Sixty years ago, the prestige of Indy car racing was such that Bill France turned to the division to christen his dream track — Daytona Int’l Speedway.

The open-wheel machines offered exactly what France was peddling with his 2.5-mile, high-banked marvel: blood-boiling excitement, exotic, compelling looks and uncanny speed.

He’d already scheduled an Indy car race for April 4, 1959, and a 250-mile race for July 4. Then, two weeks before the first Daytona 500, he recruited former Hudson Hornet NASCAR ace turned Indy car driver Marshall Teague to make a series of high-speed runs.

Driving Chapman Root’s streamlined Kurtis Kraft Indianapolis roadster, Teague was to go after the world closed-course speed record. His initial runs seemed promising with laps of more than 170 mph. Then, on Feb. 11, he spun in turn two.

The 170-mph windstream lifted the car and launched it into a series of vicious flips that flung Teague through the cockpit canopy and several hundred feet down the track. He died instantly.

Although Indy cars raced in 1957 and ’58 at Italy’s Monza Circuit, a similarly daunting, high-speed track, without problem, Teague’s death triggered an ominous cry of opposition against racing at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

To cautiously acclimate teams to the unique tri-oval in preparation for the longer July race, USAC scheduled the April event as double 100-milers. The first was a points-paying national championship run and the second was a non-points FIA Formula Libre race.

Practice and qualifying stretched through the week before race day, generating headline-grabbing speeds as drivers pushed toward the 180-mph mark.

Other than a couple of spins, there was only one violent incident. Bob Veith lost control in a gust of wind on the backstretch. He escaped the horrific crash with only minor injuries, although his Cromwell helmet was ground down to the inner webbing.

“I didn’t think it was ever going to stop sliding,” Veith quipped.

He credited his car’s roll bar, required by USAC after Pat O’Connor’s death at Indianapolis in 1958, with sparing his life.

Speeds slowed only slightly for qualifying. Dick Rathmann, in the No. 41 Sumar Special, captured the pole at 173.689 mph. His brother Jim lined up next to him.

On the second day of qualifying, George Amick went even faster. Driving George Bignotti’s Epperly roadster, Amick dazzled observers with a 176.88-mph run. In comparison, the Daytona 500 pole speed was 140 mph, while 145 mph claimed the pole at Indianapolis.

The Rathmann brothers led 18 other drivers, including A.J. Foyt, Roger Ward, Pat Flaherty, Tony Bettenhausen and Eddie Sachs to the green flag before a sparse crowd, estimated at fewer than 10,000 fans.

Despite the pre-race concerns for high-speed mayhem, only Dempsey Wilson spun on lap 28. Jim Rathmann flashed under the checkered flag at an average speed of 170.261 mph, but trouble lurked behind him.

Moments behind Rathmann, Amick attempted to dive under Bob Christie for third. The quick, high-speed maneuver and possibly dirty air caused him to lose control. The car turned up the banking, impacted the guardrail and broke apart. What remained of the car rolled a dozen times, throwing a storm of debris.

Bill Cheesbourg spun to avoid the mess, leaped from his car and ran to Amick’s aid. Looking into the car he realized aid was useless. The little driver with the enormous potential was gone.

Because of the lengthy cleanup, it required nearly two hours to repair the guardrail, the Formula Libre race was shortened to 50 miles. Jim Rathmann won that one too, at a comparatively moderate 160.694 mph.

That afternoon the boys from the Midwest loaded their low-slung roadsters under a pall and quietly left Daytona Beach, Fla. USAC canceled the July 4 race and NASCAR replaced it with a Grand National race that evolved into the Firecracker 400.

MERRILL, Mich. – Officials from the Great Lakes Super Sprints have announced a number of new marketing partnerships with the Perfit Corp., Engine Pro, ARP, Comp Cams and Maxima Racing Oils.

The Perfit Corporation, which is a regional Engine Pro distribution center located in Grand Rapids, Mich., has increased its investment for the upcoming season.

In the fall of 2019, Great Lakes Super Sprints owner Barry Marlow announced the acquisition of the Michigan Traditional Sprints and the creation of the Great Lakes Lightning Sprints. This created a sprint car sanctioning body that will be competing in nearly 60 events throughout the Great Lakes area in 2020.

The Great Lakes Super Sprints series is entering its fifth season of competition in 2020. The official name for the upcoming season for the 360 sprint car sanctioning body will be the Great Lakes Super Sprints presented by Engine Pro and ARP. The Great Lakes Super Sprints presented by Engine Pro and ARP season will start April 24 at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich.

The recently purchased and renamed Great Lakes Traditional Sprints will be now known as the Great Lakes Traditional Sprints presented by Comp Cams. This 410 powered non-winged sprint car sanctioning body will be competing primarily in Michigan.

The Great Lakes Lightning Sprints will also have a new name. The series will be called the Great Lakes Lightning Sprints presented by Maxima Racing Oils.

In addition to these three new marketing commitments from Engine Pro and the partner companies, the Great Lakes Super Sprints have announced two additional programs for the Great Lakes Super Sprints presented by Engine Pro and ARP.

The first is the Perfit Corporation Lucky Dog Award. This program will consist of a $100 cash award to be given to a lucky competitor in each feature. Those who make the A-Main each night and display the Perfit Corp. decal on their nose wing for all feature events will be eligible for a random drawing in victory lane, which will reveal the $100 cash winner at each event.

If by some chance there is no eligible winner then the winnings will roll over to the next feature and becomes a $200 cash award.

The second marketing program is a new Winners Circle program. There will be several new marketing partners involved in this victory lane celebration at every Great Lakes Super Sprints presented by Engine Pro and ARP event. Those partners will be announced at a later date.

