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

The New England Patriots have had two chances to clinch their 10th straight AFC East championship.

They have failed both times, but they have another opportunity Sunday when they host the struggling Buffalo Bills.

Still, it seems fairly clear that this is not the type of Patriots team that fans are used to seeing.

In addition to losing back-to-back road games to Miami and Pittsburgh, the Pats lost contact in games at Jacksonville, Detroit and Tennessee.

Tom Brady may be starting to feel his age, and tight end Rob Gronkowski has not had the kind of dominant season that allows him to make big plays when the game is on the line.

This is part of New England's reality, and unless major improvements are made, they will not get back to the Super Bowl this season.

However, beating the Bills at home is quite another story. As indifferent as their play has been on the road, the Pats come into this game with a 6-0 home record. The Bills are not Chiefs, Titans or Steelers, and they are not likely to provide much opposition. 

As long as Brady gets decent protection from his challenged offensive line, he should be able to get back on track in the final two weeks of the season. If he can keep it clean on the interception side of the ledger, they should be able to win by double digits over the Bills this week and the New York Jets in Week 17.

Sony Michel and James White form a solid running back duo, while Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon combine with Gronkowski to give Brady three dangerous receivers (even if Gronk has slowed down a bit).

The Bills fight hard, and they are coming off a 14-13 win over the Detroit Lions. Josh Allen ran for just 16 yards against Detroit, but he threw for 204 yards and a touchdown, and he did not throw a pick. Robert Foster is not a star, but he caught four passes for 108 yards and a touchdown against Detroit.

The Bills will lose touch in the second half as the Pats get serious and win by two touchdowns or more. New England is a 10.5-point favorite, per OddsShark.

Week 16 Point Spreads and Early Predictions (Information provided by OddsShark)

Saturday, December 22

Washington at Tennessee (-10)
Baltimore at L.A. Chargers (-6)

Sunday, December 23
Tampa Bay at Dallas (-8.5)
N.Y. Giants at Indianapolis (-9.5)
Houston (-3.5) at Philadelphia
Jacksonville at Miami (-3.5)
Green Bay (-3) at N.Y. Jets
Cincinnati at Cleveland (-7)
Minnesota (-5) at Detroit
Buffalo at New England (-10.5)
Atlanta at Carolina (-3.5)
Chicago (-4.5) at San Francisco
L.A. Rams (-13.5) at Arizona
Pittsburgh at New Orleans (-7)
Kansas City at Seattle (Even)

Monday, December 24

Denver at Oakland (NL)

Winners are in bold type.

Andy Clayton-King/Associated Press

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

The Vikings got back on track against the Miami Dolphins. They were challenged in the second quarter and responded by overpowering the visitors in the second half, scoring the last 20 points of the game to earn a 41-17 victory.

The Vikings got the well-rounded type of offensive performance they hadn't received in recent games against the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears, but there was an element of unpredictability to the way the Vikings played.

Kirk Cousins threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns, while Dalvin Cook ran for 136 yards and two scores. If Cook can produce consistently, the Vikings could be surprisingly dangerous in the postseason.

The Lions have had a disappointing season, and they are clearly a mediocre team with a 5-9 record after losing to the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Matt Patricia is supposed to be a top defensive coach who understands what it takes to win, but the Detroit defense has been mediocre at best this year and the Lions offense has been quite disappointing.

Playing a division rival at home will allow the Lions to talk about preparing for a big effort, but it's difficult to see this team playing 60 convincing minutes. They couldn't do it at Buffalo, and they won't do it at home against the Vikings.

Look for the Minnesota defense to assert itself and keep Matthew Stafford from lighting up the scoreboard. 

The Vikings win and cover as five-point road favorites.