NFL Picks Against The Spread 2016: Week 15 Games
Photo by: USA Today Sports.
Before Week 15 of the 2016 NFL season schedule kicks off, let’s have some fun by taking a look at the spreads for this week’s round of games. (Click here for our NFL Week 15 straight up predictions.)
Here are suggestions when trying to beat the odds. You can find all of today’s NFL betting lines and more via Bovada. My record so far this season is 94-82-13 after going 6-8-1 last week. Let’s get to the picks.
Detroit Lions at New York Giants (-4.5): The Lions are hot. Detroit is riding a five game win streak. They’ve won eight out of their last nine. Matthew Stafford is a potential MVP candidate. The only problem here for the Lions is that Stafford injured his finger last week. New York’s defense showed how good it can be when they beat Dallas last Sunday. The Giants could and should win this game, but they don’t inspire enough confidence to be such big favorites. I’ll take a risk and take the points since I think this will be a close game. PICK: Lions +4.5
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-4): Gus Bradley will reach 50 career losses if the Jaguars lose out. There’s certainly a realistic chance it could happen. Houston is undefeated in the division this year and they’ve played their best football at home. The Texans should be able to take care of the Jags. PICK: Texans -4
Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills (-10.5): This one feels more difficult than it seems. The first instinct is to bet against the Browns. Cleveland looked pretty terrible against the Bengals last week, after all. Plus the Browns are going to want to ensure they get the top pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The only hesistation is that Buffalo has also looked pretty bad and there’s already been talking of Rex Ryan getting fired and Tyrod Taylor getting benched. If the Bills have already checked out, the Browns might be able to sneak up on them. I’ll take the points. PICK: Browns +10.5
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs (-6): The Chiefs have the advantage of extra rest in this matchup since they played last Thursday. The Titans have shown some nice fight this year, so they could easily make this game competitive, but Kansas City should ultimately be able to get the job done. PICK: Chiefs -6
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens (-6): It’s hard to feel good about this Eagles in this matchup. Baltimore boasts the NFL’s top run defense. The Eagles are severely banged up along the offensive line. They also have depth issues at running back. The Ravens should be able to force the Eagles to be one dimensional. Carson Wentz will probably have to throw the ball more than he should ideally have to yet again. Philadelphia’s losing streak could easily continue on Sunday as the Ravens try to stay alive in the AFC playoff picture. PICK: Ravens -6
Green Bay Packers (-5) at Chicago Bears: Chicago has played a lot tougher than expected for a 3-10 team dealing with a ton of injuries. Matt Barkley looks surprisingly competent. The Bears have played well against the division this year. It wouldn’t be shocking if they found a way to cover. Then again, the Packers have been hot lately. And Aaron Rodgers is a lot more inspiring than Barkley. Green Bay is the safe pick as they try to fight to increase their position in the NFC playoff picture. PICK: Packers -5
Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings (-5): It remains to be seen how Adrian Peterson’s return will impact the Vikings offense. Minnesota might not really need him to beat a lackluster Colts team. The Vikings are trying to stay alive for the playoffs. The Colts just aren’t good enough to have faith in, especially playing on the road. PICK: Vikings -5
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) at Cincinnati Bengals: The Steelers aren’t getting enough respect here. The Bengals have won two games in a row, yes, but it was against the lifeless Eagles and the winless Browns. Pittsburgh’s offense is running smoothly and the Bengals will come crashing down once again on Sunday. Cincinnati’s success is bound to end against a team that’s actually good. PICK: Steelers -3
New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals (-3): Interesting matchup. Arizona has really struggled this year. The Saints aren’t a great pick on the road, though. The Cardinals’ struggling offense should be able to have success against New Orleans’ porous defense. PICK: Cardinals -3
San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons (-14): San Francisco has lost 12 games in a row. It’ll be 13 in a row after the Falcons’ top-ranked offense shreds the 49ers’ defense. This is an easy call. PICK: Falcons -14
Oakland Raiders (-3) at San Diego Chargers: The Raiders should be able to bounce back this week after struggling in Kansas City. Oakland’s offense should have an edge on the Chargers’ defense. Derek Carr’s injured finger could be the x-factor in this one, though. PICK: Raiders -3
New England Patriots (-3.5) at Denver Broncos: Denver’s pass rush won’t be able to neutralize Tom Brady like it did in the AFC championship game last year. The Patriots are hot and they’ll be looking to get revenge for that loss. PICK: Patriots -3.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7) at Dallas Cowboys: Tampa Bay sure seems to be for real. They’re not getting enough respect here. The Bucs have had some real quality wins recently, and they could realistically beat a Dallas team that hasn’t played great in their last two games. It seems like Dak Prescott is hitting the rookie wall. Another bad performance from the Cowboys’ rookie quarterback won’t do anything to eliminate the thoughts of starting Tony Romo. Even if the Bucs don’t win, they should be able to make this game close. PICK: Buccaneers +7
Carolina Panthers (-7) at Washington Redskins: The Panthers have only lost three games by more than seven points this season. Those losses include road games at the Falcons and the Seahawks. Washington isn’t on the same tier as those teams. The Panthers might be able to get the upset here. If not, it’s at least possible they cover the spread. PICK: Panthers +7