New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles
The New York Giants could clinch a playoff spot and what a place to do it, away at a fierce divisional rival. With that said, the Eagles will ensure that the Giants earn that playoff spot. Philadelphia was so close to winning in Baltimore after an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt in the dying seconds. The Eagles are 4-1 head to head and at the spread in their last five encounters with the Giants.
Line bet – Giants -2.5
Best bet – Eagles +8.5 @ $1.33
Feeling lucky – Giants to win by 1-6 points @ $3.30
Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
The Dolphins playoff destiny is in their own hands. An away win at Buffalo will all but secure their first playoff appearance since the 2008 season. Conversely, the Bills playoff hopes hang in the balance. They will need to win here, and to have other results go their way, if they are to reach the promised land for the first time in 17 years. The Bills have broken the franchise record for rushing touchdowns this season, and go in knowing the home side has won five of the last six games between these teams.
Line bet – Dolphins +3.5
Best bet – Dolphins +10.5 @ $1.30
Feeling lucky – Dolphins to win @ $2.62
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are shaping as the best team not playing in the postseason, while the Bucs just need to win their remaining games, to guarantee themselves a first playoff appearance since 2007. Drew Brees was back to his absolute best in Week 15, throwing for 389 yards and 4 TDs as he guided the Saints to an upset victory at Arizona. The Bucs will go in confident, both in their fantastic defence and in knowing that they have covered the line in four of their last five games against New Orleans. Furthermore, Tampa Bay have covered the spread in their last five road games as underdogs.
Line bet – Bucs +3.0
Best bet – Bucs +10.5 @ $1.28
Feeling lucky – Saints to win by 1-6 points @ $3.60
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Some things change, but some don’t – the New England Patriots are still great and come into this game knowing that they only need win out to secure the #1 seed in the AFC. The New York Jets are unlikely to pose much of a threat, having lost five of their last six games and averaged just 15.3 points a game during that time. The Patriots have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven encounters with the Jets.
Line bet – Jets +16.5
Best bet – Patriots -7.5 @ $1.26
Feeling lucky – Patriots to win by 7-12 points @ $4.30
Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are a mess, having lost their last nine games behind arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL, Blake Bortles. The Jacksonville infamously has thrown more career interceptions than he has career wins, and that doesn’t look like improving in this game as he faces a Titans team that has held heavyweights Kansas City and Denver to a combined 27 points in winning consecutive games, and sits a game outside a playoff spot in the AFC. The Titans must win their remaining two games to have a chance at stealing a playoff spot; a home game in Week 17 against Houston will decide the division provided they win this game so they are highly unlikely to fall short in such a situation.
Line bet – Titans -4.5
Best bet – Titans to win @ $1.45
Feeling lucky – Jaguars to score between 15-17 points @ $5.70
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
Don’t look now, but here come Green Bay! The Packers have won four straight and are charging towards the playoffs, knowing that wins in their last two regular season games will give them the tiebreaker and the division title. They will be confident of a strong showing against a Minnesota side that has an elite passing defence, but a mediocre rushing defence. They conceded 161 rushing yards last weekend and rank 18th in least rushing yards conceded, and are coming off by far their worst defensive performance of the season as they were thrashed 34-6 at home by Indianapolis. The Packers have won six of their last seven home games against the Vikings.
Line bet – Packers -6.5
Best bet – Packers to win @ $1.34
Feeling lucky – Packers to score between 26-28 points @ $5.30
San Diego Chargers @ Cleveland Browns
The hapless Chargers travel to Cleveland to take on a Browns team on the verge of an unwanted slice of history. Cleveland are 0-14 and have only games against San Diego and Pittsburgh remaining to try and secure an elusive win. Their woeful offense has not passed 13 points in their last six games, and have lost those games by an average of 18.0 points. The Chargers have led in the fourth quarter in all but one of their losses, but ultimately quarterback Philip Rivers has struggled to close out games and that has cost his team. The Chargers have won five of their last six encounters with the Browns.
Line bet – Chargers -5.5
Best bet – Chargers to win @ $1.38
Feeling lucky – Chargers to win by more than 12 points @ $3.40
Washington Redskins @ Chicago Bears
After falling short to the Panthers on Monday Night Football, the Redskins now face a must win game against an improving Bears outfit keen on finishing the season with a bang. The Redskins have crashed out of the NFC wildcard position they once held after losing three of their last four; quarterback Kirk Cousins will need more support from the Redskins run game this week against the league’s sixth best defence against the pass. The positive for Washington is that they have won their last six encounters with the Bears.
