United's win over Burnley is a solid result, but they have been struggling defensively at the back in away games and it should mean Leicester City can create the chances to win this fixture in which goals should be flowing.

Crystal Palace v Everton Pick: You have to believe the 2-1 win for Everton over Arsenal is going to spark the squad that is still getting used to working with Rafael Benitez. Some of the players are rumoured to not completely be on board with Benitez, while injuries have hurt Everton throughout the season.

However, all of that pales into insignificance after the players produced a big performance for Rafael Benitez in overcoming Arsenal. That should show the majority of the players do believe in the Spaniard and Everton will head to South London with a confident attitude as they look to win consecutive games.

Some will feel they are facing Crystal Palace at the right time with Patrick Vieira's men losing 3 Premier League games in a row and struggling for goals. That ignores some of the chances that Crystal Palace have been guilty of missing, while they continue to defend pretty efficiently under their new manager and I do think they will be turning results around pretty soon.

Home form has been decent for Crystal Palace, but they have not been able to turn a few of the draws into wins, while a poor recent home record against Everton has to be on the mind of the players.

Crystal Palace will feel they can hurt Everton who still give up chances though and I do think this is a good opportunity to get back to winning ways. They should be able to get forward and create opportunities for the likes of Wilfred Zaha and Christian Benteke, but Crystal Palace will have to be aware of the qualities that Everton do have in the final third when they are defending.

The problem for Everton is that Crystal Palace have not been giving too much away and I think that is key to the outcome of this fixture. Better finishing will be needed for Crystal Palace, but I think they can fashion the chances to edge past their visitors and just put a bit more distance between themselves and the bottom three.

MY PICKS: Brentford-Watford Over 2.5 Goals

Manchester City to Win & Under 3.5 Goals

Arsenal to Win & Over 1.5 Goals

Chelsea - 1.5 Asian Handicap

Liverpool Win to Nil

Manchester United - 1.25 Asian Handicap

West Ham United - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Leicester City to Win & Over 1.5 Goals

Crystal Palace - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Fantasy Football GameWeek 16

So what happened in GameWeek 15?

I had already set my team, as I had suggested in my post before heading away to Manchester, but a heavy night out meant I was not able to make a good decision before the deadline for GW15 and I ended up rolling a transfer.

Ultimately I may have gotten a little lucky- my thinking was to bring in Ben Johnson from West Ham United with the upcoming fixtures, but he picked up an injury in the 3-2 win over Chelsea and is likely to miss out on much of the festive period.

And holding a transfer has not worked out too badly with the Tottenham Hotspur Covid issues that means they are likely to be out of action until GW18 when Liverpool are the visitors to North London (and even that fixture may be in doubt when you consider how long the isolation requests are for people suffering from the new variant).

With Sergio Reguilon and Harry Kane, the obvious decision is to shift both out and I am also contemplating taking a hit to make sure the bench is suitable to cover any unexpected absentees.

It is not ideal to have to do that, but I think it is better than ending up short of numbers in a period when matches are being played every few days.

Talking about Harry Kane, my risky move to pick him as Captain in back to back games worked out terribly- the theory wasn't bad, Tottenham Hotspur scored five goals after all, but Harry Kane didn't even earn an assist in the time and the punishment was complete with Mohamed Salah continuing to produce big numbers.

Harry Kane won't be irritating me for a few days at least, and the obvious Captain choice this week is Salah... Right?

However, I think Aston Villa are capable of making things a little awkward for Liverpool as they battle for manager Steven Gerrard and so I am going to go a different way again- I'll probably regret it by 3:30pm, but I am out on Saturday and so any punishment won't be felt until the games are in the books before Manchester United take the field.

So who am I going with? Check out my team later and you will see the angle played!

The top three clubs are all producing the best defensive numbers, even after Chelsea's difficult week, and so moving Reguilon is likely going to see those three clubs offering out the best options. However, I think Trent Alexander-Arnold has reached a price that is beyond what I can bring in, while Andrew Robertson has four Yellow Cards and could serve a suspension before the New Year.