“I couldn’t be happier with the commitment the Perfit Corporation is making to the Great Lakes Sprint family,” said series owner Barry Marlow. “I had done as much as I could on my own. However now with the Engine Pro Group joining us, we can continue to build our series and make Michigan sprint car racing better for the teams, the tracks and the fans.”

“We are just excited for the tremendous opportunity to be involved this upcoming season,” said Scott Overlund, Sales and Marketing Manager for the Perfit Corp. “We can’t wait for the 2020 season to arrive to get this tremendous partnership under way.”

SYDNEY - Cruising for most of the final day after leading the second and third rounds, Matt Jones suddenly needed to make a big putt on his final hole for a second Australian Open title.

He came through, making a 4-foot par putt on the 18th to hold off Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke after a 2-under 69.

Jones, who is a member at the host Australian Golf Club and won his first national title there in 2015, finished at 15-under 269.

Oosthuizen, playing for the first time in Sydney, finished second after a 66. The South African eagled the 18th after hitting his second shot to 15 feet, making things interesting for Jones at the end.

''I was told on the 18th fairway that Louis had made eagle ahead of me,'' Jones said. ''So it was a pretty good up and down to win the championship.''

Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya (71) finished tied for third with Australian Aaron Pike (69).

Jones, Kanaya and Pike qualified for next year's British Open by finishing among the top three who were not already qualified. Former British Open champion Oosthuizen was already exempt for next year's tournament from July 16-19 at Royal St. George's.

It's Jones' third qualifying spot for the British Open via a top finish in his home Open.

''I've played in maybe five British Opens and it's the one major I would most like to win,'' Jones said. ''To be able to do that and plan a schedule around that, will be fantastic.''

Kanaya said he didn't realize he needed a birdie putt on 18 to make it into the top three.

''No I didn't, but happy to be going there,'' he said.

Chasing his first big win in Australia, Marc Leishman mounted a challenge until his round came undone with a double bogey on nine.

Leishman sprayed his approach into the deep rough right, chopped out to the cart path and came up short before two-putting to fall six shots off the pace.

He shot 71 to finish in a share of 10th at seven under.

Oosthuizen, Leishman and Adam Scott, who missed the cut, now move on to Royal Melbourne for next week's Presidents Cup, where they are all members of the International team.

Their team captain, Ernie Els, missed the Australian Open cut, giving him some extra time to prepare for the event against a United States team which has only lost once previously - at Royal Melbourne in 1998.

On the day Sri Lanka were leaving for Pakistan to play a two-Test series, they revealed that Suranga Lakmal was down with dengue fever and will not be travelling with the team. His spot has been taken by Asitha Fernando, who has spent the last few months playing for Sri Lanka's Under-23 and Emerging teams.

Lakmal has long been the team's best fast bowler in Test cricket, especially away from home and played an important role in their 2-0 victory in 2017, keeping one end tight while the spinners attacked from the other. Lakmal bowled 58.3 overs across two Tests in the UAE, picking up six wickets and maintaining an economy rate of 2.22.

Fernando has not played any international cricket since making his debut in 2017. He was picked for an ODI against Zimbabwe and ended the day with figures of 0 for 22 in two overs. He has been in better form recently, picking up six wickets from four T20 matches for Sri Lanka's Under-23 side in the South Asian Games in Nepal. With that tournament still on-going, he is expected to join the senior side in Pakistan only after the first Test, which begins on December 11.

Sri Lanka do have fast bowling cover in Lahiru Kumara, who can become one of the best in the world according to Sri Lanka's consultant head coach Mickey Arthur, Vishwa Fernando, who was part of history in South Africa and Kasun Rajitha.

Patrick Reed could be in for a long week in Australia in the aftermath of a rules-breaking controversy that occurred Friday at the Hero World Challenge.

Reed was due to arrive Monday morning in Melbourne with the rest of his U.S. teammates for the Presidents Cup. And a couple of members of the International team expect there to be backlash.

"If you make a mistake maybe once, you could maybe understand but to give a bit of a bulls--- response like the camera angle ... that's pretty up there [inexcusable]," Aussie Cam Smith told reporters at the Australian Open, adding that he expects spectators to taunt Reed over the incident.

"I hope so," Smith said. "I don't have any sympathy for anyone that cheats.

"I hope the crowd absolutely gives it to not only him but everyone [on the American team] next week."

Reed was penalized 2 strokes Friday -- and eventually ended up 2 strokes back of winner Henrik Stenson -- when he twice took practice swings in a sandy waste area, with sand visibly being removed with the club from behind the ball.

Although a player is allowed to ground the club in such an instance, the act of swinging the club and removing sand is deemed "improving the lie or line of play," a violation of Rule 8.1a(4).

Reed said afterward that replays did not show how much space there was behind his club and the sand; but given the replay he was shown, Reed said he was given no choice but to accept the penalty.

"I know Pat pretty good and he's always been nice to me, so I don't want to say anything bad about him, but anyone's cheating the rules, I'm not up for that," Smith said.

Marc Leishman is another player who noted it could cause Reed some grief

"Yeah, I did see it, and it looked pretty ordinary, to be honest," he told reporters at the Australian Open. "That's probably all I've got to say about that. It didn't look too good for him."

Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, is not helped by the fact that he has had some high-profile incidents, including his criticism of captain Jim Furyk after the U.S. Ryder Cup loss in France last year.

Now 29 and a seven-time winner, Reed was also the subject of various reports of cheating while he played college golf at the University of Georgia. Reed later transferred to Augusta State and was a member of two national championship teams.

