NFL Predictions Week 15: Early Odds, Picks and Projections for Upcoming Schedule

The playoff battle is coming down to the wire in many hotly-contested NFL divisions heading into a crucial Week 15 slate.

If you're in the AFC North, you're just looking for any sort of advantage in a division that features four teams above .500. For those in the NFC South, such a record would be a welcomed commodity with each team struggling to stay afloat.

Even though some of the league's heavyweights have been separating themselves from the pack in recent weeks, many playoff spots are still up for grabs, meaning seasons will be on the line for a handful of squads this weekend.

Let's take a complete look at odds and picks for the Week 15 slate.

Matchup	Spread	Prediction
Arizona at St. Louis	STL -3	STL 29-24
New York Jets at Tennessee	TEN -2	NYJ 24-17
Pittsburgh at Atlanta	Even	PIT 34-30
Washington at New York Giants	NYG -6.5	NYG 24-21
Miami at New England	NE -7.5	NE 38-20
Oakland at Kansas City	KC -9.5	KC 31-20
Houston at Indianapolis	IND -7	IND 24-21
Jacksonville at Baltimore	BAL -12.5	BAL 41-17
Green Bay at Buffalo	GB -6	GB 34-20
Tampa Bay at Carolina	CAR -5.5	CAR 31-23
Cincinnati at Cleveland	Even	CIN 27-24
Denver at San Diego	DEN -3.5	DEN 31-30
Minnesota at Detroit	DET -7	DET 28-27
San Francisco at Seattle	SEA -7.5	SEA 21-10
Dallas at Philadelphia	PHI -7.5	PHI 31-24
New Orleans at Chicago	NO -3	NO 31-24

Note: Odds according to Odds Shark, last updated Dec. 8.

Top Week 15 Games

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (-7.5)

The 49ers are in full-on free-fall mode as Week 15 looms, which is not the place anyone wants to be in with a trip to Seattle on the schedule.

The two NFC West juggernauts met on Thanksgiving Day, and it didn't turn out so well for the Niners. Seattle cruised to a 19-3 win behind a defensive effort that resembled the dominant performances the unit made a regularity last season.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

A four-point loss at Kansas City is the only defeat suffered by this Seahawks team since mid-October, and they showed with a 24-14 win over Philadelphia that they can thwart even the most formidable of offenses at the current rate.

It will take a scorching-hot quarterback to go into Seattle and even contend, which Colin Kaepernick just isn't right now. ESPN Stats and Info captured his recent struggles going down the field:

The 49ers defense won't fold, but the offense will yet again. Seattle can only be exposed with deep balls down the field, which Kaepernick has shown an inability to produce as of late.

Seattle will find covering a touchdown spread rather easy, as the Seahawks further diminish San Francisco's fleeting postseason hopes.

Prediction: Seattle 21, San Francisco 10

New Orleans Saints (-3) at Chicago Bears

Speaking of teams in a free-fall, did I mention the Chicago Bears?

Jay Cutler's squad enters Week 15 with a paltry 5-8 record that the Saints mirror as they head to Soldier Field, but the two teams couldn't be more different in terms of postseason aspirations. The Saints are in a dead heat with Atlanta in the NFC South race, while the Bears have fallen to the bottom of the pecking order in the NFC North.

New Orleans' playoff efforts hit somewhat of a snag with last week's 41-10 home loss to the Carolina Panthers, but that result only furthered the unbelievable notion that the mighty Saints—at least of late—are more of a danger on the road than at home. They have lost four straight now at home, but look to win their third straight road affair in Chicago.

While their recent success away from home will give them some newfound confidence, Drew Brees will lead them to victory. The prolific passer goes up against a Bears secondary ranking 30th in the league, and their struggles against top quarterbacks suggest another big day for Brees, per ESPN.com's Mike Sando:

The Saints defense hasn't been much better, but a big offensive outing shouldn't be expected against any team for the Bears, who have failed to score 30 points a single time this season. 

Chicago is a mess in the secondary and Brees will take advantage to bring out the boo-birds again at Soldier Field, posting an all-important win for the Saints' playoff hopes.

Prediction: Saints 31, Bears 24