Manchester City and Chelsea can't be trusted when it comes to the rotations, but the former have the fixtures to make serious ground and the latter have to be feeling they need to go back to basics after conceding six goals in their last two away games.

It is either a decision to move Nelson Semedo or I am going to look to bring in the Watford attacker I have mentioned being intrigued by a few weeks ago. The Watford fixture list eases from GW16 and even better is a quick look at the underlying numbers that they have been producing against the stronger opponents they have been facing.

Emmanuel Dennis and Josh King will both have their backers, although the latter potentially being on Penalties and the numbers since the win over Manchester United makes King the more appealing option as far as I am concerned.

Weekend Football Picks and Fantasy Football 2020 (December 11-13)

The European competitions had their Group Stages completed this past week and that means the Champions League and Europa League can go into hibernation until next year, but for clubs in the Premier League there is little respite from the football.

Those seven clubs involved in Europe will be accustomed to playing twice a week and they will continue that trend with three rounds of Premier League fixtures to be played over the next ten days.

Even then some of those clubs will be preparing for League Cup Quarter Final matches before entering another ten day period where another three rounds of Premier League fixtures are going to be played.

It is always a hectic time of the year but there is no doubting that the 2020/21 season is busier than usual thanks to the late start for the majority of the top European Leagues. Squads are going to have to be utilised and that means us Fantasy Football players have to pay extra attention to managers and whether our 'star players' are going to need to have some rest.

No one can play all of the League games in the month ahead, but teams can ill-afford to lose ground on their ambitions for the campaign either and so it will be a challenging time for everyone.

More on my Fantasy thoughts below, but first my predictions for the Premier League weekend to be played which begins on Friday Night Football.

Leeds United v West Ham United Pick: On paper Leeds United versus West Ham United should be a decent game of football as both teams have tended to play some good attacking football, but at the same time have struggled defensively.

The home team will force West Ham United into that kind of game with Marcelo Bielsa unlikely to change his system or beliefs. For much of the season it has worked well for Leeds United who have created chances and looked capable of scoring goals every time they have got forward.

However that system has left Leeds United vulnerable at the back and this is a defence that has given up some massive opportunities to opponents. I fully expect West Ham United to use their pace and quality in the final third to be able to exploit Leeds United on the counter attack and it would be something of a surprise if both teams don't score in this one.

It does have to be noted that Leeds United have seemingly been more effective away from home, but that might just be an anomaly at the moment. The side have actually been able to create plenty of home chances and it has just been a little more luck that has been required to score more goals here.

Last time out at home, Leeds United dominated Arsenal and only poor finishing let them down. I expect they will create chances against this West Ham United team who have not been effective defensively, but I also think The Hammers will be a threat from set pieces and on the counter as I have mentioned before.

Recent games have seen both teams looking as likely to score as they are to conceded and Leeds United's philosophy to not take a backward step should make this a fun game for neutrals to enjoy on Friday evening.

Wolves v Aston Villa Pick: An unexpected break has given Aston Villa two weeks to think about the performances in the back to back 2-1 losses to Brighton and West Ham United. Both defeats were largely disappointing, but Dean Smith should also be aware that his team actually played very well in both games and perhaps just missed a bit of fortune or a better cutting edge which prevented them taking all three points.

While they will be looking to bounce back in this derby game, Wolves are also looking for a reaction after crumbling to a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool. They actually looked pretty comfortable before a Conor Coady mistake allowed Liverpool to take the lead and there were opportunities for Wolves to get back into the match while it was still 1-0.

The manner of the collapse is troubling though, while you can't ignore how big an absence Raul Jimenez is going to be for this team. The Mexican striker looked to knit everything together up front and without him Wolves decided on a 'false nine' approach last weekend which didn't go well to say the least.

I do think Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking for a more positive approach to this fixture and Wolves have certainly been a tough proposition to beat at this ground. I do think that gives them a chance, but Aston Villa are playing as well as anyone in the Division especially when they get forward and look to attack and that makes this a hard fixture for me to really get a firm grip on.

