Week 15 NFL Picks: Favorites That Will Annihilate Spread

The following three teams are about take a happy trip to blowout city. All three are just less than a touchdown favorite and all of them are headed to double-digit wins.

Cincinnati Bengals at St. Louis Rams

Spread: Bengals -6.5

The Bengals will put an abrupt end to their two-game losing streak by trouncing the horrible St. Louis Rams.

The Rams are a bad team that is getting worse. Their offense is completely anemic, and the return of QB Sam Bradford in Monday night's disaster did nothing to help this. If fact, it made things worse.

Bradford was positively awful as the Rams lost 30-13. He finished the game 12-of-29 passing with 193 yards, no touchdowns and a pick. And as hard is it may be to believe, he actually performed worse than the stats suggest. 

Bradford was wildly off target all game. Even his completions were bad, as he did not deliver the ball in a place where receivers could catch and run.

This leaves the entire onus of moving the offense on their ground game. Steven Jackson has looked strong recently but he is not enough, and he won't be close to enough against the Bengals' seventh-ranked rush defense.

The Bengals are not offensive juggernauts by any stretch of the imagination, but you don't have to be in order to beat this weak Rams defense. St. Louis is dead last in rushing yards allowed.

The Bengals' defense is going to continually give them a short field to work with, and their 19th-ranked running attack will do the rest.

Prediction: Bengals 24, Rams 6

Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans

Spread: Texans -6.5

The Texans are determined to not let a rash of QB injuries slow them down. This team is equipped to win with a strong run game and great defense. Rookie QB T.J. Yates is showing that he can do enough in the passing game to not derail their winning ways.

Yates won't have to do much in this one. Houston will be able to run the ball at will. The Panthers enter this game ranked 24th in both yards allowed per game and per carry. That is bad news considering they are facing the team that is second in the NFL in rushing.

This will allow the Texans to control possession while putting the pressure on Carolina's offense.

The Panthers have been moving the ball well this season. They are eighth in passing yards and fifth in rushing yards. However, all teams are having a hard time moving the ball on the Texans. They are third in passing yards allowed and fourth in rushing allowed.

What is really going to ensure this game is a blowout, though, is turnovers. The Texans are fourth in the league in turnover margin while Carolina is 24th.

This problem for the Panthers will only be compounded by the fact that Houston is going to have an easy time running the ball, and Carolina will be forced to be aggressive to keep up.

Prediction: Texans 24, Panthers 10

Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Spread: Cowboys -6.5

The Buccaneers have been one of the season's biggest disappointments, and they are impressively managing to get even more disappointing as the season progresses. 

The Bucs have lost seven straight games, and in their last two games it is hard to even tell they are trying. They have lost their last two games by a combined score of 79-33. Making that horrid number even more astounding is the fact that those losses have been to the completely underwhelming Jaguars and Panthers.

This disintegrating team will be a welcomed sight for a Cowboys team that is trying to suppress the evil ways of its December curse.

The power of that curse was on vivid display as the Cowboys crumbled to a heartbreaking loss to the Giants last week.

Despite the loss, the Cowboys offense looked outstanding. QB Tony Romo finally had all of his receivers healthy, and he showed off his weapons by throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.

He will have similar success in this game as he faces a Bucs team that can't stop anyone from doing anything. Tampa Bay is 27th in passing yards allowed and 28th in rushing yards allowed.

That is going to put way too much pressure on a Tampa offense that has only scored more than 20 points four times this season.

Prediction: Cowboys 35, Buccaneers 10

*Point spreads via Football Locks