Week 15 NFL Picks: Predictions for Sunday's Games, Odds Guide, Over/Under Tips

It's never too late for bettors to strike on NFL lines.

While it might seem ideal to hit on lines early and take advantage of potential gaffes by oddsmakers, it's also worthwhile going into a holding pattern and seeing if some of the lines shift to more favorable numbers.

With a Thursday game in the books and a Saturday contest this week, bettors have plenty of ways to attack the lines. Sunday, though remains the best avenue for success, with Saturday's Miami Dolphins-New York Jets encounter looking like a 50-50 bet.

As such, here's a full look at the updated lines.

NFL Week 15 Odds

Matchup	Spread	O/U	Predicted Winner
Miami at N.Y. Jets (Saturday)	MIA -3	41.5	MIA 23-20
Green Bay at Chicago	GB -6	N/A	GB 27-20
Tennessee at Kansas City	KC -5.5	43.5	KC 28-20
Detroit at N.Y. Giants	NYG -4	N/A	DET 26-23
Cleveland at Buffalo	BUF -10.5	44	CLE 23-20
Indianapolis at Minnesota	MIN -4.5	44	IND 24-20
Philadelphia at Baltimore	BAL -6	N/A	BAL 20-17
Jacksonville at Houston	HOU -6	41	HOU 28-14
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati	PIT -3.5	45	PIT 27-17
New Orleans at Arizona	ARI -3	50	NO 28-24
San Francisco at Atlanta	ATL -13.5	51.5	ATL 33-10
New England at Denver	NE -3.5	N/A	NE 27-24
Oakland at San Diego	OAK -3	51	OAK 28-20
Tampa Bay at Dallas	DAL -7	N/A	DAL 27-23
Carolina at Washington (MNF)	WAS- 6	N/A	CAR 20-17

Odds according to OddsShark.

New England (-3.5) at Denver

A showdown between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos this year isn't as tough to figure out as it has been in the past.

This isn't the same Denver team as last year, with the team's last three outings proving this well enough. The Broncos have lost two of their last three, going down at the hands of playoff contenders such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans while picking up a lone win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Stretch it back five games and the Broncos also took a loss to the Oakland Raiders,

Against the Titans, the return of quarterback Trevor Siemian didn't matter much, as he attempted 51 passes and mustered 334 yards and a score.

New England hasn't had any problems this year. The team only dropped one game while Tom Brady served a suspension, and the other loss came at the hands of a contending Seattle Seahawks team.

The Patriots enter Denver riding a four-game streak in which the defense has allowed more than 17 points once. Brady has thrown 10 touchdowns to one pick over the stretch, and lead back LeGarrette Blount has hit on at least 67 rushing yards while tallying no fewer than four yards per carry.

Were this a normal-looking year, the Patriots traveling to Denver would seem like a problem. But it's not, with the Denver offense struggling and the team looking like it might miss the playoffs. The Patriots haven't skipped a beat and won't when making a late push in this contest, so bet accordingly.

Prediction: Patriots 27-24

Oakland (-3) at San Diego

Bettors have been down this road before with the Raiders and San Diego Chargers, so rolling the same way shouldn't be too much of an issue. 

In Week 5, the Raiders welcomed the Chargers to town and secured a 34-31 victory despite four touchdown passes from Philip Rivers because they managed to force four turnovers.

Oakland has gone on to look like a Super Bowl contender. The team has won six of its last seven, and the defense has seemingly improved, allowing more than 24 points over that span just once.

On offense, Derek Carr now sits on 24 touchdowns to five interceptions, while the ground game behind him averages 4.3 yards per carry, with Latavius Murray having scored 12 touchdowns. As the Raiders official Twitter account noted, the continued improvement fits well with head coach Jack Del Rio's mantra: 

Going with the Raiders here has much to do with the Chargers as well. Rivers is the lone bright spot on a team that has lost two in a row and three of four. His defense allows 26.7 points per game and starting running back Melvin Gordon is hurt and can't play in Week 15, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

That last bit is the most important—San Diego's list of notables on injured reserve could form a strong foundation for a rebuilding team. The list features Danny Woodhead, Keenan Allen, Jason Verrett, Manti Te'o, Brandon Mebane and Stevie Johnson, to name a few.

Were the Chargers healthier, bettors could view this as a divisional trap game. Instead, look for the Raiders to get the season sweep.

Prediction: Raiders 28-20

Tampa Bay at Dallas (-7)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the best stories in the NFL. 

Winners of five in a row, Jameis Winston plays great football for the team when it matters most, Doug Martin has come on strong as of late when healthy and the defense has put on an absolute clinic, allowing no more than 21 points during the streak.

The great play has the Buccaneers looking for an NFC South victory. Not only that, Tampa Bay has upended teams such as Seattle and Kansas City while splitting the season series with the Atlanta Falcons and sitting in a position to sweep the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers before the season ends.

As great as Tampa Bay is, the Dallas Cowboys have been an even better story.

Fans know the drill by now. The Cowboys rattled off 11 wins in a row behind rookies Dak Prescott (3,139 yards, 20 touchdowns, four interceptions) and Ezekiel Elliott (1,392 yards, 12 touchdowns, 4.9 average) and an elite defense permitting 18.3 points per game.

Dallas has lost two games on the year, both to the New York Giants. Though some lovers of chaos might call for it, the team isn't turning away from Prescott in favor of Tony Romo.

"You can make it as simple or as complex as you want to make it," head coach Jason Garrett said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "It's pretty simple for us: Dak's going to play quarterback as we go forward."

Bettors should expect Prescott to get back to form against the Buccaneers. There's a big difference between struggling against a divisional rival in the first game of his career and then later on the road compared to a home game against Tampa Bay.

Look for Dallas' defense to shutter the Tampa Bay attack while Prescott and Elliott eventually wear down the Buccaneers.

Prediction: Cowboys 27-23

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.