Simply put I can't really find any angle on the game in which I would be comfortable and this may be one to take a watching brief if only for Fantasy purposes.

Newcastle United v West Brom Pick: This feels like a big game for West Brom who will be looking to bounce back from the embarrassment of losing 1-5 at home against Crystal Palace last Sunday.

They have lost 4 of their last 5 Premier League games and Slaven Bilic is under some pressure as manager of the club, but West Brom may feel there is an opportunity for them here.

Recent form is not the best, but they are facing a Newcastle United team who had to postpone a fixture last week because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the squad. No one really knows what kind of long-term impact that is going to have on professional athletes, but you do have to wonder if the squad is going to be short-handed for this one.

It sounds like Newcastle United have had the majority of their squad back in full training on Wednesday though and this is a team who won 0-2 at Crystal Palace two weeks ago. The Magpies are a hard team to figure out as they can be very good going forward, but also have matches where they are struggling to really produce consistency in the final third.

However, I do think Newcastle United will find a way to create opportunities against a West Brom team who have been allowing far too many good chances for opponents. Even in the win against Sheffield United it was only poor finishing from the visitors that helped West Brom win that fixture.

I simply can't ignore the fact that West Brom have not created more chances or better scoring opportunities against any opponent in the Premier League this season. They are lacking some goals as evidenced by a single strike in their last 4 away League games and I do think defensively teams will always have a chance against The Baggies.

The home team should win here, but I would be a little careful in backing them with the uncertainty about the Covid-19 outbreak in mind.

Manchester United v Manchester City Pick: A little over twelve months ago Manchester United left the Etihad Stadium with a 1-2 win over their rivals Manchester City and some described it as the best performance under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Through the remainder of the season Manchester United would beat Manchester City two more times, although a 1-3 defeat at Old Trafford in the League Cup Semi Final First Leg cost them a place in the Final of that competition.

The last time they met at Old Trafford was the last time the fans were able to attend a game in this Stadium and Manchester United beat Manchester City 2-0 which should give the players some confidence.

They will need all the confidence they can get having been criticised for the slow start in Germany on Tuesday night which has cost Manchester United a place in the Last 16 of the Champions League. The defeat to Leipzig means Europa League Football returns to Old Trafford in the New Year and the pressure is back on the manager who will be desperate for another big result over their rivals to ease some of the criticisms he is dealing with.

Manchester United's poor form at Old Trafford has to be a concern with their sole League win coming against a really poor West Brom team. They failed to score against either Chelsea or Arsenal, although Manchester United at least showed better defensive efforts in those games and against West Brom than they did in their defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Now they have to face a Manchester City who are unbeaten since losing to Tottenham Hotspur and who have continued to show a better balance than they did for much of last season. Pep Guardiola has tweaked his system to make them a little more solid at the back, but the absence of Sergio Aguero for long periods have meant the team have struggled to finish off the chances that they have been creating.

Manchester City have been more ruthless in the Champions League and beat Marseille 3-0 at home during the week, but this is not a team who have been hammering teams in the Premier League. They have beaten Wolves 1-3 at Molineux and earned their usual 5-0 win over Burnley at home, but Manchester City have been held to less than two goals in 6 of their 10 League games.

It has certainly been the case away from home as Manchester City have scored three goals in their last 4 away Premier League games, although they have been pretty good defensively too. Mistakes were costly in the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, but they controlled last parts of that match and it will be all about containing the Manchester United counter attack in this one.

Picking a winner isn't easy- in the two years Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been in charge he has overseen big wins when seemingly under the most pressure, but Manchester City also look much better than the team who lost 3 of 4 derbies in the 2019/20 season.

I think all three results are in play, but I won't be as surprised as the layers if this fixture ends with fewer than three goals shared out. The last 3 Manchester United home Premier League games and the last 4 Manchester City away Premier League games have finished that way.

Even the last 2 Manchester derbies have finished with two or fewer goals shared out between the rivals, while 3 of the last 5 Premier League games between the clubs at Old Trafford have done the same. Manchester City have looked pretty good at both ends of the field and I think this will be a tight, competitive derby game where neither manager will want their team to make the mistakes that could prove costly on the day.

