NFL Picks Week 16: Odds Every Road Team Leaves with a Win

Even though the season is nearly over, winning a road game hasn't gotten all that much easier. With so many visiting teams still with something to play for, Week 16 is a pivotal week requiring many squads to notch a road victory if they want to take the field in January.

Here are the chances that each road team can snag a win this week.

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

The Houston Texans suffered a convincing defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers in Week 15, and the Indianapolis Colts had their first win of the season, beating the Tennessee Titans.

However, don't look to that win as a sign that the Colts could manage winning their remaining two games of the season. The Texans, the top team in the AFC South for the first time in franchise history, won't have much trouble dispatching a team they've already convincingly beaten once.

Chance the Texans win: 85 percent

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the then-unbeaten Green Bay Packers in Week 15, and that momentum, combined with the revitalizing energy brought by newly-appointed starting quarterback Kyle Orton, makes it seem less likely that the Oakland Raiders can nab a road victory against them than it would have been otherwise.

But with the Raiders still in the hunt for a playoff spot and the AFC West still up for grabs, Oakland not only needs this win, but is probably going to get it.

Chance the Raiders win: 70 percent

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans were embarrassed at the hands of the then-winless Indianapolis Colts in Week 15 and need a win against a team as offensively-challenged as the Jacksonville Jaguars to bounce back. Further, the Titans are just outside of contention for a Wild Card playoff berth; though they don't control their own destiny, a win is necessary if they want to stay in the hunt.

Jacksonville has had their fair share of strange wins and big losses this season, but with the latter happening more frequently than the former, they will struggle to leave Tennessee victorious on Saturday.

Chance the Jaguars win: 40 percent

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

It's too little, too late for the Miami Dolphins this season. After starting the year 0-7, the Dolphins have won five of their last seven games. With running back Reggie Bush finally finding his footing with his new team and quarterback Matt Moore looking light years better than he ever has, the team has rebounded from their early-season struggles well.

However, it's going to be hard for the Dolphins to win this week when they take on the New England Patriots. Though the Patriots have already secured themselves the top spot in the AFC East and a playoff berth, they're not likely to rest their starters. That means the Dolphins will find themselves in a hole too big to dig themselves out of this week.

Chance the Dolphins win: 25 percent

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals

It's a tale of two seasons for the Arizona Cardinals. With quarterback Kevin Kolb under center, they started their year a dismal 1-6. Once Kolb suffered a foot injury, and then later a concussion, backup John Skelton started for six of the team's next seven games, resulting in a 6-1 record over that time.

For that reason, Skelton may get the start this week against the Cincinnati Bengals even though Kolb is healthy enough to take the field. If Skelton gets the start, the on-the-bubble playoff team has a much better chance of beating the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals themselves are on the bubble of the AFC playoff picture as well. It's going to be a tough matchup for both teams, but I see the Cardinals slightly edging out the Bengals this week.

Chance the Cardinals win: 59 percent

Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills

The Denver Broncos' six-game winning streak came to an end in Week 15, when the team was bested by the New England Patriots. Though the Broncos have proven themselves to be a strong team, they're just not equipped to compete with offenses as dominant as the Patriots.

Earlier in the year, the Buffalo Bills had themselves a Patriots-esque offense, with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing 14 touchdowns in the team's first seven games. Since that time, Fitzpatrick has slumped considerably, and with it, the rest of the Bills offense. Their defense, never all that impressive, has been allowing teams to run on them at will.

That bodes well for the Broncos' chances to bounce back from that Week 15 drubbing and maintain control of the AFC West.

Chance the Broncos win: 65 percent

St. Louis Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers

To say the St. Louis Rams are in trouble is an understatement. At 2-12 and fielding the league's worst offense, they are a far cry from the NFC West favorites they were before the season began. Things are so bad for the Rams, they don't have much of a chance to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers this Saturday even though the team will be without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

The Rams' offensive line is a mess, and their passing game is practically nonexistent. Their defense is giving up an average of 153 rushing yards per game—the most in the league—setting up Pittsburgh nicely to have a good day on the ground. The Rams don't stand much of a chance.

Chance the Rams win: 15 percent

New York Giants at New York Jets 

Both the New York Jets and New York Giants are fighting for their playoff lives, and it's not far-fetched to think that whichever of these two teams lose this week are statistically out of postseason contention.

The Giants are in the midst of another late-season collapse, starting the year 2-6 before losing five of their next six games. The Jets, in contrast, have been up and down all year, alternating winning and losing streaks and most recently dropping to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Jets have reached the AFC Championship game the last two seasons in a row, but they're not that strong of a team this year. Quarterback Mark Sanchez hasn't yet improved as a passer, and as a result, is still a liability to his team.

