NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 11: Opening Line Report

It was a pretty straightforward week for NFL Survivor Pool players in Week 10. There were a few upsets that may have caused ripples in your pool. The most shocking upset involved the Seahawks at Patriots game, with Seattle pulling the road upset on Sunday night. Thankfully the Pats have been off the board for most Survivor Pool players for a long time.

A couple people in my pool made risky plays last week. One took the Saints and another the Chargers, and both those squads were upset. This isn’t the time of the season to get cute as we are down to crunch time. Oh well, their loss and my gain. My pool is down to 13 now, and I took the Cardinals for Week 10 and they took care of business against the Niners, although it was closer than it should have been.

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Here in this spot each week I will go over the NFL opening lines for the week and highlight any favorites that I think are possible NFL Survivor Pool picks for that week. This is an exercise I do every week to help me whittle down the pool of matchups into 3-5 possible picks that I will do further research on during the week to make my official pick.

There are some real nice games on the schedule this week and I think we will see a lot of players advance to Week 12. Of course, when things look easy that is when parity rears its ugly head and throws Survivor Pools into turmoil.

Here are the NFL Week 11 opening lines with my thoughts on the matchups as potential Survivor Pool picks.

NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 11 Opening Line Report

Carolina -3.5 vs. Carolina (Thursday): I liked the Panthers last week hosting the Chiefs, and I am glad I had already used them and that they weren’t an option anymore. They should have won the game as they led 17-0 nearing halftime, but the Chiefs defense was once against opportunistic and caused enough turnovers to help them win the game. The Saints were victims of a late collapse as well. The Thursday night game normally favors the home team, and I think Carolina is the better ballclub. I would definitely have the Panthers in my pool of possible NFL Survivor Pool picks Week 11 if I had not already used them. They are desperate and this is truly a must-win game.

Detroit -6.5 vs. Jacksonville: The Jaguars are definitely one of my fade teams down the stretch of the season. This squad has quit on Coach Gus Bradley, who is sure to be fired on the final day of the season. Detroit has won four of their last five games and has quietly been getting the job done while other teams in the division have been struggling. I will be considering this pick for Week 11, but I do think there are a couple better options on the board. While I like to fade teams, I don’t do that blindly and instead look for the best possible matchup for that particular week. I do, however, think the Jags will struggle to win another game this season, and this will be a popular pick in Survivor Pools for Week 11.

Kansas City -7.5 vs. Tampa Bay: I long ago used the Chiefs and most in my pool have already used them as well. They will be a popular option for those that haven’t used them yet. Kansas City has won five straight and they are playing with a lot of confidence. However, they have been in real trouble the last two weeks and they are basically winning on turnovers, which isn’t always sustainable. Tampa Bay looked good last week, but that was against the Bears. This team does not take care of the ball that well, and that plays right into the Chiefs strengths. This game would scare me if I still have the Chiefs to choose from, but they would definitely be on my list this week if I hadn’t. Oh yeah, and the Bucs have won four straight in this rare series.

New York Giants -7.5 vs. Chicago: This will be another popular pick for Week 11 since they are a decent-sized favorite and many of the other top favorites have likely been used. I just don’t trust this Giants team and won’t be considering them for Week 11. The Giants have won four straight, but none were blowouts. And they weren’t against top teams, either. I just don’t think this team is that good, however, and they are probably going to suffer an upset after too long. As strange as it sounds, I would probably like to back this team after a loss rather than a winning streak like this as they are probably due for a bad effort.

Dallas -7 vs. Baltimore: Most in my pool have also used the Cowboys. If you haven’t, however, I would seriously consider it this week. This looks like the clear best team in the NFC, and they probably aren’t going to lose too many games down the stretch. The Ravens have won two straight and they seem to have some momentum, but one of those wins was over the Browns, so you have to take their current form with a grain of salt. I don’t think the Ravens are that good, and I would be real interested in taking Dallas if they were available to me.

Pittsburgh -7.5 at Cleveland: I don’t like road teams for Survivor Pool picks. But at this point in the season there are limited options, and I am pretty sure I will be taking the Steelers this week. I am a firm believer that the Browns won’t go winless this season. But I also don’t think that this is the week they will get that elusive first win. I like that this is a must-win game for the Steelers and think we will see their best effort. They played a pretty good game against the Cowboys last week after a stinker in Week 9 vs. the Ravens. They have also won six of the last seven meetings in this series. Also, as a bonus, almost everyone in my pool except me has used Pittsburgh, so if they win and there are a lot of upsets on the week then I will be in pretty good shape.

New England -13 at San Francisco: Everybody in my pool has used the Patriots. Coming off a loss and against one of the worst teams in the league, they are deservedly the biggest favorite on the board. If you haven’t used them yet then now is your time to shine!

Seattle -6.5 vs. Philadelphia: This is my second favorite pick this week. Actually I am probably about 50/50 between the Seahawks and Steelers this week. I don’t often look ahead on the schedule and always pick the best option I think can win for me on any particular week, but in cases like this where I am 50/50 on two teams I normally glance at the upcoming schedule to see if there is a good option in the coming weeks. There aren’t a lot of good options for the Steelers coming up, but the Hawks host Los Angeles in Week 15 and finish off the season at San Francisco, so that makes the Steelers the play for me this week. Seattle is surging, however, and they have played well the last two weeks. I think this is a very strong pick for Week 11 NFL Survivor Pools.

Oakland -6 vs. Houston: I normally try and stay away from Monday Night Football matchups since injuries can happen after you submit your pick. However, I wouldn’t be interested in this game anyways. I think the Texans are a decent team, and despite their record I just am not a believer in the Raiders as one of the top teams in the AFC. But the Raiders do come in off a bye and that plays in their advantage. If you are desperate then they are worth a look, but I think there are better picks on the board for Week 11. Also, these international games can be tricky with the extra travel.