NFL Predictions Week 16: Picks Guide, Odds Advice and Schedule Info

Nearly all of Week 16 is in the books thanks to the holiday scheduling, but there are still three games remaining that are loaded with postseason implications.

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers will clash for control of the AFC North, the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos will look to keep their fledgling playoff hopes alive against a Kansas City Chiefs team attempting to cement theirs and the Detroit Lions will try to hang on to their narrow NFC North lead against a Dallas Cowboys squad that already clinched home-field advantage.

With that in mind, here is a look at the remaining Week 16 schedule, as well as the point spreads and predictions. Point spreads are according to OddsShark, as of Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	Point Spread	Predicted Winner Against the Spread
Sunday, Dec. 25	Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers	4:30 p.m.	PIT -3.5	Steelers
Sunday, Dec. 25	Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs	8:30 p.m.	KC -3.5	Chiefs
Monday, Dec. 26	Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys	8:30 p.m.	DAL -7	Cowboys

Predictions

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the best rivalries in the league will take center stage on Christmas Day, when the Steelers and Ravens square off.

Baltimore snapped a four-game losing streak on Nov. 6 with a 21-14 win over Pittsburgh thanks largely to a defense that held Pittsburgh scoreless through three quarters and running back Le'Veon Bell to a mere 32 rushing yards.

It was business as usual considering the Ravens have beaten Pittsburgh in six of their last seven meetings, per Daniel Benjamin of CBS Baltimore.

Thanks to that head-to-head win, the Ravens control their own destiny in the division despite a one-game deficit. If they beat Pittsburgh and the Cincinnati Bengals to finish the year, they will reach the postseason. However, the Steelers will clinch the AFC North if they beat Baltimore on Sunday.

Pittsburgh offensive lineman David DeCastro set the tone, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "If you can't get up for this one, you're probably not alive."

This game will be different because it is in Pittsburgh. The Ravens are just 2-4 on the road, with all four losses coming in succession. In fact, their only two road wins came against the hapless Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars early in the season.

If the Ravens plan on beating Pittsburgh again, they will need a defense that was second in the league in rushing yards allowed per game at the conclusion of Week 15 to come through against Bell. However, it just allowed 128 yards on 20 carries against the Philadelphia Eagles' Ryan Mathews and will face a red-hot Bell, who has gone over 100 yards from scrimmage in six straight games. 

Bell exploded against the Buffalo Bills during that stretch for 236 rushing yards and 62 receiving yards and has 1,747 yards from scrimmage in 11 games.

Baltimore will have to commit additional defenders to the box to slow Bell, which will open up lanes for Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh aerial attack.

The Ravens won't be able to keep up with the Bell-Brown combination against a Pittsburgh defense that has given up an average of just 262.4 yards and 14 points per game over the last five contests, per Benjamin.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Ravens 14

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have the opportunity to finish a season sweep of the Broncos after winning the first meeting in Denver 30-27 in overtime. The Broncos had a 24-16 lead in the waning seconds of regulation but allowed a touchdown and two-point conversion and lost in the extra period.

The defending Super Bowl champions have to travel to Kansas City, where the Chiefs are 5-2 on the season. What's more, Denver's offense is playing some of its worst football of the season and scored 20 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 10 points against the Tennessee Titans and three points against the New England Patriots in the last three games.

The Broncos have dropped three of four and ended Week 15 an abysmal 27th in the league in rushing yards per game.

Greg A. Bedard of Sports Illustrated didn't hold back in his criticism of the unit:

The Chiefs defense, which was eighth in the league in points allowed per game at the end of Week 15, will dictate the tempo in this one and eliminate the Broncos from postseason contention.

Kansas City's defense will prove to be the difference, but the emergence of Tyreek Hill makes its offense more dangerous as well. With Kansas City's defense shutting down the Broncos, the Chiefs will need a couple of big plays from the game-changing receiver, who scored on an 86-yard kick return and caught a touchdown against the Broncos in the first meeting.

Prediction: Chiefs 20, Broncos 10

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys

In terms of their NFC North chances, this game is essentially meaningless for the Lions. They face the Green Bay Packers in a winner-take-all showdown in Week 17 but can help their wild-card chances with a victory over Dallas.

The Lions run defense was a solid but unspectacular 11th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game at conclusion of Week 15 and will need a strong performance in Dallas on Monday to have a chance.

Detroit will have trouble containing Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott for the entire four quarters. Elliott has 1,551 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns in his rookie campaign as a potential league MVP and went over 100 total yards in each of the last six games. He also has at least 80 rushing yards in every game but the season opener against the New York Giants.

The Cowboys are undefeated against the rest of the league but 0-2 against the Giants and will continue that pattern in this contest.

Despite a 9-5 record and their first-place position in the NFC North, the Lions were a dismal 20th in the league in points per game at the conclusion of Week 15. They tallied a mere six points in a Week 15 loss to the Giants, and quarterback Matthew Stafford is dealing with a finger injury on his throwing hand.

That unit won't be able to keep up with Dallas' playmakers for the entire game, especially on the road.

Prediction: Cowboys 27, Lions 17