NFL Week 16 Picks: Vegas Odds, Props and Predictions Before Saturday Night

The Minnesota Vikings made a bold move prior to their NFL Week 15 game against the Miami Dolphins.

Their offense had been stopped cold the week in a Monday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and in that game, the Vikes had eschewed the run and put nearly all of the pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins to drive the offense.

In reaction, the Vikings decided to fire offensive John DeFilippo and replace him with quarterback coach Kevin Stefanski. The results were dramatic, as running back Dalvin Cook ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, and Minnesota registered a 41-17 victory.

The Vikings are fighting for their playoff lives, and they will start to find out if the change in offensive coordinators will provide a significant upgrade or the showing against the Dolphins was just a reflexive, one-time bounce.

The 7-6-1 Vikings are slightly ahead of the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles for the No. 2 wild-card spot, and winning out would be advisable if they are going to play postseason football. The Vikings play the Detroit Lions on the road Sunday before closing out the regular season at home against the NFC North champion Chicago Bears.

Cook has had a difficult time staying healthy in his first two years, but he has run for 503 yards and 4.7 yards per carry this season. His two rushing touchdowns against the Dolphins were his first two on the ground this season.

Fellow running back Latavius Murray can run with power, and he has gained 538 yards and scored six touchdowns. The more the two running backs can do, the easier it will make it on Cousins, who has had a solid statistical year. Cousins has completed 384-of-545 passes for 3,913 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Wideouts Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are a dangerous 1-2 punch, but the Vikings have not always been able to come through in crunch time.

The Lions have struggled to find consistency all season. As a result, they are in last place in the NFC North. Head coach Matt Patricia has not helped the Lions with their defense this season, while quarterback Matthew Stafford and the offense have not lived up to expectations.

The Vikings are 5.5-point favorites on the road per OddsShark, and we see Minnesota winning and covering in this vital game against an opponent with nothing to play for. 

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 (-2.5); Philadelphia 24, Houston 21
Jacksonville at Miami (-4); Miami 24, Jacksonville 23
Green Bay (-3) at N.Y. Jets; N.Y. Jets 23, Green Bay 17
Cincinnati at Cleveland (-9); Cleveland 33, Cincinnati 20
Minnesota (-5.5) at Detroit; Minnesota 27, Detroit 13
Buffalo at New England (-13); New England 31, Buffalo 17
Atlanta (-3.5) at Carolina; Atlanta 24, Carolina 17
Chicago (-4) at San Francisco; Chicago 17, San Francisco 14
L.A. Rams (-14) at Arizona; L.A. Rams 30, Arizona 10
Pittsburgh at New Orleans (-5.5); 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.

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

The New England Patriots have failed in their first two opportunities to clinch the AFC East title. While that's somewhat surprising given the matchups were against the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers, it would be shocking if they fall short in Week 16 at home against the Bills.

The Patriots are heavy favorites to win, but they may not be the team fans have gotten used to seeing in recent years. While they are regularly the best team in the AFC and end up representing the conference in the Super Bowl, that may not be the case this year.

They are not in line for a bye in the first week of the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs or Los Angeles Chargers will win the AFC West, and one of those team are all but a certainty to take the No. 1 seed. The Houston Texans have moved ahead of the Patriots for the No. 2 spot.

If the Texans win their last two games, the Patriots will not be able to pass them. That means they will be playing during wild-card weekend.

While the Patriots have been a losing team on the road this season (3-5), they are 6-0 at home. Tom Brady should be able to get his passing game going against the Bills.

Julian Edelman and James White are all dependable, but Rob Gronkowski has not been the dominant tight end we are used to seeing. 

The Bills have turned over their offense to rookie Josh Allen, and while he has a powerful arm, he has been more dependent on his running ability than his passing.

He is starting to get the message that he has to throw to be successful and stay healthy, and undrafted Robert Foster is becoming a dangerous pass-catcher. Foster has had back-to-back games with more than 100 receiving yards.

The Bills will not go quietly here, but the Patriots will take charge in the second half and win by two touchdowns.

Prop Bet

Oddschecker offers different prop bets in the regular season, usually focusing on the individual who will score first in a given game or the team that will score first.

We are looking at the Baltimore-L.A. Chargers game, and the team that will score first in that game. The Ravens, who are fighting to overtake the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North or earn a wild-card spot, are listed at 21-20 to score the first touchdown in the game.

The Chargers, who are more explosive on offense and are playing at home, are listed at 13-20.

A bet on the Ravens means the gambler will risk $100 to win $105. A bet on the Chargers means a risk of $100 to earn $65.

Both teams are coming off wins in Week 15, but the Chargers have more talent, are playing at home and have one of the league's best triggermen in Philip Rivers. We will risk going with the favorite and hope our short money comes in with a quick touchdown in the first quarter.