NFL Week 15 Predictions: Initial Vegas Odds, Lines, Spreads and Projections

The opening betting lines for Week 15 of the NFL season are closer than what we've seen in previous weeks. 

The highest spread is 8.5 points, which was given to the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams ahead of their home clashes with the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.

While those lines will receive their share of attention, the ones worth focusing on are the smaller ones made for what are expected to be the games of the week. 

Thursday's AFC West clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs headlines Week 15's list of marquee games, but there are also a few Sunday contests that will alter the playoff picture in the AFC and NFC.

NFL Week 15 Schedule and Odds

All Times ET.

Thursday, December 13

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City (-3.5) (8:20 p.m., Fox) 

Saturday, December 15

Houston (-6.5) at New York Jets (4:30 p.m., NFL Network) 

Cleveland at Denver (-3.5) (8:20 p.m., NFL Network) 

Sunday, December 16

Oakland at Cincinnati (-3) (1 p.m., CBS) 

Miami at Minnesota (-8) (1 p.m., CBS) 

Tennessee at New York Giants (-2.5) (1 p.m., CBS) 

Washington at Jacksonville (-7) (1 p.m., CBS) 

Arizona at Atlanta (-8.5) (1 p.m., Fox) 

Detroit at Buffalo (-2.5) (1 p.m., Fox) 

Green Bay at Chicago (-4) (1 p.m., Fox) 

Dallas at Indianapolis (-3) (1 p.m., Fox) 

Tampa Bay at Baltimore (-8) (1 p.m., Fox) 

Seattle (-4.5) at San Francisco (4:05 p.m., Fox) 

New England at Pittsburgh (N/A) (4:25 p.m., CBS) 

Philadelphia at Los Angeles Rams (-8.5) (8:20 p.m., NBC) 

Monday, December 17

New Orleans (-6.5) at Carolina (8:15 p.m., ESPN) 

Odds obtained from OddsShark. Picks against the spread in bold. 

Projections

Chiefs 37, Chargers 34

We don't have to wait until Sunday for the most anticipated game of Week 15, as the Los Angeles Chargers visit the Kansas City Chiefs with first place in the AFC West on the line Thursday. 

The Chiefs hold a one-game lead on the Chargers, and they came away victorious in their first matchup of the season in Week 1 behind four touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes. 

Mahomes, who is up to 4,300 passing yards through 13 games, will once again be the focal point of the contest as he attempts to set the tone with a few scoring drives in the first quarter. 

Although Mahomes is still rolling in the passing game, the Chiefs haven't played the cleanest games in December, as they beat Oakland by seven on the road and needed overtime to dispense of Baltimore. 

The Chargers also come into Week 15 off a pair of tight wins. They came from behind to defeat Pittsburgh by three points and squeezed out a five-point home victory over Cincinnati in Week 14.

The AFC West clash at Arrowhead Stadium should turn into a head-to-head battle between Mahomes and Philip Rivers since neither team has a healthy run game at the moment. 

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Spencer Ware is adjusting to the workload of a starter in Kansas City, with 29 carries for 122 yards in the last two weeks, but he's the only reliable option on the ground for the Chiefs.

The Chargers are in much worse shape at running back, as Austin Ekeler might not be ready to play after aggravating a stinger, per ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, while Melvin Gordon might be ready to return from an MCL sprain, but there's a concern about him getting back to speed, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

That leaves rookie Justin Jackson, who had 12 rushing yards against the Bengals, as the top healthy running back for the Chargers. 

Both teams will try to gain an upper hand on the ground, but it won't come to fruition, and by the second quarter, an aerial battle between the two quarterbacks will be underway. 

As Mahomes and Rivers continue to make plays, the game heads into the fourth quarter with little separation between the two sides. 

In the final 15 minutes, Mahomes ends up making one or two extra plays than Rivers to finally hand the Chiefs some cushion in the AFC West race, while the Chargers are forced to settle for the No. 5 seed in the AFC. 

Colts 17, Cowboys 13

One of the most intriguing games on the Week 15 slate carries playoff implications in both conferences. 

After knocking off the Houston Texans in Week 14, the Indianapolis Colts are right in the middle of the AFC wild-card race, while the Dallas Cowboys enter Lucas Oil Stadium with a two-game advantage in the NFC East. 

The Colts won five of their last six games, while the Cowboys enter on a five-game winning streak. 

Michael Wyke/Associated Press

Another layer is added to the early afternoon game Sunday by the presence of Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich, who has experience coaching against Dallas from his time as Philadelphia's offensive coordinator. 

The offensive stars on both rosters are more than capable of opening the game up with long gains, but the majority of the contest will be headlined by defense. 

Both teams come into Week 15 in the top 12 in total defense, and they both possess top 10 rushing defenses. 

Dallas' overall defensive numbers are better, as it ranks second in scoring defense and third in rushing defense. 

Dallas and Indianapolis also contain plenty of experience winning tight games, as each of the Cowboys' wins during their five-game run have been by one possession, while the Colts earned three of their last four wins by three points. 

After creating little separation through three quarters, Andrew Luck steps into the difference-maker role and leads the Colts down the field for a pair of scoring drives to earn their fifth straight home win. 

A loss won't mark the end of the world for Dallas as it appears to have the NFC East under wraps with Philadelphia and Washington struggling and below .500.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90