NFL Predictions Week 15: Picks and Odds Advice for Latest Schedule

It's only fitting the remainder of the Week 15 schedule features major playoff implications—or for those out of the postseason running, major draft implications.

After all, with regular-season action set to end on Dec. 31, bettors who enjoy playing the picks and odds don't have much time to either round out the season-long bankroll or recoup losses from what has been quite the tough season.

Week 15 won't provide a layup of sorts for bettors, either. Saturday, the favored Los Angeles Chargers, one of the league's hottest teams, saw their playoff hopes take a major hit when the Kansas City Chiefs whipped them 30-13.

Now the page turns to Sunday, when the task in front of bettors doesn't get any easier.

NFL Week 15 Matchups, Odds

Arizona at Washington (-4) | O/U 43.5

Baltimore (-7.5) at Cleveland | O/U 40

Cincinnati at Minnesota (-11) | O/U 42

Green Bay at Carolina (-3) | O/U 45

Houston at Jacksonville (-11) | O/U 39.5

Miami at Buffalo (-3) | O/U 39

N.Y. Jets at New Orleans (-16) | O/U 47

Philadelphia (-7.5) at N.Y. Giants | O/U 40

L.A. Rams at Seattle (-2) | O/U 48

New England (-3) at Pittsburgh | O/U

Tennessee at San Francisco (-2) | O/U 44

Dallas (-3) at Oakland | O/U 46

Atlanta (-6) at Tampa Bay | O/U 48

Cincinnati at Minnesota (-11) | O/U 42

Over the past five or six years, the Cincinnati Bengals have been a rather reliable postseason participant and mostly strong team in December.

Not this year, though.

These Bengals are 5-8 and it seems as though head coach Marvin Lewis is on the way out. Likely pushing this needle further in that direction is a Sunday date against former understudy Mike Zimmer and his Minnesota Vikings, a 10-3 team boasting an elite defense and quarterback Case Keenum playing like one of the league's biggest surprises.

Losers of two in a row, the latest a 33-7 embarrassment at the hands of a rebuilding Chicago Bears team, the Bengals won't have all three starting linebackers on the field and will also miss starting running back Joe Mixon, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport:

Things aren't nearly as dramatic for the Vikings. A 31-24 road loss to a team like the Carolina Panthers isn't a major red flag, especially not when the Vikings had won eight games in a row before it. Keenum still completes 66.8 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and his defense still ranks second at 18.1 points surrendered per game.

Given the coaching bloodlines, it isn't surprising to see Minnesota is built like Cincinnati and capable of beating the Bengals at their own game. The road team's biggest weapon is A.J. Green, but he hasn't been himself this year, with all of three 100-yard performances.

With Mixon out and the ground game stifled, the Minnesota defense can use a loud home advantage to force the Bengals into some crucial second-half mistakes.

Prediction: Vikings 24, Bengals 14

Houston at Jacksonville (-11)

Before this season, those in charge of the schedule might have considered the roles reversed in this matchup.

Instead, it's the Jacksonville Jaguars heading to the playoffs and the Houston Texans searching for answers. While the Deshaun Watson flash in the pan was fun and a big sign of things to come, Houston is all of 4-9 and losers not only of three in a row but in six of seven—including stumbles at the hands of miserable Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers teams.

Business has been great for the Jaguars over the same span. They have won six of seven, including a Week 14 30-24 dismissal of the Seattle Seahawks that even has quarterback Blake Bortles talking like it was one of the best games of his career.

"I think it's definitely up there," Bortles said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com). "Offensively, we go out there and put up that kind of performance together, execute the way that we did, run game, pass game, against a good team, a good defense like that. We talked about the situation, doing it in December. I think it was a big game all around."

That's a confidence level many teams never reach. Bortles has rookie back Leonard Fournette playing well behind him, with 923 yards and eight touchdowns, and his defense is up to 47 sacks, 19 interceptions and 16 forced fumbles while allowing only 15.5 points per game.

Things have come full circle for both teams. Jacksonville beat Houston 29-7 to start the season, forcing the Texans into benching Tom Savage for Watson in the opener while tallying 10 total sacks and keeping the running game in check. Bortles didn't do much while his ground game cruised for 155 yards and a score.

Season-long bettors will likely have a serious sense of deja vu by the time this one goes final.

Prediction: Jaguars 30, Texans 10

Atlanta (-6) at Tampa Bay

Speaking of deja vu, bettors might have that same sense when the Atlanta Falcons visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

These NFC South rivals did the same dance back in Week 12, a 34-20 dominant showing for the Falcons wherein Matt Ryan threw for 317 yards and a score and his ground game picked up 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns on a 5.3 per-carry average.

Everything adds up to Julio Jones and the Falcons feeling quite confident entering this one:

And why not? Jameis Winston's return hasn't exactly propelled the Buccaneers to new heights. They have still lost three games in a row, including an overtime contest to the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers. The defense still ranks 23rd at 24 points allowed per game, and the offense hasn't scored more than 21 points over the losing streak.

For comparison, Atlanta has won four of five, and even the loss was understandable given it came against the surging Vikings. The Falcons seem like a team gearing up for a postseason run, in large part propelled by a ground game averaging 4.4 yards and a defense quietly allowing only 20.1 points per game.

For the Falcons, the blueprint doesn't change much here—the running game can shred the Buccaneers on the ground, forcing Winston into a predictable attack that has had problems all year.

Prediction: Falcons 28, Buccaneers 20

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Odds according to OddsShark.