"Honestly, I haven't been paying attention to what's been going on in the media," Reed said after finishing third at the Hero World Challenge. "For me, it was just something that I'm going out there to play the best golf I can. At the end of the day, after I didn't feel like in the -- while I was there playing the hole, that I really did any kind of rules infraction, but then afterwards seeing it on camera, there was [rules official] Slugger [White], and I sat down and Slugger said that you have to take 2 strokes. After seeing it on camera and seeing sand move, obviously it's a penalty. So at that point I had to accept it and move on. I mean, the last thing you can do is let it dwell, especially when you have 18 holes left to go because you still have a chance to win a golf tournament. You're only 3 back, so you have to go out and play a solid round of golf, which I did, but at the same time it's not going to be enough."

Reed has a strong record in the team competitions, and he was one of captain Tiger Woods' four at-large selections.

With the NFC East winner poised to have a .500-or-worse record and with NFC wild-card teams expected to have double-digit victories, there have been increasing public calls for the playoffs to be reseeded.

But those calls are mostly from fans and the media; they have not happened within the NFL.

A source with knowledge of the NFL's thinking said the idea of reseeding teams has come up but "has gotten zero steam. It's never been a consideration."

So one of the NFC East teams, likely the Dallas Cowboys (6-7) or the Philadelphia Eagles (5-7), will wind up hosting a playoff game at a time when its record is worse than that of the wild-card teams that open the postseason on the road.

As odd as the records might appear this season, the NFL doesn't believe there's reason to change its seeding format for future postseasons, either.

The Cowboys have lost three straight games and four of their past five but still lead the division thanks to their 37-10 home rout of the Eagles in October. Dallas visits Philadelphia in Week 16.

"It's a blessing, fortunate enough, I don't know how it is, we're still in the lead for our division," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said Friday. "You have to be thankful for that. But we can't hang our hat on that. We have got to figure out our issues right now, fix them and get better."

The Eagles also have lost three straight and will aim to rebound Monday night with a victory over returning Eli Manning and the last-place New York Giants (2-10).

Coach Doug Pederson called his team a "long shot" to make the playoffs this past week, but Philadelphia's remaining games after Monday night are against Washington (3-9), Dallas and then the Giants again.

To help you set your lineups and avoid starting a player who won't take the field, we will post fantasy-relevant updates and analysis here as NFL teams release their inactives lists, typically about 90 minutes before kickoff. Any rankings cited in this column come from our ESPN Fantasy staff ranks.

Refresh often for the latest information.

1 p.m. ET games

Offense

Seth Roberts, WR, BAL: Knee -- Questionable
Impact: Participated fully on Friday, so it's looking good.

Marquise Brown, WR, BAL: Ankle -- Questionable
Impact: Expected to play, as he's been banged up all season long.

Greg Olsen, TE, CAR: Concussion -- OUT
Impact: Ian Thomas the most likely of the potential replacements to shine.

A.J. Green, WR, CIN: Ankle -- OUT
Impact: Surprise! Or not.

Demetrius Harris, TE, CLE: Shoulder -- Questionable
Impact: David Njoku is back from IR, so he may well take over some targets here.

Matthew Stafford, QB, DET: Back -- OUT
Impact: David Blough will get a chance to start, with Jeff Driskel on IR.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, DET: Ankle -- OUT/IR
Impact: Jesse James/Logan Thomas to handle TE duties.

Will Fuller V, WR, HOU: Hamstring -- Questionable
Impact: Lack of practice time this week makes him a risky option for the fantasy playoffs.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, IND: Calf -- OUT
Impact: Parris Campbell (hand) is expected to play. If you're a postseason underdog, you might want to chance it.

Adam Vinatieri, K, IND: Knee -- OUT
Impact: Waiver-wire man on the move Chase McLaughlin will replace the veteran.

Adam Thielen, WR, MIN: Hamstring -- Doubtful
Impact: Didn't practice all week. Bisi Johnson's value rises a bit.

Le'Veon Bell, RB, NYJ: Illness -- OUT
Impact: Bilal Powell will get some extra totes, with Ty Montgomery offering change-of-pace duties.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, NYJ: Hamstring -- Questionable
Impact: Limited all week, but he usually manages to make it to the huddle.

Ryan Griffin, TE, NYJ: Illness -- Questionable
Impact: Game-time call. If he plays, he should get some points.

Marquise Goodwin, WR, SF: Knee -- Questionable
Impact: If he dresses, he'll still be behind the 49ers' top trio of WR options.

Dante Pettis, WR, SF: Knee -- Questionable
Impact: Pettis is considered more likely to play than is Goodwin. However, that's not saying much.

Scotty Miller, WR, TB: Hamstring -- OUT
Impact: Breshad Perriman had a strong Week 13 filling in here. History may well repeat.

Paul Richardson Jr., WR, WAS: Hamstring -- OUT
Impact: Kelvin Harmon gets minor bump in value.

Trey Quinn, WR, WAS: Concussion -- OUT
Impact: Steven Sims Jr. could get a few catches.