Everton v Chelsea Pick: 2000 Everton fans will be allowed into Goodison Park to offer support to their club who have fallen off the fast pace they began this season with.

After winning 7 in a row in all competitions which saw Everton top the Premier League and progress to the League Cup Quarter Final, injuries and suspension have begun to affect preparation. That has led to a run of 1 win in 7 League games and Everton have slipped down the League standings, while they have lost their last 2 at Goodison Park and may need the support of the fans to turn things around.

In the 2 losses to Manchester United and Leeds United, Everton have been outplayed and the visitors have deserved their wins. Leeds United in particularly could have won by a much wider margin than their 0-1 victory here and I do think Chelsea are playing well enough to hurt the home team if they are not at their best.

Everton have played well against Chelsea at Goodison Park in recent years and have beaten them twice in a row here. That will offer some encouragement for the players, but I do think this Chelsea squad may be stronger than recent visiting squads to this ground.

Frank Lampard has struck a fine balance between attack and defence away from home and Chelsea have won 5 in a row on their travels in all competitions. They have scored at least twice in each victory, while Chelsea have only conceded a single goal in their last 6 away games.

I am not sure they can contain an Everton team that had scored in 8 home games in a row before the defeat to Leeds United. While they were looking poor at the back, Everton did create chances in that game so they will feel they can challenge Chelsea, although, as I have mentioned, I am not sure they can contain this attacking line up.

It could be a decent football game on Saturday evening, although I will be watching the Boxing, and I think Chelsea may win a sixth away game in succession while scoring at least twice to do so. Snapping their recent poor run of visits to Goodison Park would also underline Chelsea's credentials as a potential Premier League title winner.

Southampton v Sheffield United Pick: The early Sunday Premier League kick off sees Southampton host Sheffield United and recent form suggests there is only one winner of the fixture.

Chris Wilder has to be given credit for the raising of the profile of Sheffield United in recent seasons, but that doesn't mean he is going to be given a lot more time to find a positive result. Another late goal cost Sheffield United last weekend, while they continue to show defensive vulnerabilities that were not highlighted last season.

Losing Dean Henderson and Jack O'Connell has really hurt the side and it has meant the lack of goals has really been a major problem for Sheffield United. Even last season they didn't score a lot of goals, but this time around the clean sheets are not coming and that means Sheffield United have struggled to snap their poor Premier League form.

The Blades have lost 13 of their last 14 Premier League games and have lost 7 in a row away from home. While they are creating chances, Sheffield United may struggle to do that at St Mary's where Southampton have kept 3 clean sheets in 5 home League games.

Add in the fact that Danny Ings is back for Southampton and this is a team who have been creating chances and scoring goals and I do think the home side will have too much for their visitors. They have scored two goals in every League game played here this season and I do think Sheffield United will struggle to contain the home team.

Southampton have not been creating as many chances as they would like, but they are a threat on the counter and from set pieces. I think that will show up here too and The Saints are likely to win this game while maintaining their run of goals being scored.

Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Pick: Jose Mourinho may be insisting his team are not in the Premier League title race, but Tottenham Hotspur have plenty of experience in their squad. Many of the members will have been playing with the club when Tottenham Hotspur pushed Leicester City in 2015/16 and this is a team which has reached the Champions League Final.

Those achievements means the players should believe that their manager can push them on a little further and build on what Mauricio Pochettino had put in place with Tottenham Hotspur.

Games like this will really tell us a lot more about Tottenham Hotspur, but they already in the midst of a tough run and remain on top of the Premier League. Home wins over Manchester City and Arsenal and an away draw at Chelsea are impressive, but making it more so is that Spurs have kept clean sheets in all of those games.

They look like a Jose Mourinho team, but I do think people are perhaps not as aware that Tottenham Hotspur are not creating a host of chances in their recent games. Even in a win at Burnley at the end of October Tottenham Hotspur showed a clinical edge to their performance which perhaps led to an undeserved win.

