Microsoft Cortana went 9-7 in Week 14 - here are its NFL picks for Week 15
Cortana missed a slew of games that were affected by injuries (Cincinnati versus Pittsburgh) or major upsets. Few predicted the Raiders to beat the Broncos or the Saints to beat the Buccaneers, but, alas, even algorithms have off weeks.
This week, Cortana likes a handful of road teams, including the Jets, the Panthers, and the Bills. In the AFC South backup-quarterback showdown between Houston's T.J. Yates and Indianapolis' Charlie Whitehurst, Cortana likes the Colts at home, but it gives them only a 55% chance to win.
Cortana pegs the closest game to be Miami at San Diego, but with no playoff implications on the line the game will most likely not attract a large national audience. The biggest favorites of the week are the Patriots, who host the Titans, and the Seahawks, who host the Browns.
As always, you can access Cortana's picks on Bing Blogs, and you can compare them with those of other experts at NFL Pick Watch. The Vegas points spread, in parentheses, are used only for comparison (via Vegas Insider). Remember: Cortana picks only outright winners.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5) @ St. Louis Rams - Buccaneers 63% chance to win
- New York Jets (-3) @ Dallas Cowboys - Jets 63%
- Chicago Bears (+5.5) @ Minnesota Vikings - Vikings 63%
- Atlanta Falcons (+3.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Jaguars 64%
- Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts - Colts 55%*
- Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5) @ Baltimore Ravens - Chiefs 67%
- Buffalo Bills (+1) @ Washington Redskins - Bills 55%
- Tennessee Titans (+12.5) @ New England Patriots - Patriots 89%
- Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) @ Philadelphia Eagles - Cardinals 63%
- Cleveland Browns (+14.5) @ Seattle Seahawks - Seahawks 85%
- Green Bay Packers (+2.5) @ Oakland Raiders - Packers 60%
- Denver Broncos (+6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Steelers 72%
- Miami Dolphins (+1.5) @ San Diego Chargers - Chargers 52%
- Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5) @ San Francisco 49ers - Bengals 69%
- Carolina Panthers (-5.5) @ New York Giants - Panthers 63%
- Detroit Lions (+3) @ New Orleans Saints - Saints 57%
*note: no line because of quarterback uncertainty on both teams