Defense

Patrick Onwuasor, L, BAL: Ankle -- Questionable

Marlon Humphrey, CB, BAL: Thigh -- Questionable

Mario Addison, DE, CAR: Groin -- Questionable

Sam Hubbard, DE, CIN: Knee -- OUT

Olivier Vernon, DE, CLE: Knee -- Questionable

Von Miller, LB, DEN: Knee -- Questionable

Malik Reed, L, DEN: Ankle -- Questionable

Kevin King, CB, GB: Shoulder -- Questionable

Brennan Scarlett, L, HOU: Shoulder -- Questionable

Bradley Roby, CB, HOU: Hamstring -- Questionable

Kenny Moore II, CB, IND: Ankle -- OUT

Malik Hooker, S, IND: Foot -- Questionable

Rock Ya-Sin, CB, IND: Ankle -- Questionable

Kiko Alonso, LB, NO: Thigh -- OUT

A.J. Klein, LB, NO: Knee -- OUT

Steve McLendon, DT, NYJ: Knee -- Questionable

Henry Anderson, DE, NYJ: Shoulder -- Questionable

Jamal Adams, S, NYJ: Ankle -- Doubtful

Jaquiski Tartt, S, SF: Ribs -- OUT

4 p.m. ET games

Offense

Damien Williams, RB, KC: Ribs -- OUT
Impact: Combine this news with Darrel Williams getting placed on IR, and Darwin Thompson might jump into fantasy relevance.

Julian Edelman, WR, NE: Shoulder -- Questionable
Impact: Nothing to see here. Edelman is fully expected to play, as usual.

Mohamed Sanu Sr., WR, NE: Ankle -- Questionable
Impact: Neither N'Keal Harry nor Phillip Dorsett II has done much to eat into Sanu's production.

Josh Jacobs, RB, OAK: Shoulder -- Questionable
Impact: Game-time call. DeAndre Washington or Jalen Richard might end up starting.

Hunter Renfrow, WR, OAK: Ribs -- OUT
Impact: It's unclear how long he'll be out. Look to other teams for WR replacements.

James Conner, RB, PIT: Shoulder -- OUT
Impact: Benny Snell Jr. once again should get the majority of carries in this backfield.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, PIT: Knee -- OUT
Impact: James Washington/Diontae Johnson get slight upticks in value.

Adam Humphries, WR, TEN: Ankle -- OUT
Impact: In what should be a good matchup, A.J. Brown should get the bulk of targets ...

Tajae Sharpe, WR, TEN: Hamstring -- Questionable
Impact: ... with Corey Davis likely to step up if Sharpe, as expected, can't go.

Defense

Byron Murphy Jr., CB, ARI: Calf -- Questionable

Jalen Thompson, CB, ARI: Concussion -- Questionable

Ronnie Harrison, S, JAX: Concussion -- Questionable

Frank Clark, DE, KC: Shoulder -- Questionable

Patrick Chung, S, NE: Heel -- Questionable

Jason McCourty, CB, NE: Groin -- Questionable

LeShaun Sims, CB, TEN: Ankle -- OUT

Official Sunday inactives should begin coming in at approximately 11:30 a.m. ET for the early games and 2:30 p.m. ET for the late games.

The Week 14 NFL slate is stacked with great matchups. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score predictions.

Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a stat to know for each game, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk's Mackenzie Kraemer hand out helpful nuggets as well. It's all here to help get you ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.

Let's get into the full Week 14 schedule, including a Patrick Mahomes-Tom Brady showdown in New England.

Jump to a matchup:
SF-NO | BAL-BUF | IND-TB
DET-MIN | DEN-HOU | WSH-GB
CAR-ATL | CIN-CLE | MIA-NYJ
LAC-JAX | KC-NE | TEN-OAK
PIT-ARI | SEA-LAR | NYG-PHI

Thursday: CHI 31, DAL 24

49ers (10-2) at Saints (10-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 90.8 | Spread: NO -2.5 (44.5)

What to watch for: How rare is this matchup between the 10-2 Saints and 10-2 49ers? It's the first time since 2005 that two teams with two or fewer losses have met this late in the season, and only the fifth time in the past 35 years. It doesn't get much better than Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara facing one of the league's top-ranked defenses. And on the flip side, San Francisco's No. 2 rushing offense will have its hands full with New Orleans' No. 3 rush defense. The Niners will be seeking a playoff berth clinch with a win and a Rams loss later in the day. -- Mike Triplett

Bold prediction: The 49ers will sack Brees at least four times. The Saints have allowed only 21 sacks this season, sixth in the NFL, but they are dealing with injuries to left tackle Terron Armstead and left guard Andrus Peat. The Niners, meanwhile, have 45 sacks, second most in the NFL, and should be looking forward to getting after a quarterback who isn't as mobile as Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson. -- Nick Wagoner

Stat to know: According to ESPN's pass coverage metrics powered by NFL Next Gen Stats, the 49ers use zone defense more than any other team, doing so on 69% of opposition dropbacks. And Brees has completed 80% of his pass attempts when faced with zone coverage this season, the best rate in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks. But he has thrown one touchdown and three interceptions against that scheme.

What to know for fantasy: The 49ers are top-three in terms of fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends and kickers. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: San Francisco is 4-0 against the spread (ATS) and 3-1 outright as an underdog this season. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is 7-3 outright and 8-2 ATS as an underdog in his career (6-3 outright and 7-2 ATS with San Francisco). Read more.

Wagoner's pick: 49ers 27, Saints 20
Triplett's pick: Saints 19, 49ers 17
FPI prediction: NO, 53.7% (by an average of 1.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: DE Jordan's sack surge has Saints believing '20 is attainable' ... 49ers' Mostert proves he's more than a special-teams dynamo ... LB Warner's cerebral approach at the heart of 49ers' defense

Ravens (10-2) at Bills (9-3)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 84.3 | Spread: BAL -6 (44)

What to watch for: Baltimore's Lamar Jackson leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards (977 yards), while Bills QB Josh Allen leads all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (eight). Combined, the signal-callers' 1,405 rushing yards entering Sunday's game marks the most by opposing quarterbacks in NFL history. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Bold prediction: Mark Ingram II, not Jackson, will lead the Ravens in rushing. Since Week 8, Buffalo has allowed the NFL's fourth-most rushing yards in between the tackles (530), and Baltimore has gained the most (718). Ingram does most of his damage with physical running inside. -- Jamison Hensley

Stat to know: As it stands, the Ravens own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Patriots for the top spot in the conference and hold a 69% chance to earn the AFC's No. 1 seed, per FPI. The Ravens would clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday, and they could even lock up the AFC North with a win and a Steelers loss. The Bills, meanwhile, can clinch a playoff berth with a win and a trio of losses from the Raiders, Texans and Colts.