Whether that is sustainable has to be a concern, but you have to credit the organisation they have shown at the back. Neither Chelsea or Arsenal created a lot against Tottenham Hotspur and Mourinho will remind his team that you can't lose matches if you keep clean sheets.

Crystal Palace will feel they can test Tottenham Hotspur having scored five times against West Brom last Sunday and with Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke both scoring twice. Those two players will give Roy Hodgson's team and attacking threat, but I do think Jose Mourinho will be prepared by not allowing too much space for Crystal Palace to counter attack into.

I do think Roy Hodgson is the kind of manager that won't allow his team to be as naive as Arsenal last weekend and that should mean they offer more protection against the Tottenham Hotspur counter attack too. They will look to make it difficult for Tottenham Hotspur to exploit spaces with the feeling that Spurs have not been as effective when it comes to breaking down a low block, although with the quality in this team it can't be dismissed.

Set pieces could be huge in the game for both teams, but I am expecting a low-scoring fixture.

9 of the last 10 between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur have finished with less than three goals shared out. The 1-1 draw these two played out here on the final day of last season is the first time in 10 games that both teams have hit the net in the same game too.

On that day, Tottenham Hotspur scored early but created very little else and I do think chances will be at a premium in this one. Tottenham Hotspur have shown they are clinical enough to take them, but I think there won't be many goals here and the first one could be crucial either way.

The last 3 Tottenham Hotspur away games have all finished with less than three goals shared out and I think the players have bought into Jose Mourinho's system. I don't think he will change here and it is all about managing the game ahead of the big one at Anfield, while Roy Hodgson is smart enough to know he wants his team to be hard to beat rather than enterprising going forward with a point likely to be an important one for his club.

The two managers may not want to give too much away here.

Fulham v Liverpool Pick: If all things were equal you would make Liverpool a really big favourite to beat Fulham whether they play them at Anfield or at Craven Cottage, but this Liverpool team are not playing at their top level of late.

That is especially the case away from home as Liverpool had to settle for a third straight 1-1 draw when finishing with that scoreline at Midtjylland during the week. The last 2 away Premier League games have both ended 1-1 at Manchester City and Brighton, although the latter needed a late Penalty to secure a point against Liverpool.

However both Brighton and Midtjylland did create chances against a Liverpool team that are still potentially without some key performers. I expect Fulham to be able to do the same with their recent performances in find outside of the 2-0 defeat at Manchester City, although it is still hard to imagine an upset considering the porous defence Scott Parker has had to rely on.

Teams have been able to create chances against Fulham and I think it would be quite an incredible day if Liverpool were not able to do that and score goals here. They still have their much respected front three available for selection, but Liverpool have found it hard to build the consistency away from home and they did not create much at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton have shown they have more defensive strength than Fulham though and I expect Liverpool to hurt a vulnerable backline.

The real question is how the remainder of the game will go and I think the layers are on top of things with their Asian Handicap- I could make a case for Fulham with the 1.5 goal start, but also feel Liverpool could make a mockery of the line considering Arsenal, Aston Villa and Everton have all scored three times at Craven Cottage this season.

Fulham have created home chances in recent games here and I do think they can get after a Liverpool team who are not showing complete faith in their ability to keep opponents from scoring goals. The title favourites have been more vulnerable away from home and I would not be surprised if both teams hit the back of the net.

An early goal could really spark this fixture and there is every chance we are going to see one.

In 6 of the last 8 Liverpool away games the first goal has been scored before the 17th minute, while in only 1 of the 6 games played at Craven Cottage have we had to wait until after the 10th minute for the first goal.

A fast start is likely to be in play on Sunday when these teams meet too as both managers look for their team to get on the front foot in what could turn out to be a high-scoring fixture.

Arsenal v Burnley Pick: The rumour mill is suggesting that Mikel Arteta could be sacked by the end of next weekend if the results are not what the Arsenal board expect.

