NFL Predictions Week 15: Upset Picks and Projections

Nothing is obvious in the NFL, even when the matchup seems incredibly one-sided on paper.

There seems to be a real separation in the league heading into Week 15 between the real contenders and the ones who just want to end the season as quickly as possible. However, last week's win by the Oakland Raiders over the San Francisco 49ers proved that anything can happen.

This week is certain to have some more upsets, the trick is figuring out which ones are most likely to take place. Here is a look at every game and a breakdown of what should be some surprising results.

Away Team	Predicted Score	Home Team	Pick ATS*
Arizona Cardinals	20-17	St. Louis Rams	ARI +4
Washington Redskins	24-34	New York Giants	NYG -6.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	13-21	Carolina Panthers	CAR -5.5
Miami Dolphins	16-28	New England Patriots	NE -8
Green Bay Packers	31-21	Buffalo Bills	GB -5
Oakland Raiders	10-17	Kansas City Chiefs	OAK +10.5
Jacksonville Jaguars	14-24	Baltimore Ravens	JAX +14
Houston Texans	17-27	Indianapolis Colts	IND -7
Pittsburgh Steelers	20-21	Atlanta Falcons	ATL +1.5
Cincinnati Bengals	24-21	Cleveland Browns	CIN PK
Denver Broncos	27-28	San Diego Chargers	SD +4
New York Jets	13-10	Tennessee Titans	NYJ -1.5
Minnesota Vikings	14-27	Detroit Lions	DET -7.5
San Francisco 49ers	7-24	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -10
Dallas Cowboys	24-31	Philadelphia Eagles	PHI -3
New Orleans Saints	17-20	Chicago Bears	CHI +3

Potential Upsets

Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

It's weird to think about a 10-3 team being an underdog, but it makes sense when you consider how well the St. Louis Rams have played lately. Two wins in a row have brought the squad to 6-7, adding to a quality year that already includes wins over the 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.

In college football, this might be enough to get into the playoff.

Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com notes how well the defense has played recently:

However, the one thing still holding this team back is the quarterback play, as Shaun Hill is clearly not the long-term answer at the position. Against a defense that knows how to stop the run, this will lead to a lot of problems moving the ball.

Although the Cardinals are dealing with tons of injuries, they still have dynamic players on the offensive side of the ball like Michael Floyd and now running back Kerwynn Williams. This should be enough to get the advantage in a much-needed game for Arizona.

San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

While the Broncos have had success against most teams in the NFL over the past few years, the Chargers showed they weren't afraid of Peyton Manning and company by winning in Denver last season.

Philip Rivers struggled against the New England Patriots, but he is ready to earn a big upset win again that could possibly boost the team's playoff chances.

Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton knows what Rivers can do, via Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post:

"

He's an elite quarterback, and if there's any quarterback that knows how to play against the Broncos, it's him. They're fighting for a playoff position, so it'll be a similar situation to last year where they came in and beat us here at home. It's something we haven't forgotten, but our mission is to go 1-0 every week — and continue to do what we've got to do to win the division.

"

The problem is Manning has slowed down his production lately, failing to top 200 passing yards in either of the last two games while completing just 57.4 percent of his passes in that stretch. He has deferred to the rushing attack, but it's clear the quarterback is not at his best.

This will be a chance for the Chargers to take over with a big performance at home. Rivers is still finding ways to spread the ball around to all of his weapons and it will help him get the ball away against an elite pass rush.

If San Diego can keep control of the game and move the football, it will earn the upset win.

Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

These have been two of the most inconsistent as well as the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season. Each came into the year with high expectations behind a loaded offense, but each is now just 5-8 heading into Week 15.

Things have been especially bad for the Saints on both sides of the ball lately, as seen in the team's 41-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers Sunday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noted the team was not taking it lightly:

The defense ranks 29th against both the run and the pass, while the offense has struggled as well with tight end Jimmy Graham becoming almost invisible in recent weeks.

Chicago has its problems as well, but Jay Cutler can still spread the ball around to Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery, helping the offense put up points.

This will likely be a back-and-forth battle, but the home team should be able to pull out the win.

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