What to know for fantasy: Jackson's athleticism generates the highlights, but he is leading the league in fantasy points per pass attempt this season. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Jackson is 7-1-1 ATS on the road in his career, including 3-0-1 as a favorite. Read more.

Hensley's pick: Ravens 24, Bills 16
Louis-Jacques' pick: Bills 21, Ravens 17
FPI prediction: BAL, 71.7% (by an average of 7.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Greg Roman's wisecracking rise from high school coach to Ravens' offensive guru ... Where there's 'Smoke': John Brown bringing fire to Bills' offense ... Pope Francis gifted custom Ravens jersey signed by Lamar Jackson

Colts (6-6) at Buccaneers (5-7)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 56.4 | Spread: TB -3 (47.5)

What to watch for: With the Buccaneers and Colts featuring two of the better run-stopping defenses in the league, this game will likely boil down to who can sling it better: Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston or Indy's Jacoby Brissett. -- Jenna Laine

Bold prediction: The Colts will rush for more than 160 yards for the sixth time this season despite Tampa being second in the NFL when it comes to stopping the run (76.3 yards allowed per game). Running the football gives Indianapolis its best chance to end a two-game losing streak, because it doesn't have the offensive weapons to go toe-to-toe with a Tampa offense that's averaging 28.3 points per game. -- Mike Wells

Stat to know: The Colts had a 73% chance to make the playoffs coming off their Week 8 win over the Broncos, per FPI. But they have lost four of their past five games and now have a 12% chance. They have committed 11 turnovers during this span -- tied with the Buccaneers for most in the NFL -- and Brissett has posted a 40.9 QBR, which ranks 27th out of 34 qualified quarterbacks since Week 8.

What to know for fantasy: Winston leads the league in points per completion this season and faces the fourth-worst defense in terms of opponent completion percentage this week. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Tampa Bay is 0-5 ATS at home this season (1-4 outright), and its past four home games went over the total. And last week snapped a streak of nine straight Tampa Bay games going over the total, regardless of location. Read more.

Wells' pick: Buccaneers 28, Colts 27
Laine's pick: Buccaneers 28, Colts 24
FPI prediction: TB, 59.1% (by an average of 3.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Brissett hasn't been able to overcome Colts' injury dilemma ... Arians noncommittal on Winston as Buccaneers' QB after 2019 ... Keeping DE Barrett will be pricey, but Bucs can't afford to let him go

Lions (3-8-1) at Vikings (8-4)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 52.4 | Spread: MIN -13 (43.5)

What to watch for: Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook says he'll be ready to go despite dealing with a chest injury he aggravated twice in Seattle. But if Cook is ruled out or is on a pitch count, expect a breakout game from rookie Alexander Mattison, who has shown he's fully capable and ready to shoulder a starter's workload. -- Courtney Cronin

Bold prediction: Lions quarterback David Blough is sacked seven times Sunday, bringing back memories of last year when the Vikings sacked Matthew Stafford 10 times. Blough was fun to watch on Thanksgiving, but Vikings coach Mike Zimmer knows how to scheme against quarterbacks, and the Lions. -- Michael Rothstein

Stat to know: Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes has allowed the highest percentage of completions among defensive backs when he is the nearest defender this season (84%), according to NFL Next Gen Stats data. Oakland's Lamarcus Joyner is the second worst at 73%, more than 10 percentage points better.

What to know for fantasy: Lions receiver Kenny Golladay has scored five times in his past six games and leads the NFL with 112.8 fantasy points scored on deep throws. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Minnesota is 34-14 ATS as a single-digit favorite under Mike Zimmer, including 24-7 ATS at home. Read more.

Rothstein's pick: Vikings 31, Lions 17
Cronin's pick: Vikings 37, Lions 20
FPI prediction: MIN, 83.3% (by an average of 12.8 points)

Matchup must-reads: Vikings need to find a fix or be doomed for early playoff exit ... Ex-Lion questions whether players want to fight for coach Matt Patricia ... Unfazed by back injury, Lions' Stafford eyes 'long' career

Broncos (4-8) at Texans (8-4)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 51.4 | Spread: HOU -9.5 (43)

What to watch for: Can Drew Lock beat the Texans? Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is 11-1 with Houston against rookie quarterbacks, the only loss coming to then-Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett. If Lock wins, he will be the first Broncos quarterback to win his first two career starts with the team since Trevor Siemian in 2016. -- Sarah Barshop

Bold prediction: The Broncos will run the ball more than 30 times and top 150 yards doing it. Houston defensive end J.J. Watt went on injured reserve Oct. 30, and the Texans have surrendered at least 145 yards rushing in three of their past four games. -- Jeff Legwold

Stat to know: Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins has five receptions in 15 consecutive games, the longest such streak in Texans history.

What to know for fantasy: In Lock's NFL debut, Denver receiver Courtland Sutton led all players (minimum five targets) in points per target (4.7). See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Lock is making his second career start for Denver after covering last week. Quarterbacks within their first two career starts are 15-4 ATS this season (7-2 ATS in second start). Read more.

