Fourteen weeks down, three more to go. It’s off to NFL Week 15, as jockeying for coveted playoff positions gets more and more intense. The Sunday afternoon showdown between the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers and the top-of-the-division clash between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are just two of the excellent matchups in another stacked week of NFL action.
Let’s take a quick look at all 16 games on the schedule, and pick a winner for each one against the spread. Meanwhile, check out our comprehensive previews of the Broncos vs. Steelers and Texans vs. Colts.
[sc:Football ]NFL Week 15 Picks
Thursday, December 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5) vs. St. Louis Rams (8:25 PM ET)
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Rams showed they haven’t completely packed it in for the season as they snapped a five-game skid against the Lions. Todd Gurley ended his personal dry spell with 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Rams are now 4-1 this season when Gurley has topped 120 rushing yards.
The Bucs, though, have been very effective against the run this season (No. 2 per DVOA) and if the Rams can’t get going on the ground, Case Keenum sure isn’t going to pass them to victory. Jameis Winston and the Bucs offense remains the much more reliable unit, and should be able to eke out enough points on the road.
Writer’s Prediction: The Bucs (+1.5) beat the Rams, 21-17.
Saturday, December 19
New York Jets (-3) vs. Dallas Cowboys (8:25 PM ET)
So the Cowboys are now 1-6 with Matt Cassel at quarterback. Yikes. At this point, it’s probably time to stop backing the Cowboys under any circumstance, and especially when they’ll be facing a Jets team that is seemingly firing on all cylinders.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown for nine touchdowns in his last three games, with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker forming one of the hottest receiving duos in the league. Chris Ivory remains pretty effective when he gets touches. And the defense is still one of the best in the league, especially against the run, which is basically the only thing the Cowboys can do well these days.
It all adds up to a particularly bad matchup for Dallas.
Writer’s Prediction: The Jets (-3) fly past the Cowboys, 28-14.
Sunday, December 20
Chicago Bears (+5.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings (1:00 PM ET)
With any realistic hope of a playoff spot now over after losing to Washington, it’s hard to see much sense for Chicago to try winning any more games this season and jeopardize moving lower in the draft.
The Vikings, though, are still well in line for a wild-card place despite their loss to the Cardinals on Thursday. The Bears figure to be a perfect matchup for the Vikings, anyway, as Chicago has one of the worst run defenses in the league. Minnesota had 147 rushing yards in its 23-20 win over the Bears in Chicago.
Writer’s Prediction: Adrian Peterson and the Vikings (-5.5) pound the Bears into submission, 27-17.
Atlanta Falcons (+3) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 PM ET)
Stick a fork on the Falcons; they’re done. Shut out by the Panthers and now losers of six in a row, rookie head coach Dan Quinn doesn’t seem to have any answers for turning his ship around.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Jags just dropped 51 on the Colts as Blake Bortles continues to throw touchdowns for fun. With a home crowd to cheer them on, it’s hard to see the Jags dropping one against a Falcons team that looks completely devoid of confidence.
Writer’s Prediction: The Jags (-3) have too much firepower for the Falcons, and win 35-21 at home.
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts (1:00 PM ET)
After the catastrophe that has been the Colts’ last two weeks, Andrew Luck almost has no choice but to come back. Indy has been spanked by an aggregate score of 96-26 in two road games against the Steelers and Jaguars, and must now beat the Texans to stand a chance to enter the playoffs.
The Texans haven’t been much better, as they’ve dropped two in a row to the Bills and Patriots. However, Houston’s defense has proven to be much more reliable than the Colts’ this year. It held opponents to just 8.8 points per game during the month of November. The possibility of DeAndre Hopkins going wild on a struggling Indy secondary is also very real.
Writer’s Prediction: The Texans tame the Colts, 21-18.
Carolina Panthers (-5) vs. New York Giants (1:00 PM ET)
It’s hard to think of the Panthers losing any time soon, especially after seeing them deny the Falcons what would’ve been a meaningless consolation touchdown at the end of their game on Sunday. But Carolina was close to losing in their last road game at New Orleans, and like the Saints, the Giants have the offensive weapons with Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. to finally end the Panthers’ perfect season.
Writer’s Prediction: The Giants (+5) end the Panthers’ perfect season with a 34-31 win.
Tennessee Titans (+14) vs. New England Patriots (1:00 PM ET)
Despite losing some more players to injury, the Pats – with the help of a returning Rob Gronkowski – helped snap a two-game-skid with a 27-6 win against the Texans. The Pats just keep plugging away despite their injuries, while the pass rush was relentless in putting pressure on Brian Hoyer.
The latter sounds like bad news for Marcus Mariota, who has not been helped by his offensive line this season. On the other side, Brady should relish facing a Titans defense that he has torched for an average of 44 points in their last three meetings.
Writer’s Prediction: The Pats (-14) pound the Titans once again, and run out 33-10 winners.
