NFL Week 16 Predictions: Early Projections for Vegas' Odds, Lines and Spreads
The NFL is giving fans a Christmas gift of earlier football, featuring the majority of the Week 16 slate on Saturday instead of Sunday.
With four different days of prime-time games plus an extra battle Sunday afternoon, you will be able to follow as many key matchups as ever this week as teams jockey for playoff position. Considering 14 of the 16 games feature at least one squad battling for the postseason, there is quite a bit to watch.
There are certain to be surprises, but here is an early look at the week ahead in the NFL.
| Away | Predicted Score | Home | ATS Pick |
| New York Giants | 16-10 | Philadelphia Eagles | NYG -3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 13-24 | Green Bay Packers | GB -7 |
| Tennessee Titans | 24-17 | Jacksonville Jaguars | TEN -4.5 |
| Washington Redskins | 21-20 | Chicago Bears | CHI +3.5 |
| Miami Dolphins | 27-23 | Buffalo Bills | MIA +3.5 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 31-17 | Carolina Panthers | ATL -3.5 |
| San Diego Chargers | 24-14 | Cleveland Browns | SD -6.5 |
| New York Jets | 10-21 | New England Patriots | NYJ +16.5 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 28-34 | Oakland Raiders | OAK -4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 20-17 | New Orleans Saints | TB +3.5 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 13-27 | Seattle Seahawks | SEA -9 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 24-23 | Los Angeles Rams | SF +3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 14-17 | Houston Texans | HOU -2 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 20-21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | BAL +4.5 |
| Denver Broncos | 7-16 | Kansas City Chiefs | KC -4.5 |
| Detroit Lions | 13-20 | Dallas Cowboys | N/A |
Top Games of the Week
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
The AFC North will come down to two teams that don't exactly like each other.
With two games remaining, the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5) hold a slight edge over the Baltimore Ravens (8-6) in the standings. A Steelers win would clinch the division, but a loss would put the Ravens in first place with a season sweep over their rival.
While some would have preferred a clinched division by now, Pittsburgh safety Mike Mitchell is ready for the challenge, per Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com:
Both squads seem to be playing at their best over the past few weeks. The Steelers have five wins in a row, while the Ravens have won five of the last seven, with the only losses coming to the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.
The key for Baltimore is being able to contain Le'Veon Bell as it did earlier in the year, holding the running back to just 32 yards on 14 carries. However, he is such a versatile weapon that even a solid defense like this one will struggle to keep him from picking up large chunks of yardage.
Meanwhile, the Steelers offense as a whole is much better at home, especially quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with his 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions at Heinz Field.
This should be a highly competitive battle, but a healthy Pittsburgh team should be able to pull out the win.
Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders clinched a playoff berth with a win Sunday, but they are still in a heated battle with the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West title. While they hold a one-game lead, they have no room for error after getting swept in the season series.
Games against the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos especially won't be an easy way to close out the year.
On the other hand, the Colts are in even tougher shape at 7-7 on the season, one game back of both the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. Both squads came through with come-from-behind victories to stay in front in the AFC South, keeping control out of Indianapolis' hands.
Week 15 showed what can happen when everything is clicking for Indianapolis, as it blew out the Minnesota Vikings 34-6. The problem has been a real lack of consistency, from quarterback Andrew Luck all the way down the line.
The defense faces an especially tough matchup against a Raiders offense that can beat you in a lot of ways. Latavius Murray, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree could all have big games against the Colts.
Indianapolis has a chance if Luck can stay on his feet and avoid turnovers, but keeping up with Oakland on the road could prove to be difficult.
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys
It took only one loss after an 11-game winning streak for questions to pop up about the Dallas Cowboys, specifically quarterback Dak Prescott. The rookie has been outstanding for most of the season, but one bad outing in a loss to the New York Giants led some fans to call for a quarterback switch.
As Peter Burns of ESPN noted, Prescott stepped up in a big way:
Vinnie Ronca of Pro Football Focus noted how much of a difference one week made:
There will always be doubters, but the Cowboys were able to come through against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad on a five-game winning streak and win, showing this is still the team to beat in the NFC.
On the other hand, questions are just starting for the Detroit Lions after their first loss in six games. Like the Cowboys, this came at the hands of the Giants in a low-scoring battle.
The defense remains strong, holding eight straight opponents to 20 points or less, but this is a one-dimensional offense that struggles when quarterback Matthew Stafford is not at his best.
Dallas should be able to keep the opposing offense in check while relying on Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott for another win.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.
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