Legwold's pick: Texans 24, Broncos 16
Barshop's pick: Texans 27, Broncos 13
FPI prediction: HOU, 80.2% (by an average of 11.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Drewcember? Lock needs to develop, earn title of Broncos' QB of future ... Texans' second-chance secondary jelling just in time for playoff run ... Broncos: 19K no-shows and the cruel side of history on the horizon ... Inside the Texans' trick play that helped beat the Patriots

Redskins (3-9) at Packers (9-3)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 46.5 | Spread: GB -13 (41.5)

What to watch for: If the Packers' defense can't get right against the Redskins, then there's real trouble in Green Bay. The Packers have allowed the most plays of 40-plus yards (16 total, 14 passes and two runs) this season, while the Redskins' offense has just six such plays (tied for 22nd in the league). -- Rob Demovsky

Bold prediction: Redskins running back Derrius Guice will top 100 yards for a second consecutive game vs. a defense that allows 4.7 yards per rush -- but the Packers will apply heat on rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Their various looks up front will cause problems and result in ex-Redskin Preston Smith recording two more sacks and Haskins throwing an interception. -- John Keim

Stat to know: With some help from Guice, the Redskins have averaged 121.9 rushing yards per game under Bill Callahan in Weeks 6-13 (10th in the NFL) after averaging 68.8 under Jay Gruden in Weeks 1-5 (27th).

What to know for fantasy: Since hanging 41.6 fantasy points on the Chiefs in Week 8, Packers running back Aaron Jones has totaled just 42.1 fantasy points. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Washington has won back-to-back games outright as an underdog, including last week as a 10.5-point underdog against Carolina. Since 2000, teams coming off a win as a double-digit underdog are 28-47-3 ATS. Read more.

Keim's pick: Packers 28, Redskins 16
Demovsky's pick: Packers 30, Redskins 17
FPI prediction: GB, 90.3% (by an average of 17.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Rodgers sees 18th hole of career around the bend ... Guice provides Redskins glimpse of future, and some hope

Panthers (5-7) at Falcons (3-9)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 39.9 | Spread: ATL -3 (47)

What to watch for: Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan stands just 34 passing yards away from becoming the 10th quarterback to reach 50,000 passing yards. It would be nice if he reaches that with a pass to Julio Jones, who needs just 50 yards for his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season. -- Vaughn McClure

Bold prediction: Panthers QB Kyle Allen, who had four interceptions in a 29-3 loss to the Falcons in Charlotte, will not have a turnover and will throw three touchdown passes in Carolina's first game since firing head coach Ron Rivera. -- David Newton

Stat to know: Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey has six straight games with 100 scrimmage yards, tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history with DeAngelo Williams (McCaffrey had an eight-game streak last season). But the Panthers' run defense hasn't been as stellar. Carolina's 5.3 yards per rush allowed this season is the second most through 12 games since the 1970 merger (1976 Chiefs, 5.4).

What to know for fantasy: The Falcons have won the past four games against the Panthers in Atlanta, and Ryan has averaged 24.7 fantasy points in those games. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Atlanta is 7-1 ATS and outright in the past eight meetings, including winning and covering four straight. Ryan is 9-2 ATS at home against Carolina in his career. Read more.

Newton's pick: Falcons 31, Panthers 27
McClure's pick: Falcons 24, Panthers 21
FPI prediction: ATL, 67.8% (by an average of 6.2 points)

Matchup must-reads: Fixing the Falcons starts with protecting, sacking the quarterback ... Panthers players feel like they lost more than a coach in Rivera ... Fired Panthers coach Rivera says he 'absolutely' plans to coach again

Bengals (1-11) at Browns (5-7)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 33.4 | Spread: CLE -7.5 (41.5)

What to watch for: How motivated will the Browns be coming off the devastating loss to Pittsburgh, which destroyed their playoff chances? The home crowd won't be patient if Cleveland shows up sleepwalking against an inferior opponent. -- Jake Trotter

Bold prediction: Cleveland receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. will have 150 combined receiving yards and two touchdowns. Cincinnati's emphasis on stopping the run should allow Cleveland's passing attack a chance to have a good day. -- Ben Baby

Stat to know: Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is 2-0 with seven touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 94 Total QBR in his career against the Bengals. But not to be outdone, Bengals again-starter Andy Dalton has won four straight games in Cleveland (eight scores, one interception in those games).

What to know for fantasy: Receiver John Ross III was activated this week for Cincinnati and brings with him a wide range of outcomes. In his first two games this season, he racked up 56 fantasy points. In his other two games? 8.8 fantasy points. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Over the past 15 seasons, teams 1-6 or worse coming off their first wins of the season are 14-5 ATS. Earlier this season, 1-7 Miami upset Indianapolis outright as an 11-point underdog one week after its first win. Read more.

Baby's pick: Browns 24, Bengals 21
Trotter's pick: Browns 24, Bengals 20
FPI prediction: CLE, 77.3% (by an average of 10.0 points)

Matchup must-reads: Browns shift from salvaging this season to saving this era ... Bengals' 2020 QB picture: Dalton decision, Joe Burrow up next?

Dolphins (3-9) at Jets (4-8)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 12.0 | Spread: NYJ -5 (46)

What to watch for: The Dolphins have allowed 109 points in their past three games, so the Jets should be able to rebound from last week's disaster. New York's secondary, likely without safety Jamal Adams (ankle), will have to figure out a way to cool off Miami QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, though. The Jets have dropped four straight to Miami, sparking "revenge" talk in their locker room. -- Rich Cimini

Bold prediction: Fitzpatrick will throw for more than 300 yards for the second consecutive game. Fitzpatrick is coming off his best game of the season vs. Philadelphia, and he gets a Jets defense that could be without three of its top five defensive backs, including Adams. -- Cameron Wolfe

Stat to know: Since taking over as starter in Week 7, Fitzpatrick has the third-most passing yards in the NFL (1,831) and fourth-best QBR (68.9). And he has won his past three starts against the Jets.

