NFL Odds Week 16: Early Locks and Best Bets on the Schedule
We're approaching Week 16, and the NFL playoff race is still very much undecided. The Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys clinched over the weekend, but only they, and the San Francisco 49ers, have already punched postseason tickets.
Many of the divisional races are still wide open, and most of the league is still mathematically alive for the playoffs. The upcoming schedule should be a thrilling one, and fans will have plenty of reasons to tune in.
For those looking to add a little spice to Week 16, there are numerous wagering opportunities ahead. Let's dive into some of the matchups and some of the early lines we like most.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
Detroit Lions -3 at Minnesota Vikings
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The Detroit Lions rebounded in fantastic fashion on Saturday, routing the Denver Broncos 42-17.
The Lions defense played a much better game than it did in the Week 14 loss to the Chicago Bears, and the offense fired on all cylinders against an improved Broncos D. Quarterback Jared Goff played a clean game, throwing for five touchdowns and no interceptions, while Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery controlled things on the ground.
When the Lions are at their best, they're tough for any team to handle, and now that they've refocused, they're going to present problems for the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota's defense is good enough to compete with playoff-caliber teams, but it isn't perfect. We saw that on Saturday, when the Cincinnati Bengals scored 21 fourth-quarter points to force overtime and then win in the extra period.
Quarterback Nick Mullens is expected to start against Detroit, and while he did some good things against Cincinnati, he had a couple of baffling turnovers too. This makes it incredibly difficult to trust the Vikings in a game that will carry a postseason atmosphere.
Minnesota will have the home-field advantage, but Detroit should leave with a convincing victory.
Indianapolis Colts -2.5 at Atlanta Falcons
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Here's the simple reality about the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons. The Colts, despite suffering numerous injuries this season, still believe they can win. Head coach Shane Steichen has done an incredible job of utilizing his depth, and Indy has the resolve of a postseason contender.
The Falcons do not. They played a lifeless game on Sunday in a 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Desmond Ridder had another game filled with questionable decisions, while Atlanta failed to get its ground game going against a suspect Carolina run defense.
The loss put the Falcons behind in the NFC South race, and it's starting to feel like the players know that a deep postseason run is impossible. We haven't seen Atlanta surrender—as the Los Angeles Chargers did on Thursday—but the breaking point could be close.
Expect Indy to come into Atlanta with the same aggressive mentality they displayed during Saturday's rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Expect Gardner Minshew to out-duel Ridder, while Indy's opportunistic defense comes away with another takeaway or two—it has now forced a turnover in 19 straight games.
This could represent Atlanta's last stand in 2023, but the Colts are the better team, have the coaching advantage and should win by at least a field goal.
Chicago Bears -4 Versus Arizona Cardinals
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The Chicago Bears lost in Week 15, but they've won two of their last three—against playoff-caliber opponents—and probably should have beaten the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Chicago's defense snagged three interceptions, had a pick-six and held Cleveland to 29 rushing yards. Darnell Mooney had what would have been the game-winning touchdown pass fall into his lap on the final play, but he couldn't corral it.
After beating the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, the Bears played well enough to beat the Browns. They know they let one get away, and they'll be eager to rebound against the Arizona Cardinals this week.
While Arizona's offense, which topped 200 rushing yards in Week 15, will give the Cardinals a chance, Chicago should eventually pull away. The Bears defense is incredibly stingy against the run, and it's playing as well as any unit in the NFL right now.
And while Justin Fields and the Bears offense have had their ups and downs, they should succeed against a Cardinals defense ranked 25th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed.
While Chicago's playoff hopes may essentially be gone, the Bears are playing for pride. The Cardinals are largely playing for draft positioning at this point.
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