NFL Week 14 expert picks against the spread – Del’s redemption

You hear that disturbing sound? That’s the sound of Del licking his wounds after a miserable 4-12 week against the spread in Week 13. Del usually gets his embarrassing week out of the way early in the season, but such is life.

[WATCH: Del apologizes for his Week 13 picks, Rex Ryan style]

Week 14 has to be a bounce-back week for Del. In fact, Del has no choice but to kill it over the final four weeks of the season. That’s exactly what we’ll be trying to do starting this week.

All signs point to the Giants packing it in for the season, but they’re facing a horrendous Titans team this weekend. The Titans have looked so bad in recent weeks that Del is inclined to think they are even worse than the Jaguars. Playing back-to-back road games outside the division won’t be easy for New York, but Del’s banking on Tom Coughlin getting more out of his guys than Ken Whisenhunt. The Giants have more talent, and neither team has anything to play for. Look for Eli Manning and company to find a way to rally around Coughlin in what could very well be the veteran coach’s last season leading the G-Men.

When the Patriots entered their brutal recent stretch of games, Del was eyeballing their game against the Chargers as the most likely loss. The thought was that the Patriots would get up for the Packers and come away with a huge road victory before heading to San Diego for a letdown game. A loss to the Packers changed that, and Del thinks the Patriots will play with a lot of urgency this weekend. The Chargers have won three straight and certainly won’t overlook New England, but Philip Rivers is going to have trouble throwing on the Patriots’ secondary. Look for the Pats to come up with a big turnover or two and remain atop the AFC.