The fixtures in front of Arteta and his team are not the most appealing and you would really worry for Arsenal if they were to lose this one. Southampton visit during the week and they then go to Everton before facing Manchester City in the League Cup and you do have to think that Mikel Arteta needs to find at least 5 points from the next three games.

Even that may be a sign that Arsenal have let standards slip again, but that is where a club in 15th place would have to be realistic about their chances. Teams like Everton and Southampton are operating much higher up the League table, while an improving Burnley have shown resiliency that has been missing from some of Arsenal's recent performances.

2000 fans will be inside the Emirates Stadium, but they won't forget that Arsenal have lost 3 in a row here in the Premier League. Wins over Dundalk and Molde in the Europa League won't paper over the cracks and there is a pressure on Arsenal who have not created a lot of chances while also looking vulnerable at the back.

However I do have to say that Burnley have not really been a huge threat going forward and they have not been defending as well as we may have become accustomed to seeing. They have not scored in their last 3 away games in the Premier League, although Burnley have only lost at Manchester City in that time, and I do think Arsenal have created enough at home to believe they can at least score once.

It will be a nervy game at the Emirates Stadium and we may learn if the players are still behind their manager. My feeling is that Arsenal will win, although I am not anticipating a lot of goals.

Arsenal have only scored more than two goals in 1 of their last 8 home Premier League games, while they have not kept a clean sheet in that time. I am just not sure Burnley can test the backline as they would want and The Gunners may come through a nervy game with a very narrow win to ease the pressure on Mikel Arteta for a few days.

Leicester City v Brighton Pick: I think there will be plenty of people who see Leicester City at odds against and will be rushing out to back them this weekend.

Personally I say 'not so fast my friend'.

There has been much to like about Leicester City this season and their late winner at Sheffield United last Sunday coupled with topping their Europa League Group on Thursday should mean the squad are feeling very good about themselves.

However the enthusiasm for those wanting to back Leicester City has to be balanced against the fact that this team has proven to be one that doesn't seem as comfortable trying to break teams down on the front foot. And that is something any team that is chasing Champions League spots in the Premier League has to anticipate they are going to have to do, especially at home.

Leicester City have managed to do that at the King Power Stadium in the Europa League, but it has been a much different story in the Premier League. They have lost 4 League games this season and 3 of those have come at home.

West Ham United, Aston Villa and Fulham have all won League games at this Stadium and anyone who has been following Brighton at all this season will tell you that their team is much better than the points tally may suggest. A home defeat to Southampton last Monday would have hurt, but Brighton continue to find a way to drop points from strong positions and that is the one reason I can't really back them for a result here this weekend either.

Brighton will cause problems as they do carry a threat going forward, while they have been better organised than their defensive numbers may suggest. I think they are a team that will be underestimated by those looking at their League position alone and the layers clearly respect them enough to dangle the Leicester City price out there.

In the summer these two met here and it ended goalless, but Brighton missed a first half penalty that day and were largely untroubled. There is absolutely no reason to believe they couldn't pick up a point at the least considering Leicester City's home form, but I also have to acknowledge that The Seagulls are finding ways to lose matches they shouldn't at the moment and so I will just have to follow the fixture and see whether that gives me anything to go with when these teams continue their hectic December schedules.

MY PICKS: Leeds United-West Ham United Over 2.5 Goals

Newcastle United - 0.25 Asian Handicap

Manchester United-Manchester City Under 2.5 Goals

Chelsea & Over 1.5 Goals

Southampton & Over 1.5 Goals

Crystal Palace-Tottenham Hotspur Under 2.5 Goals

Fulham-Liverpool Time of First Goal Before 23 Minutes

Arsenal & Under 3.5 Goals

Fantasy Football GameWeek 12

Like with any Fantasy game you may play in any League, you have to have the courage of your convictions at times even when things have conspired against you.

After a difficult GW10 with missed Penalties and VAR taking points away from players, GW11 was a true bounce back week in which I was able to keep Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins on the bench, but still find a way to churn out 86 points.