Buffalo Bills (-1) vs. Washington Redskins (1:00 PM ET)
It’s been hard to put a finger on both the Bills and Redskins this season, as they’ve been remarkably up-and-down. The Bills have two two-game losing streaks and have won back-to-back games once. The Redskins, despite leading the NFC East, have no back-to-back wins and just one two-game losing skid.
So with the Bills coming off a loss and the Redskins coming off a win, the most sensible way to go is likely a Buffalo road win. Tyrod Taylor is 0-5 this season when he throws 30 or more passes; he is 6-0 when he throws less than 30 passes. With LeSean McCoy playing well coupled with Washington’s mediocre run defense, there’s a good chance that Taylor throws on the low side of 30.
Writer’s Prediction: The Bills (-1) beat the Redskins, 24-21.
Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5) vs. Baltimore Ravens (1:00 PM ET)
It’s gotten so bad injury-wise for the snake-bitten Ravens that Jimmy Clausen started at quarterback last Sunday. At this point in their disastrous season, Baltimore shouldn’t be bothered to try winning another game and just get as high a pick as possible.
The Ravens likely won’t beat the in-form Chiefs, anyway. Kansas City has now won seven in a row, and with playoff seeding still to play for, don’t expect any let-up against the Ravens. KC is 3-0 SU and ATS in its last three road games.
Writer’s Prediction: The Chiefs (-7.5) crush the Ravens, 27-10.
Cleveland Browns (+14.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks (4:05 PM ET)
Props to Johnny Manziel for leading the Browns to win No. 3 of the year against San Francisco, but he’ll really be up against it opposite Russell Wilson and the soaring Seahawks. Wilson has completed over 70 percent of his passes with at least three touchdowns over his last four games – all wins.
Seattle has shown no mercy over the last two weeks, beating the Vikings and Ravens by 31 and 29 points on the road. Long story short, it could be a brutal day for the Browns in Seattle.
Writer’s Prediction: The Seahawks (-14.5) steamroll past the Browns, 42-7.
Green Bay Packers (-3) vs. Oakland Raiders (4:05 PM ET)
The Packers are coming off their biggest win of the season – a 28-7 domination of Dallas – thanks in large part to another strong effort from the running game. Excluding the Lions game, where he was benched for missing curfew, Eddie Lacy has now topped 100 rushing yards in his last three starts.
As impressive as Oakland’s win 15-12 road win at Denver was, the Packers’ ability to run on the Raiders defense – and the presence of one Aaron Rodgers – should give Green Bay a significant edge.
Writer’s Prediction: The Packers (-3) play up to their potential and rock the Raiders, 35-21.
Denver Broncos (+6) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (4:25 PM ET)
The unstoppable Steelers scoring machine just keeps lighting up the scoreboard. They’ve now put up five-straight games of 30 or more points after beating the Bengals 33-20 at Cincinnati. But if there’s any defense that can slow it down, it’s Denver’s D. That dominant unit is giving up just 14.3 points per game over the past month, including two games of 15 points and one game of just three.
Writer’s Prediction: The Broncos (+6) stop the Steelers from covering in a 27-24 loss.
Miami Dolphins (+2) vs. San Diego Chargers (4:25 PM ET)
The Dolphins didn’t have quite enough to beat the Giants, but they showed that their commitment to the run is for real. Their running game should be the best thing either team does well in San Diego. The Chargers can’t stop the run, and they also can’t win at home. They’re 0-5 SU and ATS in their last five home games.
Writer’s Prediction: The Dolphins (+2) run over the Chargers to win, 24-14.
Cincinnati Bengals (-4.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers (4:25 PM ET)
It’s going to be A.J. McCarron under center for the rest of the regular season after Andy Dalton’s hand injury, which is the last thing the Bengals needed at this stage. As crazy as it sounds, Blaine Gabbert might actually be the better quarterback! The Niners had been pretty feisty prior to the awful Browns loss, particularly at home, where they gave the Cardinals a game in a 19-13 loss.
Writer’s Prediction: Gabbert outguns McCarron to help the Niners (+4.5) stay close in a 21-17 defeat.
Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (8:30 PM ET)
The Cards have kept on winning (they’re now at seven wins in a row) but they just haven’t been as dominant as they were earlier in the year. Four of their last five games have come by a single score. The Eagles, while still flawed, have improved both on offense (the return of Sam Bradford has helped) and defense in the last couple of games, and could make it a pretty tough fight for the Cards at home in Philly.
Writer’s Prediction: The Eagles (+3.5) hang on to cover in a 27-24 loss.
Monday, December 21
Detroit Lions (+3) vs. New Orleans Saints (8:30 PM ET)
That heart-breaking loss to the Packers might have just signaled the end of Detroit’s season. The Lions looked listless in their 21-14 loss to the Rams, and don’t have too many reasons to keep trying on the road.
The Saints’ season is practically over, too, but Drew Brees looks determined to end it strong after a recent four-game slide. Brees has thrown five touchdowns in his last two games, while Tim Hightower had 85 yards in his first start in place of the injured Mark Ingram.
Writer’s Prediction: The Saints (-3) stroll to a 31-14 win over the Lions.
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