The Giants are a more mature and complete team than the Jets, and I see them winning in a close game this week.

Chance the Giants win: 60 percent

Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins

Both the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins have little to play for now except for draft positioning and of course, pride, but that doesn't mean either team will lie down this Saturday.

Minnesota, at 2-12, are in a far worse state than the Redskins and have won just one of their seven road games thus far. Though the Redskins are error-prone on offense and not exceptionally intimidating on defense, they'll manage to stand strong at home and stave off the Vikings on Saturday.

Chance the Vikings win: 37 percent

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

This year's Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a far cry from the impressive 10-6 team they were in 2010. They've lost their last eight games in a row, and they're likely to fire head coach Raheem Morris at the end of the season.

In contrast, the Carolina Panthers, though just one win better than the Bucs this season, have a lot more going for them than their record indicates. They boast one of the most explosive offenses in the league, headed by quarterback Cam Newton, with just their defense their sole—but most major—weakness.

That defense won't be much of a liability this week, as the Panthers are likely to build themselves a huge early lead that the Bucs won't be able to overcome. Tampa won't notch their second road victory this week.

Chance the Buccaneers win: 15 percent

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

The first time the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens met this season, Ravens running back Ray Rice ran for over 200 yards and the Ravens went on to win, 24-10.

There's no chance for the Browns to fare better this week when they travel to Baltimore. The Ravens are undefeated at home, and that trend will continue this week as the Ravens running game again decimates the Browns defense and the Ravens manage to stop whatever offense Cleveland can muster.

Chance the Browns win: Five percent

San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions lock up their playoff berth with a win this week, while the San Diego Chargers need to win out if they are to have a chance to take control of the AFC West in the final weeks.

Though the Chargers are on a three-game winning streak, they lost all six contests that preceded them and haven't looked anything close to the Super Bowl favorites they were at the start of the season.

Detroit also had a lot of positive buzz heading into the year, and while they've dropped off a bit as the season's worn on, they're still serious contenders and should be a dangerous postseason team.

With the Lions at home and on the verge of clinching their first playoff spot since 1999, the Chargers won't be able to nab the elusive road win on Saturday.

Chance the Chargers win: 40 percent

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

If the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys this week and the New York Giants lose this week while defeating the Cowboys the next, the Eagles will find themselves in the top spot in the NFC East and headed to the playoffs.

That's a far cry from where the team was at the midway point of the season, when it seemed statistically impossible for the Eagles to bounce back enough to make the postseason. But they need to win out to get there, and the Cowboys will be a major test this week.

Dallas is currently in control of the NFC East, but that grasp is tenuous. It will be a tough contest for them this week, and the Eagles have a very good chance to score the upset road win. I'm giving a slight edge to the Cowboys, but I wouldn't be surprised if Philadelphia wins.

Chance the Eagles win: 48 percent

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

Though the Seattle Seahawks seem to keep improving on a weekly basis and they have an outside chance of nabbing a playoff spot because of it, the San Francisco 49ers are one of the very best teams in the league, and to say they're hard to beat is an understatement.

The Niners have a top defense that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown and an efficient offense helmed by quarterback Alex Smith, who is having the most mistake-free year of his career. They're solid both on the road and at home and shouldn't have much trouble dispatching the Seahawks this week.

Chance the 49ers win: 85 percent

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

The lone contest on Sunday this week is the night game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

Though the Bears still have a statistical chance to reach the postseason, they've lost their last four games in a row after losing starting quarterback Jay Cutler, running back Matt Forte and wide receiver Johnny Knox to serious, season-ending injuries.

Though Cutler and Forte should be healthy enough to return for the postseason, there's little chance the team will have made it that far. In the Bears' favor is that the Packers may choose to shelve their starters after the first half of the game, but it will still be an uphill battle considering how much their offense has struggled as of late.

Chance the Bears win: 30 percent

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

The Atlanta Falcons can clinch a postseason berth with a win this week or a combination of losses by a number of other NFC teams. The New Orleans Saints, in contrast, have both the NFC South and a playoff spot locked down, but are still fighting for seeding and the ever-important first-round bye and home-field advantage.

This should be an excellent game featuring some of the best offensive stars in the league. Saints quarterback Drew Brees just needs 305 passing yards to beat Dan Marino's single-season passing record, and considering he's averaging way more than than per game, he should reach it.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is no slouch himself, and he's aided by two stellar wide receivers, Roddy White and Julio Jones, as well as legendary tight end Tony Gonzalez. Add in running back Michael Turner, a top-five rusher, and this game has all the makings of being both close and high scoring.

The Falcons have a great shot at winning, but I see the Saints ultimately emerging victorious. If Atlanta wins, however, it won't be too big of a surprise.

Chance the Falcons win: 40 percent