NFL Week 15 Picks: Early Odds and Predictions for Every Upcoming Game

Week 14 of the NFL season helped make the playoff picture even clearer, as the Carolina Panthers officially clinched a first-round bye, while the San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers were all mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. 

And while they weren't mathematically nixed, the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears hurt their chances with losses to Green Bay and Washington, respectively.

While Week 14 saw plenty of action, Week 15 is only more meaningful for playoff scenarios, so let's get right into breaking down the picks and odds for each matchup. Then, we'll preview teams that can help their playoff fortunes with a win in Week 15. 

Away	Home	Pick	Spread
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	St. Louis Rams	Buccaneers	Ev
New York Jets	Dallas Cowboys	Jets	NYJ -3
Carolina Panthers	New York Giants	Panthers	CAR -4
Tennessee Titans	New England Patriots	Patriots	NE -12.5
Buffalo Bills	Washington Redskins	Bills	Ev
Kansas City Chiefs	Baltimore Ravens	Chiefs	KC -7
Houston Texans	Indianapolis Colts	Texans	N/A
Atlanta Falcons	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jaguars	JAC -3
Chicago Bears	Minnesota Vikings	Vikings	MIN -4.5
Green Bay Packers	Oakland Raiders	Packers	GB -2.5
Cleveland Browns	Seattle Seahawks	Seahawks	SEA -14
Cincinnati Bengals	San Francisco 49ers	Bengals	CIN -4
Miami Dolphins	San Diego Chargers	Dolphins	Ev
Denver Broncos	Pittsburgh Steelers	Steelers	PIT -6.5
Arizona Cardinals	Philadelphia Eagles	Cardinals	ARI -3.5
Detroit Lions	New Orleans Saints	Saints	N/A

Teams That Control Playoff Destiny in Week 15

Cincinnati Bengals (10-3)

If the Bengals can beat the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15, they'll be on their way to the playoffs. 

Easily done, right?

But with starting quarterback Andy Dalton out at least one week and possibly the rest of the season with a fractured thumb, as ESPN's Bob Holtzman reported Sunday via ESPN.com's Coley Harvey, those playoff hopes will fall on the shoulders of backup AJ McCarron.

Per Harvey, "The best-case scenario, sources told Holtzman, is that Dalton will return for the playoffs."

McCarron looked decent against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, throwing for 280 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but the Bengals ultimately fell to the Steelers 33-20. 

And even if McCarron, with a hefty dose of help from A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard, can carry the Bengals past the 49ers in Week 15, can the team beat a playoff-caliber AFC opponent such as the New England Patriots or Denver Broncos?

Per Harvey, McCarron is displaying confidence as he prepares to make his first career start against San Francisco: 

The quarterback even likened the situation he now finds himself in to that of Tom Brady's, per Harvey. 

Tight end Tyler Eifert making it through the concussion protocol successfully in the days leading up to the Week 15 matchup will be a crucial factor in the Bengals' attempt to win the game and clinch a playoff berth. 

Green Bay Packers (9-4)

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

The Green Bay Packers' 9-4 record may not look very dominant, especially with the 8-5 Minnesota Vikings breathing down their neck in the NFC North.

But given the playoff picture in the NFC, the Packers can clinch a playoff berth in Week 15, and it will start with beating the red-hot Oakland Raiders, who are coming off a surprising 15-12 win over the Denver Broncos. 

Green Bay appears to be getting hot at the right time, winning its second consecutive game of the season—over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday—for the first time since its Week 7 bye week.

Head coach Mike McCarthy resumed play-calling duties from associate head coach Tom Clements, and the shift was noticeable in the offense, which was balanced and efficient, if still lacking in explosiveness.

The Packers ran the ball 20 times and passed the ball 20 times against the Cowboys. 

However, Aaron Rodgers' pass-catchers are still struggling to win their matchups, especially on the outside, which is the main area of the offense that has been affected by the loss of star wideout Jordy Nelson, known for his success on the outside. 

But with a more dominant run game, led by a re-emergent Eddie Lacy and a shifty James Starks, Rodgers may find that his opportunities in the passing game increase as his receivers find themselves more open.

The Packers have a lot of work to do to enter the playoffs as a top-three seed, but that starts with a win over the Raiders.

Denver Broncos (10-3)

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

As mentioned above, the Broncos suffered a surprising and disheartening loss to the Raiders on Sunday, even after Oakland only managed to gain minus-12 yards in the entire first half. 

As Troy Renck of the Denver Post pointed out, that was quite a feat for the vaunted Broncos defense:

However, somewhere in the second half it all went wrong for the Broncos, who allowed Derek Carr to complete two touchdown passes and, to add insult to injury, a safety.  

The Broncos had a big hand in their own demise; wide receiver Demaryius Thomas had two critical drops, including one that would have been a game-deciding touchdown, and a lost fumble. 

And while Brock Osweiler has performed admirably in Peyton Manning's absence, the task of beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, who dismantled the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14, looms larger with the loss to the Raiders hanging over the team. 

The Broncos would need fortune to smile on them in a big way to clinch a playoff berth in Week 15. In addition to beating the Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets would also have to lose. 

At this point, Denver needs to take it one week at a time, rather than getting caught up in the big picture ahead.  

 NFL odds via Odds Shark and current as of Dec. 13.