NFL WEEK 15: Our official predictions for who wins this weekend
- Week 14 of the NFL season was a middling one for our best bets, with our picks going a solid 8-7-1 against the spread.
- This week, the Ravens and Jets kick things off in Baltimore on Thursday night, followed up by a full slate of games on Sunday.
- Once again, we're picking every game of the week against the spread with the hopes of making a little money.
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We had another winning week of gambling in Week 14 of the NFL season, going 8-7-1 against the spread to sustain through a tough week and keep us in the black so far this season.
This week, we're back at it, picking every game with hopes of making a little cash.
Take a look below at our best bets for Week 15 of the NFL season (* indicates home team).
LAST WEEK: 8-7-1
OVERALL: 107-98-3
New York Jets (+17) over Baltimore Ravens*
Three weeks ago, I made a rule that I would not bet against Lamar Jackson for the rest of the season.
That rule lasted one week, as last Sunday, I decided that the Bills weren't getting enough respect and took them against the Ravens as home underdogs. After taking a loss on that bet, I fully intended to go back to picking Jackson and the Ravens every week, but this line is absurd.
The Ravens are the better team here, and the Jets are not as good as their four wins over the past five games would have you believe, but come on, 17 points?! What are we doing?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3.5) over Detroit Lions*
Jameis Winston throws interceptions at an alarming rate and will likely be playing with a fractured thumb on Sunday, but we're still backing the Buccaneers as road favorites against Detroit.
His interceptions aside, Winston has been one of the most prolific passers in the NFL this season, and the Lions have one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Even if Winston throws three interceptions, as long as that's paired with three touchdowns and 400 yards passing, there's a good chance Tampa can still cover.
Kansas City Chiefs* (-9.5) over Denver Broncos
Drew Lock has led the Broncos to wins in his first two starts, and I couldn't be happier for the young quarterback. But after Denver's shocking blowout over the Texans last weekend, it's tough to imagine the kid doing it twice in a row.
Kansas City feels due for another confident 10-point win.
Tennessee Titans* (-3) over Houston Texans
The Titans might be the hottest team in football, having won six of their past seven games behind the rushing of Derrick Henry, who has averaged 150 yards per game over his past four outings and scored a whopping seven touchdowns in the same span.
With the Texans and Titans set to meet twice in the final three weeks of the year, I'm betting they'll split the two games with the home team winning each time.
New York Giants* (-3.5) over Miami Dolphins
Eli Manning played better than expected last week against the Philadelphia Eagles but still went home with the loss, dropping his career regular-season record to 116-117.
On Sunday, I think the Giants do everything they can to get that record back to .500 before Jones takes the job back, and Manning walks into the sunset.
Green Bay Packers* (-4.5) over Chicago Bears
Mitch Trubisky has played remarkably well over the past few weeks despite his reputation. That said, I'm still going to back Aaron Rodgers against him in a must-win divisional battle for the Packers.
Green Bay has sort of cruised to their 10-3 record on the season. In their last home game of the regular season, let's hope they can make a statement against Chicago.
Carolina Panthers* (+6.5) over Seattle Seahawks
Last week we correctly picked against the Panthers on the logic that their players would not be getting up for a road game after the departure of beloved head coach Ron Rivera.
I was planning on making that play again this week, but apparently, every other bettor on the planet had the same idea. According to the Action Network, 86% of the bets on this game are on the Seahawks.
With that in mind, we'll bet the dismissed home underdog and hope for the best.
Cincinnati Bengals* (+9.5) over New England Patriots
The idea of betting against a Patriots team coming off of back-to-back losses to bet on the worst team in the NFL is absurd ... until you look a bit further into how these two teams have played lately.
The Patriots haven't scored more than 22 points in a game in more than a month and were held to 17 points or fewer in three of their past four outings. Meanwhile, in the Bengals past four games, they have recorded their first win of the year along with three losses by eight points or fewer.
Further, after the Patriots' latest video scandal, the Bengals will be playing with karma on their side. I don't bet against karma.
Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5) over Washington Redskins*
The Eagles are essentially out of wide receivers and need to win out to keep the pressure on the Cowboys in the race for the NFC East.
I'm an Eagles fan and thus have not felt confident in this team since the season began. Nevertheless, we're backing them here, as I am confident that enough traveling Philadelphia fans will be in Washington this Sunday to make it feel like a home game. Either way, expect some boos by halftime.
Go Birds.
Cleveland Browns (-2.5) over Arizona Cardinals*
The Browns might be a mess right now with Odell Beckham Jr. reportedly telling other teams to steal him away from Cleveland in the offseason, but I still think the Cardinals are a year away from winning these types of games.
Cleveland has the talent and should be able to score at a solid clip against a defense that ranks 30th in points allowed.
Oakland Raiders* (-6.5) over Jacksonville Jaguars
Barring a setback in the construction of their new stadium in Las Vegas, this is the final game the Raiders will ever play in Oakland.
I think that means something to head coach Jon Gruden, and I think the Raiders step up to the moment.
Los Angeles Chargers* (+2.5) over Minnesota Vikings
It's tough to have any read on this game.
That said, nearly 80% of the bets on this game are on the Vikings, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If the majority of bettors feel like taking the road favorite, I will take the home dog and ask questions later.
Atlanta Falcons (+11) over San Francisco 49ers*
The Falcons are finally playing up to the talent their roster presents. While I don't think they can repeat their 40-point performance of last week against the 49ers, there should be able to score enough to keep things close.
San Francisco is coming off of tough road games against the Ravens and Saints, and have the Rams and the Seahawks left on their schedule. This feels like the only break they will get in the final stretch of the season, so I wouldn't be surprised if they take their foot off the gas a bit and can't cover a huge number.
Los Angeles Rams (-1) over Dallas Cowboys*
The only game that matters for the Cowboys is their Week 16 trip to Philadelphia to play the Eagles with the NFC East, essentially on the line. While they'd surely prefer to turn out of their tailspin a week early, the reality of the situation is that this game does not matter as long as they can beat the Eagles.
On the other sideline, the Rams are attempting to leave their slow start to the season behind and sneak back into the postseason and will need every win they can get to do it.
For my money, I'd rather bet on Sean McVay in a must-win situation than Jason Garrett in a relatively meaningless one.
Pittsburgh Steelers* (-2) over Buffalo Bills
The Steelers are likely playing the most consequential game of Week 15.
With a win, they'll jump to 9-5, with an 88% chance of making the postseason according to FiveThirtyEight. With a loss, their chances of making the postseason drop to just 30%.
Meanwhile, the Bills need just one more win to secure a spot in the playoffs. Even if they lose out, they would have a 50-50 shot at playing into January, depending on how the rest of the AFC wild-card race shakes out.
The Steelers need this game more and should show up at home on Sunday.
New Orleans Saints* (-9) over Indianapolis Colts
Drew Brees and the Saints are coming off a disappointing loss to the 49ers in front of their home fans. This week, with Brees just three touchdowns away from surpassing Peyton Manning on the all-time list, I expect the Saints to have a big day on offense.
- Read more:
The Patriots signed a 'trick-shot' kicker who can kick an 80-yard field goal
NFL POWER RANKINGS: Where every team stands heading into Week 15