NFL Predictions Week 16: Vegas Odds, Spreads and Picks for All Games

The Los Angeles Chargers have put themselves in a position to pounce. 

They went into Kansas City last Thursday night and stole a victory away from the Chiefs when a wide-open Mike Williams caught an easy toss from Philip Rivers for the game-winning two-point conversion in the Chargers' 29-28 triumph.

The win allowed the Chargers to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Chiefs in the AFC as both teams have 11-3 records heading into the penultimate weekend of the season. 

The Chargers host the defensively powerful Baltimore Ravens, while the Chiefs go to Seattle to face the powerful Seahawks.

If the Chargers win and the Chiefs lose, Los Angeles moves ahead in the standings. However, if both teams win (or lose), the Chiefs will have the edge because they have the better record within the division.

The belief here is that Week 17 won't matter, because the Chiefs have a walkover game against the Oakland Raiders in the season finale, and they are not going to lose. So if the Chargers don't overtake Kansas City in Week 16, it is not going to happen.

The Ravens are a strong challenger, because they have the top-ranked defense in the league, excelling against both the run and the pass (third in both categories).

They are not coming up with a lot of interceptions—no Raven has more than one pick this season—but they do put a lot of heat on opposing passers. Matt Judon and Za'Darius Smith both have 7.0 sacks, while C.J. Mosely leads the team with 91 tackles.

Philip Rivers certainly knows how to deal with pressure, and he has been sacked 28 times this season. But when he gets up, he has been dominant. He has completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 3,951 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Rivers has one of the game's elite receivers in Keenan Allen, who has caught 88 passes for 1,074 yards and six touchdowns. However, Allen had to come out of last week's victory over the Chiefs due to a hip pointer, and that could slow him down against the Ravens.

Mike Williams emerged with a huge game against Kansas City as he caught two TD passes and ran for one more, along with catching the winning two-point conversion

The Chargers are hoping to have top running back Melvin Gordon (knee) back for this game. While they did not have Gordon or backup Austin Ekeler against the Chiefs, rookie running back Justin Jackson stepped up with 85 total yards and a touchdown, so the Chargers should be ready if Gordon is not at his best.

The Ravens have turned the offense over to rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson, and he is a brilliant athlete who is learning how to play at the NFL level. He has done enough to retain the starting job even though Joe Flacco (hip) has returned from his injury.

Jackson is a better runner than passer at this point, but he has helped the Ravens win key games. He has thrown five TD passes while running for three more.

That is not likely to be a formula that wins the game for the Ravens. They are 4.5-point underdogs in this vital road game according to OddsShark, and the Chargers are not going to let up here. 

The Chargers win this game by double digits Saturday night, and then become huge Seahawks fans Sunday.

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

Saturday, December 22

Washington at Tennessee (-10); Tennessee 28, Washington 17
Baltimore at L.A. Chargers (-4.5); L.A. Chargers 24, Baltimore 14  

Sunday, December 23
Tampa Bay at Dallas (-7); Dallas 33, Tampa Bay 17
N.Y. Giants at Indianapolis (-9); Indianapolis 28, N.Y. Giants 3
Houston at Philadelphia (-1); Philadelphia 24, Houston 21
Jacksonville at Miami (-4); Miami 24, Jacksonville 23
Green Bay at N.Y. Jets (-1); N.Y. Jets 23, Green Bay 17
Cincinnati at Cleveland (-7); Cleveland 33, Cincinnati 20
Minnesota (-5.5) at Detroit; Minnesota 27, Detroit 13
Buffalo at New England (-12.5); New England 30, Buffalo 17
Atlanta at Carolina (NL); Atlanta 24, Carolina 17
Chicago (-4) at San Francisco; Chicago 17, San Francisco 14
L.A. Rams (-13.5) at Arizona; L.A. Rams 30, Arizona 10
Pittsburgh at New Orleans (NL); New Orleans 33, Pittsburgh 23
Kansas City (-2.5) at Seattle; Kansas City 28, Seattle 24   

Monday, December 24

Denver (-2.5) at Oakland; Denver 17, Oakland 13 

Pointspread winners are in bold type.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

When the Minnesota Vikings had an inept performance in their Week 14 Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks, they fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and replaced him with Kevin Stefanski.

DeFilippo had seemingly ignored the running game, and the Vikings had little bite on the offensive side. Stefanski knew what he had to do as the Vikings prepared for the Miami Dolphins in Week 15.

The Vikings pounded the Dolphins 41-17, and Dalvin Cook ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow running back Latavius Murray added 68 rushing yards, and the Vikings ran the ball 40 times.

Look for Minnesota to follow the same formula when they go to Detroit Sunday. The Vikings have been an inconsistent team all season, but if they continue to get big efforts from Cook and the running game, they could be formidable once the playoffs start.

If the Vikings are going to play postseason football, they have to find a way to beat the Lions. Minnesota is a 4.5-point road favorite.

While Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford can be dangerous, rookie head coach Matt Patricia has struggled to build a consistent defense. 

Look for the elusive Cook to run the ball while Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins makes his share of big plays throwing to Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.

The Vikings roll here and easily cover the spread as road favorites.

Chicago Bears at San Francisco

The Bears are one of the great stories of the season, having already clinched the NFC North title after their last-place finish in the division a year ago.

Head coach Matt Nagy has installed a creative offense and second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has made huge strides. Trubisky is an excellent athlete who can run away from tacklers and pick up key first downs with his legs, but he can also find open receivers.

The key to Chicago's season has been the play of the defense with Khalil Mack, rookie Roquan Smith and Akiem Hicks. The Bears have held the Rams to two field goals and limited teams like the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, so they should be able to do the same to the 49ers.

However, San Francisco is coming off an upset win over the Seattle Seahawks, and this is a game that Kyle Shanahan would love to steal for the Niners. 

The four-point spread seems light, and fans will reasonably expect the Bears to win by double digits. However, the oddsmakers often set traps, and this is one of them. The Bears will win the game, but the Niners will cover the spread. 

Where to Watch: The NFL postseason and all NFL broadcasts are available through fuboTV.