NFL Week 10 What to Watch: Cousins at Lambeau, Mendoza’s Debut and Sunday Night in Cincinnati

Week 10 of the NFL season opens with a breakfast kickoff in Munich and ends with a first-place showdown in Cincinnati, and in between there are 13 games, three quarterback storylines you could not script, and a few Sunday afternoon games that are worth clearing the couch for. The Bears, Broncos, Eagles and Buccaneers are on bye, which means every snack you set out is going to a game that matters to somebody. Here is what to watch, when to watch it, and where the numbers sit (all lines from DraftKings and subject to change before kickoff).

Kirk Cousins Walks Back Into Lambeau as the Vikings Visit the Packers

If you want the one game with a movie plot, it is Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers at 1 p.m. ET on Fox. Kirk Cousins was traded back to Minnesota from the Las Vegas Raiders at Tuesday’s deadline for a 2027 third-round pick, and his first game back is at Lambeau Field, the same place he tore his Achilles in October 2023. The Vikings started 6-0 but have lost two straight, including Monday night’s 23-6 loss to Buffalo with Carson Wentz at quarterback after Kyler Murray was sidelined with a hamstring strain.

Green Bay (6-3) is a 3-point home favorite at -155 on the moneyline, with Minnesota at +130 and a total of 41.5, down from an opener of 45.5. That total drop tells you the market expects a defensive grind, and Minnesota’s defense is the reason the Vikings are still 6-2. Bring comfort food, because this one has the feel of a cold-weather slugfest, with first-place pressure in the NFC North as the seasoning.

For anyone planning the food side of the day, this is the game to build a chili or a big pot of something around. If you are looking at the betting side, our NFL betting guide is a good primer for how to read a total that has moved four points in a week.

Fernando Mendoza Makes His First NFL Start Against the Seahawks

The 4:05 p.m. ET window belongs to Seattle Seahawks at Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders traded Cousins to Minnesota on Tuesday, and the top pick in the draft, Fernando Mendoza, is now the starter. He has one career appearance so far, going 6 of 8 for 48 yards late in a blowout loss to New England, so Sunday is effectively his real debut.

He is walking into a tough one. Seattle’s defense allows an NFL-low 244.2 yards per game and has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 38 straight games, including the playoffs. The Seahawks are 5-4 and a 6.5-point favorite (about -298 on the moneyline) with a total of 40.5. They will do it with Drew Lock at quarterback, since Sam Darnold is out with a ribs and quad injury. Lock has thrown five touchdown passes in three games without an interception, and he is playing through elbow and oblique injuries.

It is a low-scoring game on paper, but it is the best kind of watch for the curious: a rookie debut in Las Vegas, a defending Super Bowl champion defense trying to make life miserable, and a backup quarterback who has been quietly sharp.

49ers at Cowboys Has the Highest Total on the Board

If you want points, the 4:25 p.m. ET game is the one. San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys has the week’s highest total at 55.5, with the 49ers (7-1) favored by 4.5 at about -190 on the moneyline and Dallas at roughly +190. San Francisco comes off a 38-17 win over Las Vegas in which the defense forced five turnovers and the offense ran for 190 yards. Brock Purdy is completing close to 70 percent of his passes, and the 49ers just added veteran receiver Keenan Allen at the trade deadline to help a receiver room hit by injuries to Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Ricky Pearsall and De’Zhaun Stribling.

Dallas (4-5) just beat Indianapolis 27-23 even though Dak Prescott threw for 335 yards and CeeDee Lamb caught 10 passes for 195 yards, and the Cowboys outgained the Colts by more than 200 yards despite 14 penalties. The question mark is George Pickens, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury. San Francisco has won the last four meetings, but a game with this much offense on the Dallas side is the perfect excuse for a wing platter and a long afternoon on the couch.

Sunday, November 15 at 1:00 PM	Spread	Money	Total
Minnesota Vikings	+3 (-118)	+134	O 42.5 (-105)
Green Bay Packers	-3 (-113)	-145	U 42 (-113)

Steelers at Bengals Is the Sunday Night Main Event

The 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday Night Football game on NBC is a fight for first place in the AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-2). Both teams are on four-game winning streaks. Cincinnati is a 3.5-point home favorite and the total is 49.5, with Joe Burrow leading the league with 23 touchdown passes and Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both producing. Burrow became just the fifth player in league history with at least four passing or rushing touchdowns in four straight games.

Pittsburgh is the opposite style of team. The Steelers are tied for fourth in the NFL in fewest points allowed per game (18.0) and tied for fourth in sacks with 26, and they are coming off a bye after a 27-6 win over Cleveland in which T.J. Watt had two of the team’s eight sacks. Aaron Rodgers has 13 touchdowns against six interceptions. Pittsburgh’s rest advantage and pass rush make this a more interesting underdog spot than the line suggests, and it is the game to save your best snacks for.

Lions and Patriots Start the Day in Munich

The earliest kickoff is the most fun to plan around: New England Patriots (5-4) versus Detroit Lions (6-2) at 9:30 a.m. ET on Fox, played at Allianz Arena in Munich. Detroit is a 2.5-point favorite at -148 with the total at 49.5, up from an opener of 48.5. The Lions have won four straight, and the Patriots are 8-5 all-time against them. Make it a brunch game: pancakes, coffee and Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown testing a New England pass defense that has been under pressure lately.

Other Games Worth a Glance

The rest of the 1 p.m. ET slate has its own hooks. Buffalo (-8.5 over the Jets, total 50.5) is the week’s biggest name-brand favorite after beating Minnesota on Monday, while Jacksonville is the largest favorite on the board, laying 10.5 at Tennessee. Kansas City is a 3-point road favorite at Atlanta, Houston is laying 4.5 at Cleveland, and Indianapolis (-3.5) hosts Miami in a game with a 38.5 total that was 47.5 at the open. Panthers at Saints (New Orleans -2.5, total 48.5) is a quiet one, and Rams at Cardinals (Los Angeles -9.5) rounds out the afternoon. Monday night brings the winless Chargers to Baltimore.

This Week’s Best Bets and Best Bites

Here are the picks across the featured matchups, along with a rough viewing plan for the day. All lines move, so check your book before you bet, and our guide to betting odds explains what the numbers mean.

• Vikings at Packers: Under 41.5, with the total down four points from the opener, two defenses and a cold day at Lambeau.
• Seahawks at Raiders: Seahawks -6.5, a league-best defense against a rookie making his first start.
• 49ers at Cowboys: Over 55.5, the highest total of the week with offense on both sides.
• Steelers at Bengals: Steelers +3.5, because the rest advantage and the pass rush keep this one within a field goal.

Set the DVR for Munich, plan the snacks around Green Bay and Dallas, and save the energy for Sunday night. Please bet responsibly.