I am still over par for the season, but it is encouraging and the next few weeks could be a pivotal time as we learn the January schedule (which is going to include a DGW and a blank GW for some teams), while trying to be in front of managers and their rotations is key especially when it comes to the big priced options in the Fantasy squads.

There are some managers who I truly believe will do little rotation, but there are others who seem to bring out the tombola an hour and a half before kick off and choose their elevens from that (hello Pep).

That is something we have to manage and I am going to have more thoughts on that on Tuesday when GW13 is set to begin before a full round of midweek League games.

Short turnarounds do mean there is a greater risk of injury, suspensions and rotations coming into play but that is something we have to look to manage.

A couple of weeks ago I had one or two comments about the fact I had left Harry Kane on my Fantasy bench in favour of the likes of Ollie Watkins, Che Adams and Tomas Soucek, but it was largely a decision made with a number of goals in my mind. It was all a moot point by the end of the GW as Raheem Sterling didn't play against Burnley so Kane was first sub in, but I did reply that my reasoning was that I did not believe Tottenham Hotspur would score more goals than Southampton, West Ham United or Aston Villa that weekend.

It turned out right- Spurs played out a goalless draw at Chelsea, while the other three teams combined for five goals (a bit of honesty here, my players missed one penalty, had a goal chalked out by VAR and didn't play a part in any of those goals so came back with either the same or fewer points than Kane).

If not for a missed penalty from Ollie Watkins, it would have been a really good decision and comes back to having some courage to make decisions which others will mock you for if you get them wrong.

Opposing Harry Kane to score in any fixtures is always likely going to leave you open to despair, but in Fantasy it is about balancing the squad and making sure you are ahead of the curve and not joining a move when others have already benefited greatly from a player.

It can also be described as stubbornness and may be the main reason I have not selected Heung-Min Son and Dominic Calvet-Lewin so far this season. The former definitely has numbers that look to be unsustainable, but that belief has cost me big points in the past and I have learned from those (really I have, even though I've admitted that I've had neither player).

This season has perhaps been a little easier to do avoid jumping on a bandwagon as so many clubs seem to have players producing decent returns. Both Son and Calvert-Lewin are in the top five performers to this point of the season, but even then I have managed to improve my Ranking without them and over the next few games they are both not really on my radar with the fixtures coming up.

And that leads me into my likely transfer for the week- I am going to remove Harry Kane from my team!

There is no doubting how well Kane is playing and he is clearly buying into what Jose Mourinho is selling along with his team mates, but the next four fixtures look difficult to say the least. Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Wolves away and Leicester City at home is coming up for Spurs who have been picking up points despite facing a tough run prior to these games.

However I think we are going to see classic Jose Mourinho performances and that is tough to beat systems with the counter attack being key. With that in mind I do think Kane may not be producing as many points as you would want from a near 11 million asset, although I am likely going to look to either bring him or Son back later this month.

I do think there are other teams who have been creating chances and look to be heading into a positive set of games and the one that catches the eye the most has to be Leeds United.

Who is going to doubt that Marcelo Bielsa is going to attack every game they play this season? And who will ignore the underlying stats that have Leeds United down as one of the more productive teams going forward, albeit one that is not at clinical as the manager would like.

With Kane about to be removed, the easiest option looks to be Patrick Bamford- I was not sure he was going to really be able to produce at this level and I am still not convinced he is a striker that will be a long-term solution for Leeds United, but you can't ignore the fact he leads the line for a team who create chances and he has been scoring some of the big opportunities that have come his way.

The striker faces West Ham United, Newcastle United and Burnley at home with trips to Manchester United and West Brom over the next five GWs and I do think Leeds United may score more goals than Tottenham Hotspur. While Kane is sharing the scoring with Son, Patrick Bamford has been the biggest threat for Leeds United although the one shame is that he is not on Penalties.

However he does save some considerable cash for my team and with other clubs about to enter what look to be productive portions of their schedules, I can at least balance out my squad.

I have mentioned DGWs are coming up and a potential Blank GW for some teams in early January, but I will delve into that a little more across the next two threads which should be out on Tuesday and then Friday next week.