What to know for fantasy: Jets receiver Robby Anderson is one of just four players to have seen an end zone target in each of the past three weeks. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: New York is 1-5 ATS and outright as a favorite over the past two seasons, including 0-3 this season. Read more.

Wolfe's pick: Dolphins 26, Jets 24
Cimini's pick: Jets 31, Dolphins 27
FPI prediction: NYJ, 71.7% (by an average of 7.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: How WR Parker is erasing 'bust' talk, rewriting his Dolphins story ... The Big Hurt: Jets' roster, salary cap crushed by injuries ... Jets put Mosley on IR; linebacker to have surgery

Chargers (4-8) at Jaguars (4-8)

4:05 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 32.2 | Spread: LAC -3 (43)

What to watch for: The Jaguars did a solid job against the run last week against the Buccaneers, but Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler present a much tougher test for a defense giving up 137 yards per game on the ground (28th in the NFL). Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has destroyed the Jaguars in his career, but he's struggling a bit this season. -- Mike DiRocco

Bold prediction: Chargers receiver Mike Williams will score a touchdown Sunday. After reaching the end zone 11 times last season, Williams has yet to score in 2019. However, he's made some amazing, clutch catches in late-game situations for the Chargers, and he leads the league with an average of 20.5 yards per catch. -- Eric D. Williams

Stat to know: Los Angeles is seeking to avoid its first four-game losing streak since 2017, when it started the season 0-4. All eight of the Chargers' losses have come by seven or fewer points. But the Jaguars are amid their own four-game losing streak, during which their offense ranks last in the NFL at 11.8 points per game.

What to know for fantasy: Jags receiver Keelan Cole led the team and posted season highs in catches (five) and receiving yards (80) in Gardner Minshew II's last start. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Los Angeles is 1-5 outright as a single-digit favorite this season (0-5-1 ATS), including 0-2 outright as a road favorite. Read more.

Williams' pick: Jaguars 20, Chargers 18
DiRocco's pick: Chargers 28, Jaguars 24
FPI prediction: LAC, 53.6% (by an average of 1.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Minshew auditions to be Jaguars' starter in 2020 ... The art of losing: Chargers finding new ways to drop close games ... Jaguars place LB Jack on IR with knee injury

Chiefs (8-4) at Patriots (10-2)

4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 96.3 | Spread: NE -3 (48.5)

What to watch for: After running for 176 yards in last season's AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs, which came after rushing for 173 yards against them in the 2018 regular season, the Patriots could lean again toward more of a ground-based approach -- even though the Chiefs have a completely different defensive scheme under first-year coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The Pats would clinch a playoff berth with a win, while the Chiefs can lock up the AFC West with a win and a Raiders loss. -- Mike Reiss

Bold prediction: The Chiefs will intercept Tom Brady twice. Kansas City has six interceptions in its past two games, albeit against struggling quarterbacks in Philip Rivers and Derek Carr. Brady is an upgrade in competition, but the Chiefs are on a roll defensively. -- Adam Teicher

Stat to know: In his past two games, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has completed 56% of his passes, well below the percentage an average QB would have completed (68%), according to NFL Next Gen Stats data. He'll need to right the ship fast with the Patriots' defense on deck; it has allowed a completion percentage of just 55% this season, the best in the NFL and the best by any team through 12 games since 2012 (three teams).

What to know for fantasy: Patriots running back James White doubled his season touchdown total in Week 13 and has scored over 11 points in nine of his 11 games this season. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: New England is 1-4 ATS against teams that entered with winning records this season. New England did not score more than 22 points in any of those games. Read more.

Teicher's pick: Chiefs 27, Patriots 24
Reiss' pick: Patriots 27, Chiefs 24
FPI prediction: NE, 59.7% (by an average of 3.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Chiefs know legacies are built by beating the Patriots ... Belichick, Brady, big wins and bigger expectations: Inside the Patriot Way ... On the verge of history, Travis Kelce is the one constant for the Chiefs ... Patriots-Chiefs rematch evokes best victories of New England's dynasty ... Running game might again be the key for Patriots vs. Chiefs

Titans (7-5) at Raiders (6-6)

4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 38.5 | Spread: TEN -3 (47)

What to watch for: Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is 3-0 against Tennessee, passing for 841 yards with five touchdowns and one interception while completing 64.4% of his passes. All of those games have been in Nashville, so the friendly confines of the Black Hole should also serve as a boost for Carr against the Titans. -- Paul Gutierrez

Bold prediction: Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill will finish with 300 passing yards against the Raiders' pass defense, which allows 258.2 yards per game. Tannehill's arm will be the deciding factor for the Titans in their road win. -- Turron Davenport

Stat to know: Since Week 7, the Raiders have allowed 23 offensive touchdowns (second worst in the NFL) and 162 first downs (worst). And the Titans are tied for second in red zone efficiency during their current three-game winning streak.

What to know for fantasy: Tennessee running back Derrick Henry has 13 rushing touchdowns and six runs of 30-plus yards over his past eight November/December games (168 carries). Over that same stretch, the preseason "Big Four" running backs (Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara and Ezekiel Elliott) have 13 rushing scores and six runs of 30-plus yards (507 carries). See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: All six of Tannehill's starts have gone over the total. He is 4-1-1 ATS this season. Read more.

