NFL Week 16 Picks: Upcoming Odds and Predictions for Full Schedule

The 2016 NFL season is rapidly reaching its conclusion, with only two more weeks remaining after Monday night's game between the Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins.

Almost every game in Week 16 carries some level of importance, whether it's playoff seeding or draft positioning. The fact that six of the eight divisions remain up for grabs only adds to the drama this week.

Football fans can't go wrong turning on any of the 16 matchups ahead in the coming days, but the three below are among those that carry the most significance.

Week 16 Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Away	Home	TV Info	Spread	Prediction (ATS)
Dec. 22	8:25 p.m.	New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	NBC/NFLN	NYG (-4)	Eagles
Dec. 24	1 p.m.	Miami Dolphins	Buffalo Bills	CBS	BUF (-3.5)	Bills
Dec. 24	1 p.m.	New York Jets	New England Patriots	CBS	NE (-16.5)	Patriots
Dec. 24	1 p.m.	Tennessee Titans	Jacksonville Jaguars	CBS	TEN (-3.5)	Jaguars
Dec. 24	1 p.m.	Minnesota Vikings	Green Bay Packers	Fox	GB (-6.5)	Packers
Dec. 24	1 p.m.	San Diego Chargers	Cleveland Browns	CBS	SD (-6.5)	Chargers
Dec. 24	1 p.m.	Washington Redskins	Chicago Bears	Fox	WAS (-4)	Bears
Dec. 24	1 p.m.	Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	Fox	ATL (-3.5)	Falcons
Dec. 24	4:05 p.m.	Indianapolis Colts	Oakland Raiders	CBS	OAK (-3.5)	Raiders
Dec. 24	4:25 p.m.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	New Orleans Saints	Fox	NO (-3.5)	Saints
Dec. 24	4:25 p.m.	Arizona Cardinals	Seattle Seahawks	Fox	SEA (-6.5)	Seahawks
Dec. 24	4:25 p.m.	San Francisco 49ers	St. Louis Rams	Fox	LA (-3)	49ers
Dec. 24	8:25 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals	Houston Texans	NFLN	HOU (-3.5)	Texans
Dec. 25	4:30 p.m.	Baltimore Ravens	Pittsburgh Steelers	NFL	PIT (-3.5)	Steelers
Dec. 25	8:30 p.m.	Denver Broncos	Kansas City Chiefs	NBC	KC (-3.5)	Broncos
Dec. 26	8:30 p.m.	Detroit Lions	Dallas Cowboys	ESPN	N/A	N/A

Games to Watch

San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

The Cleveland Browns are only two games away from making history, and at this rate, they might as well embrace a 0-16 finish, as Esquire's Scott Raab argued on Twitter:

Since a winless season became a real possibility, it's almost impressive the way the Browns haven't even looked close to getting their first victory. Their last six defeats were by double digits, and the streak would've been eight games if not for Andrew Hawkins' touchdown reception with 12 seconds left in their Week 8 loss to the New York Jets.

Week 16 will be the Browns' best chance to avoid infamy. They face off with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who may need a win to seal the AFC North, in Week 17. As if losing to Cleveland wouldn't be bad enough for Pittsburgh, losing the division in the process would be an even bigger hit to the Steelers.

If the Browns can't get the better of the San Diego Chargers on Saturday, then Cleveland will almost certainly have its second parade in honor of a historic sports team. 

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Speaking of the Steelers, Pittsburgh scored 15 second-half points to come from behind and beat the Cincinnati Bengals. The win was less about the Steelers and more about the Bengals once again throwing away a win against Pittsburgh.

Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review shared comments from Bengals coach Marvin Lewis that ought to be enough to cost Lewis his job:

Regardless of the circumstances, it was an important result for the Steelers, who maintain a one-game edge over the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh can clinch the division with a win, but a loss could do serious damage.

The Ravens already own a head-to-head victory over the Steelers from Week 9. Notching a second win on Christmas Day would give Baltimore the tiebreaker should it and Pittsburgh finish with the same record.

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

A division crown is already out of reach for the Denver Broncos, and the reigning Super Bowl champions may miss out on the playoffs altogether.

The Broncos also face a tough schedule to close out the season. Not only do they play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16, they close out the regular season with the Oakland Raiders. Granted, Denver's postseason hopes may already be extinguished by the time Week 17 rolls around.

Having finished runners-up behind the Broncos in the last three seasons, the Chiefs will be motivated to beat Denver in Week 16. Although the Chiefs own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders, that may not matter for them in terms of the AFC West title race following its loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Pro Football Talk's Darin Gantt noted the Chiefs have only received a grudging respect over the last few years:

Kansas City's Week 15 loss only emboldened the team's critics, but getting the better of the Broncos on Sunday would help the Chiefs silence some of their doubters and keep their division challenge alive.

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

At this point, Detroit Lions fans wouldn't be surprised to see the team throw away a golden opportunity to win its first division title since 1993. The Lions' recent history is littered with missed chances.

They lost seven of their last eight games in 2007 following a 6-2 start and six of their final seven in 2013 after rolling out to a 6-3 record. In 2014, Detroit lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17 and finished a game back in the NFC North.

FanGraphs' Paul Sporer is already expecting the worst in 2016:

The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, will be looking to reassert themselves as the team to beat in the NFC following their Week 14 slip-up against the New York Giants.

Dallas beat the Tampa Bay Bay Buccaneers 26-20 on Sunday night. Dak Prescott threw for 279 yards, while Ezekiel Elliott had 159 rushing yards and a touchdown. It was a solid win for the Cowboys, but losing at home to the Lions could raise a few questions so close to the playoffs.

Note: Game spreads are courtesy of OddsShark.