Line bet – Bears +3.5
Best bet – Bears +9.5 @ $1.37
Feeling lucky – Bears to win by 1-6 points @ $4.20
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
The Atlanta Falcons require just one more win from their final two games of the season to clinch their first NFC South title and first playoff appearance since 2012. The Panthers will be keen to spoil the party and mathematically still have a chance of reaching the postseason after their 26-15 win over the Redskins. The favourite has covered the spread in only two of the last nine contests between Atlanta and Carolina, while six of the last seven games between these two teams have resulted in the game total finishing under the market line.
Line bet – Panthers +2.5
Best bet – Panthers +8.5 @ $1.33
Feeling lucky – Panthers to win by 1-6 points @ $3.95
Indianapolis Colts @ Oakland Raiders
Just when the Colts seemed gone, they waltzed into Minnesota and smashed the Vikings 34-6 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. They face the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders in Week 16, with the Raiders having secured a playoff spot in Week 15 and now focusing on getting home-field advantage in the second round of playoffs. The Colts have won consecutive games just once this season, but only twice in a row on one occasion. Oakland have conceded more than 30 points just once since Week 5 after doing so three times in the first five weeks, and have mastered the art of winning close games – they are 8-1 in games decided by one touchdown or less. The Colts have won the last four encounters with the Raiders.
Line bet – Colts +3.5
Best bet – Colts +8.5 @ $1.38
Feeling lucky – Raiders to win by 1-6 points @ $3.70
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks clinched the NFC West with a dominant 24-3 victory over the Rams while the Cardinals had their postseason hopes shattered after suffering a loss to the Saints in a high-scoring affair. These teams tied 6-6 in one of the stranger games this season, and interestingly the home team has won only one of the last seven meetings between the Cardinals and Seahawks. Arizona have been held to six points or less in four of their last five encounters with the Seahawks.
Line bet – Cardinals +7.5
Best bet – Seahawks to win @ $1.27
Feeling lucky – Seahawks to win by 1-6 points @ $3.75
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have lost their last four games by an average margin of 23.25 points and will be glad to see their division rivals, having not won since their 28-0 shutout of the Rams way back in Week 1. The 49ers are 5-2 both head to head and at the spread in their last seven encounters with the Rams, while said Rams have failed to cover the spread in their last five home games.
Line bet – 49ers +4.0
Best bet – 49ers +10.5 @ $1.32
Feeling lucky – 49ers to score over 25 points @ $4.60
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans
The Houston Texans were lucky they played Jacksonville last week, as they scraped home and somehow stayed atop the AFC South after their dramatic 21-20 win over the Jags. The Bengals squandered a late lead, dropping a fifth straight and making it eight of their last nine they’ve lost to fierce rivals Pittsburgh. The Texans are 6-1 both head to head and at the spread in their last seven encounters with the Bengals.
Line bet – Bengals +1.0
Best bet – Game score under 45.0 points @ $1.58
Feeling lucky – Texans to score between 18 and 20 points @ $6.00
Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens look to continue their unbeaten record against divisional rivals when they travel into Pittsburgh to face a streaking Steelers side looking for their sixth-straight win. Baltimore are a game behind the Steelers, with the winner in the box seat to take the division title while the loser faces an anxious race for a wildcard berth.
The Ravens have won the last four encounters with the Steelers, while eight of the last 10 Pittsburgh games have resulted in the total game score finishing under the market line.
Line bet – Ravens +4.5
Best bet – Ravens +10.5 @ $1.35
Feeling lucky – Ravens to win by 1-6 points @ $4.60
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs
Denver are facing the prospect of missing the playoffs due to their offensive struggles, while Kansas City were stunned by Tennessee and in the process lost the divisional lead. The Broncos have turned the ball over on offence five times in the last two weeks and will need to be extra careful against the league’s most opportunistic defence in Kansas City. The underdog has won each of the last four meetings between the Broncos and Chiefs.
Line bet – Chiefs -3.5
Best bet – Chiefs to win @ $1.56
Feeling lucky – Chiefs to win by 1-6 points @ $3.20
Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys
Two division-leading teams’ face-off in Dallas when the Detroit Lions battle the Cowboys. Last week, the Cowboys earned a playoff spot with a 26-20 victory over the Buccaneers while the Lions failed to clinch their first divisional title since 1994 with a loss to the Giants. A Lions win in this clash could set up a winner-take-all clash with divisional rivals Green Bay in the last week of the season, but Detroit will struggle to get past the most complete team in the NFC.
Line bet – Lions +7.5
Best bet – Cowboys to win @ $1.29
Feeling lucky – Cowboys to win by 1-6 points @ $3.55