Davenport's pick: Titans 24, Raiders 17
Gutierrez's pick: Raiders 23, Titans 21
FPI prediction: TEN, 53.4% (by an average of 1.2 points)

Matchup must-reads: Tannehill playing his way into Titans' long-term QB considerations ... Can Raiders right themselves at the quarter-pole after consecutive blowouts? ... Raiders RB Jacobs playing through shoulder fracture

Steelers (7-5) at Cardinals (3-8-1)

4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 22.7 | Spread: PIT -2.5 (43.5)

What to watch for: The Cardinals will be playing what could feel like a road game in their own stadium because of how many Steelers fans live in Arizona or will travel for the game. That will play a major factor Sunday and likely cause the Cardinals to go with a silent count and struggle. -- Josh Weinfuss

Bold prediction: The Steelers' tight ends will outscore the Cardinals. Arizona is notoriously bad at defending tight ends, making this a prime game for both Vance McDonald and Nick Vannett. -- Brooke Pryor

Stat to know: The Cardinals have lost five straight games, but quarterback Kyler Murray has been a bright spot. He has four games this season with 300 passing yards. One more such game would give him the second most by a rookie since the 1970 merger.

What to know for fantasy: Pittsburgh's James Washington is the 10th-best receiver in fantasy over the past four weeks and is averaging 21.8 yards per catch over that stretch. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Since quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's injury, Pittsburgh is 6-2-2 ATS, and the under is 8-2 in those games. Read more.

Pryor's pick: Steelers 27, Cardinals 13
Weinfuss' pick: Steelers 24, Cardinals 21
FPI prediction: ARI, 53.3% (by an average of 1.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Steelers QB Hodges, WR Washington translate hunting friendship to on-field connection ... QB Murray 'disgusted' by blowout loss to Rams ... OT Villanueva supports special forces for 'My Cause My Cleats' ... How will Murray rebound from worst defeat of his life?

Seahawks (10-2) at Rams (7-5)

8:20 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 75.7 | Spread: LAR -1 (46.5)

What to watch for: When these teams met in Week 5, the Seahawks won 30-29. The Seahawks are 9-1 in one-score games this season, and Sunday's game is likely to be another thriller, with the Seahawks trying to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs and the Rams needing a win to keep their postseason hopes alive. A win for Seattle secures a playoff berth. -- Lindsey Thiry

Bold prediction: Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny will find the end zone again. No longer buried behind Chris Carson the way he was for most of his first season and a half, Penny has seen a near-even split in playing time with Carson over the past two weeks. -- Brady Henderson

Stat to know: Rams quarterback Jared Goff and the Rams aren't using the play-action pass much this season. They've used it on 28% of their plays after leading the league at 36% last year.

What to know for fantasy: Penny is RB4 over the past two weeks, just 0.3 points behind Saquon Barkley and Todd Gurley II combined over that stretch. See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is 30-15-1 ATS in his career against teams that entered with winning records, including 15-4-1 ATS on the road. Read more.

Henderson's pick: Seahawks 24, Rams 23
Thiry's pick: Seahawks 21, Rams 17
FPI prediction: LAR, 57.2% (by an average of 2.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: How Rams' McVay is handling his biggest challenge yet ... Seahawks in first place in the NFC West after latest white-knuckle win ... Rams' resilience must be proved over tough four-game span

Giants (2-10) at Eagles (5-7)

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN App
Matchup rating: 38.9 | Spread: PHI -10 (45.5)

What to watch for: The Eagles are 0-3 since losing Jordan Howard to a shoulder stinger in Week 9, and he has still not been cleared for contact. Coach Doug Pederson hasn't been as trusting of his ground game in Howard's absence, though Miles Sanders' clear development as a runner in recent weeks should change that. Expect a heavy dose of the rookie on Monday night. -- Tim McManus

Bold prediction: Sanders outrushes his close friend and former Penn State teammate Saquon Barkley. Sanders is coming off a career-best 83 yards rushing and 17 carries against the Dolphins. Barkley also had 83 yards rushing last week against the Packers, but the Giants have struggled to run the ball, and it was his best output since Week 2. -- Jordan Raanan

Stat to know: Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has a 15-game streak with a passing touchdown, tied for the longest active streak in the NFL with Russell Wilson. And Wentz has a 4-1 record against Eli Manning, with four being his most wins vs. another starting QB.

What to know for fantasy: Barkley does not have a rush gaining more than 27 yards since ripping off a 59-yarder in Week 1. The top overall pick in fantasy drafts this summer has failed to score in four straight games and is averaging just 4.0 yards per carry this season (5.0 as a rookie). See Week 14 rankings.

Betting nugget: Road teams are 19-11-1 ATS on Monday Night Football in the past two seasons, including covering seven of the past eight. Read more.

Raanan's pick: Eagles 33, Giants 18
McManus' pick: Eagles 24, Giants 20
FPI prediction: PHI, 83.4% (by an average of 12.9 points)

Matchup must-reads: Friday Night Flights: 24 hours with Eagles QB/high school coach McCown ... Making the case for Shurmur after latest Giants loss

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder Keon Broxton to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league training camp.

Broxton returns to Milwaukee after playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets in 2019.

His nomadic year began with a trade from the Brewers to the Mets in January, then he was dealt again to the Orioles in May. Baltimore waived him in July, and he finished the season in Seattle.

Broxton hit .167 with six home runs and 16 RBIs in 204 at-bats last season. He is a career .209 hitter with 39 home runs and 95 RBIs in five major league seasons.