Week 15 NFL Picks: Predictions for Vegas' Final Odds, Props on Sunday's Schedule

On paper, some of the games in NFL Week 15 look like they will be over before the first half ends.

The New Orleans Saints, for example, are 16.5-point favorites against the New York Jets. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 10.5-point favorites against the Houston Texans even though star running back Leonard Fournette will not play because of a quad injury.

However, a few other matchups have the potential to be instant classics. In particular, the Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers game might end up being a back-and-forth shootout in which the team with the ball last wins.

We will explain why the prediction here is that the Packers-Panthers battle will be the highest-scoring matchup of the gameweek in addition to providing a score prediction for each game.

All odds are according to OddsShark, and all props are per Oddschecker.

Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins (-4, 41 O/U)

Pick: Cardinals 24, Redskins 17

Prop Pick: Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald receiving yards: Under 74.5

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-10.5, 38 O/U)

Pick: Jaguars 31, Texans 7

Prop Pick: Houston Texans RB Lamar Miller rushing yards: Under 57.5

Baltimore Ravens (-7, 40.5 O/U) at Cleveland Browns

Pick: Ravens 20, Browns 10

Prop Pick: Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco passing yards: Under 239.5

Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings (-11, 42 O/U)

Pick: Vikings 24, Bengals 13

Prop Pick: Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green receiving yards: Under 70.5

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-1, 47 O/U)

Pick: Seahawks 30, Rams 23

Prop Pick: Los Angeles Rams RB Todd Gurley rushing yards: Over 67.5

Dallas Cowboys (-3, 45 O/U) at Oakland Raiders

Pick: Raiders 24, Cowboys 17

Prop Pick: Oakland Raiders WR Michael Crabtree receiving yards: Over 64.5

Atlanta Falcons (-6, 49 O/U) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17

Prop Pick: Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones receiving yards: Over 104.5

Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers (-1, 44.5 O/U)

Pick: 49ers 20, Titans 13

Prop Pick: San Francisco 49ers RB Carlos Hyde rushing yards: Over 54.5

New England Patriots (-2.5, 53.5 O/U) at Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Steelers 24, Patriots 23

Prop Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown receiving yards: Over 99.5

Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers (-3, 47 O/U)

Pick: Panthers 31, Packers 27

Prop Pick: Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton rushing yards: Over 45.5

New York Jets at New Orleans Saints (-16.5, 47 O/U)

Pick: Saints 31, Jets 7

Prop Pick: New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas receiving yards: Over 80.5

Philadelphia Eagles (-7.5, 40 O/U) at New York Giants

Pick: Eagles 24, Giants 10

Prop Pick: Philadelphia Eagles WR Nelson Agholor receiving yards: Over 49.5

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (-3.5, 39 O/U)

Pick: Bills 24, Dolphins 17

Prop Pick: Buffalo Bills RB LeSean McCoy rushing yards: Over 94.5

Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to the team after suffering a broken collarbone against the Minnesota Vikings in October. His resume doesn't need to be repeated here, but for the record, Rodgers was still dominating in his 10th season as Green Bay's starter before the injury, throwing for 13 touchdowns in a little over five games.

Rodgers will obviously be a welcome sight for wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who wasn't able to find a rhythm without him in the lineup. In the four full games Nelson played with Rodgers this year, he scored six touchdowns. But the 10-year veteran hasn't found pay dirt since Week 5.

Packers wideout Davante Adams also had solid chemistry with Rodgers, but he has had one of the best seasons of any NFL pass-catcher this year even with the two-time NFL MVP sidelined for two months.

For the year, the former Fresno State star has caught 69 passes for 828 yards and nine touchdowns. Like Nelson, Adams saw plenty of scoring opportunities with Rodgers at quarterback, with four scores in the season's first five games.

If Nelson, Adams and Rodgers are all able to recapture their form together, then this game could turn into a high-scoring affair rather quickly.

On the opposite sideline, the Panthers offense looks like it matches up well with a banged-up Packers defense that won't have cornerback Davon House, who has a back injury and will not play Sunday.

Wideouts Devin Funchess and Damiere Byrd could have big days. Funchess is a tough cover at 6'4" and 225 pounds, and he and quarterback Cam Newton have connected for seven touchdowns this season.

Byrd hasn't seen much action this year, largely because he was out for over two months because of the broken forearm he suffered in Week 4, but he played 58 percent of the snaps in Week 14, per Pro Football Reference. He also caught all five of his targets for 37 yards against a tough Minnesota Vikings defense that is second in the NFL in passing yards allowed per attempt (6.4).

The former South Carolina Gamecock is also a serious matchup problem because of his speed; prior to the 2015 NFL draft, he ran an eye-popping 4.28 yard dash on grass. If he gets the ball in open space, Byrd can take it to the house.

Funchess and Byrd get a more manageable matchup Sunday, as Green Bay ranks 28th in the NFL passing yards per attempt (7.8), and now it won't have House in the secondary.

The top two Panther wideouts could be joined by veterans tight end Greg Olsen in the aerial attack.

Olsen, who accrued three straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2014 to 2016, is back in the mix after suffering a broken foot in Week 2.

Although Olsen only caught the ball once in his first two games after his return (one of which he left early because of a reaggravation of the foot injury), he is seeing the field often. Per Pro Football Reference, Olsen played 92 percent of the snaps against the Vikings Sunday. Olsen did not see a target, but head coach Ron Rivera recently said the team plans to get him more involved in the regular season's closing weeks, per Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer.

If that increased involvement begins Sunday and Olsen starts showing flashes of being the security blanket he was for Newton over the past three full seasons, then that just gives the Packers another issue to handle on defense.

Here's another reason to consider why this matchup could feature downfield pass after downfield pass: Both running games might struggle.

For the season, the Panthers average just 3.63 running back yards per carry, according to Football Outsiders. Only seven teams in the NFL have lower averages. 

Green Bay's running game has sprung to life a bit with rookie Jamaal Williams' emergence in recent weeks, but the Carolina run defense is one of the best in the game. For the season, it has allowed only 89.5 yards per contest, which ranks fourth in the NFL.

Look for Newton and Rodgers to air it out early and often in a back-and-forth shootout the Panthers will win.