5 betting tips for Week 14 of the NFL season

Need a cheat sheet or some help spotting situational edges with a new week of NFL action fast approaching? We've got you covered.

Here are five situational spots to consider as you do your homework for Week 14.

Expect Brees and the Saints to bounce back

The New Orleans Saints are aiming to get back on track following a 13-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the fewest points in a game for the Saints all season. Also looking to right the ship is quarterback Drew Brees, who finished 18-for-28 with 127 yards and a 71.6 QBR for his worst statistical game of the year. History shows that when Brees performs below his standards, you can expect him to bounce back in the following game.

Under head coach Sean Payton, Brees has led the Saints to a 29-4 record against the spread following a game in which he posts a QBR worse than 80.0. This angle's only popped up once this season - after Brees finished with a 77.2 QBR in a win over the New York Giants in Week 4. The following game, he went 26-for-29 with 363 yards, three touchdowns, and a season-high 153.2 rating in a 43-19 rout of the Washington Redskins.

Despite playing on the road, there might not be a better opponent for Brees and the Saints to rebound against than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs' porous defense did rise to the occasion in its previous two games, racking up six interceptions and using pressure to force errant throws en route to a pair of wins. Tampa won't be able to rattle Brees, however; he's the NFL's least-sacked qualified passer this season.

Don't be surprised if everything turns up New Orleans - and points - on Sunday.

Letdown spot for the Chargers?

The Los Angeles Chargers erased a 16-point lead late in the third quarter and hit a time-expiring field goal to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend in the biggest win of the season for L.A. Laying 14 points at home to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14, the Chargers have a couple of angles opposing them, similar to the ones that factored into last week's Arizona Cardinals-Green Bay Packers game.

We want to play on double-digit favorites against non-conference opponents (54 percent), and fade double-digit favorites playing conference opponents (44.9 percent). Following the Bengals' 21-10 home loss to the Denver Broncos, we also want to play double-digit underdogs off double-digit losses, as Arizona's outright win as a 13.5-point underdog at Green Bay last weekend moved that angle to roughly 56 percent.

Fade the Patriots' offense on the road

The New England Patriots have been one of the better "under" teams this season, going over the number in just four of their 12 games. Strangely, the Pats' scoring offense is outside the top five and hasn't been involved in too many shootouts. In fact, fading New England's offense when playing on the road has been a pretty profitable angle dating back to last season.

Over the last nine games away from home, the Patriots' team total has gone under in eight, as they're averaging just 22.2 points per game over that span. Bet365 is currently hanging 28.5 on New England's team total for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins - a pretty nice cushion for under bettors.

Steelers' offense shows up following a loss

Pittsburgh lost to the Chargers 33-30 last Sunday in another large point total for the Steelers, who fell to the Broncos a week prior.

That's been the theme: Play Pittsburgh's team total over following a loss.

With Sunday's 30-point performance, the Steelers are now 5-1 to the team total over following a loss, ironically averaging 30 points per game. They'll be set up for this angle again on the road against the Oakland Raiders. This is a great matchup for Pittsburgh's offense against a Raiders defense that's last in the league in quarterback sacks.

Seahawks get optimal spot on Monday Night Football

CenturyLink Field is the toughest venue in the NFL to play in as a visitor, especially late in the season; the Seattle Seahawks are 21-9 against the spread in their last 30 home games in the month of December. They'll be laying three points when they host the Vikings on Monday Night Football, already a challenging spot for Minnesota considering starting quarterback Kirk Cousins is 5-12 straight up in prime-time games over his career.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.

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