NFL Week 16 Predictions: Early Projections for Vegas' Odds, Lines and Spreads

The Minnesota Vikings are getting close to clinching a playoff spot. They also have a chance to win the NFC North title, and that scenario may be dependent on beating the New York Giants in Week 16.

The Vikings ripped the Chicago Bears 38-17 in Week 15 and improved to 9-5 with the victory. The Giants roared back in memorable fashion to forge a 35-35 tie with the undefeated Carolina Panthers late in the fourth quarter, but they lost on a last-second field goal by Carolina's Graham Gano.

Just what will the 6-8 Giants have left in the tank for this game? Tom Coughlin's team has to be filled with regret as a result of the number of games it has blown in the fourth quarter this season, and mustering the effort to win at Minnesota may not be within its capabilities.

The Vikings received a sensational effort from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. While he lacks the strong arm that most top NFL quarterbacks have, he threw four TD passes against the Bears, and he also ran for a touchdown.

Additionally, the Vikings will unleash powerful running back Adrian Peterson on New York's yielding 31st-ranked defense. If the Vikings get off to a good start, the Giants will almost certainly lack the inclination to stop Peterson.

Minnesota is an early four-point favorite for the Sunday night game, according to Odds Shark. We expect the Vikings defense to slow down Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., while the Giants defense will do little to stop the Vikings.

If the Vikings can win this game, they will play at Green Bay in Week 17 for the NFC North title. If they blow this game and Green Bay wins in Week 16, the Vikings can only play for a wild-card spot.

We like the Vikings to win and cover, and we expect this line to go up as the week progresses.

Game	Line	Prediction
San Diego at Oakland	Oakland -6	Oakland
Washington at Philadelphia	Philadelphia -4	Washington
Pittsburgh at Baltimore	Pittsburgh -9.5	Baltimore
San Francisco at Detroit	Detroit -8.5	Detroit
Indianapolis at Miami	No line	Indianapolis
New England at N.Y. Jets	New England -3	N.Y. Jets
Dallas at Buffalo	Buffalo -5.5	Buffalo
Houston at Tennessee	No line	Houston
Chicago at Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay -2.5	Tampa Bay
Cleveland at Kansas City	Kansas City -12.5	Kansas City
Carolina at Atlanta	Carolina -6.5	Carolina
Jacksonville at New Orleans	New Orleans -3.5	Jacksonville
St. Louis at Seattle	Seattle -14	St. Louis
Green Bay at Arizona	Arizona -4	Arizona
N.Y. Giants at Minnesota	Minnesota -4	Minnesota
Cincinnati at Denver	No line	Denver

Panthers not about to be stopped

The Carolina Panthers are playing for a spot in the history books. After surviving a tremendous 28-point comeback by the New York Giants in Week 15, the Panthers are two regular-season games away from recording a perfect 16-0 mark in the regular season.

The only team to go through a 16-game season with a perfect record is the 2007 New England Patriots.

The Panthers will travel to Atlanta for their Week 16 test, and they will meet the Falcons two weeks after registering a 38-0 victory at home over their opponents. 

While the Falcons finally managed a win in Week 15 over the Jacksonville Jaguars, not enough has changed to make a decent showing by the home team seem likely.

Carolina linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis will set the tone with their range and vicious hitting, while cornerback Josh Norman is talented enough to limit Atlanta wideout Julio Jones.

Then there's Cam Newton, who is simply unstoppable when the game is on the line. Newton completed 25 of 45 passes for 340 yards with five TDs and no interceptions against the Giants. He also ran eight times for 100 yards.

The bottom line is Newton will do whatever he needs to in order to ensure a Carolina victory. Look for the Panthers to cover the 6.5-point spread.

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Jets must figure it out at home versus Pats

The Jets have exceeded expectations under first-year head coach Todd Bowles. After falling apart last season with a 4-12 record, the Jets have turned it around and are a strong playoff contender with a 9-5 record.

They have won four games in a row, but they are still on the outside of the playoff structure looking in because the Kansas City Chiefs (9-5) and Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5) hold the tiebreaker edges. The only way the Jets are going to get in the playoffs is if they keep on winning and Pittsburgh or Kansas City slips in one of their two remaining games.

That may not be likely since both teams have favorable schedules, but the Jets can only control their own play. Ryan Fitzpatrick is making key plays and winning games, and his teammates and coaching staff have faith in him. He drove the Jets to a 19-16 comeback victory at Dallas Saturday night.

The Jets will have to be at their best against the New England Patriots. While the Pats have righted themselves after two straight losses, Bill Belichick's team is still undermanned due to injuries.

While New England is always fully prepared, it may be difficult for it to come up with its best effort in this game. The Jets should have more motivation than the Patriots, and we expect the Jets to get the upset as three-point underdogs.

You heard it here first. The Jets will get the best of the Patriots.