Week 15 of the NFL season is upon us. It’s our first weekend without college football and, man, will you miss it with the slate of Saturday games the NFL Network has for your, we’ll use the word, “enjoyment.” Just because the games aren’t intriguing, doesn’t mean you can’t play the NFL odds and make some cash.
At worst, it’ll give you an opportunity with eight nationally televised games to get a good scout in for your NFL betting purposes as we close out the regular season.
The week begins with what should turn out to be a key AFC West match up between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Depending on how the month of November has gone, this game will either be for the conference title or for the Chargers’ Wild Card positioning. The Chiefs opened back in May favored at -2. It’ll likely be higher at kick off.
Saturday night, we have a garbage contest between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. Both these teams should be looking for new coaches at the end of the season and will only be playing to ruin their draft positioning. Denver opened in the spring’s NFL Odds release as a -5.5 favorite, but this one could be a pick em at game time.
There’ll be no danger of getting flexed in the Sunday Night Football game. If the Philadelphia Eagles have any hopes of sneaking into the playoffs they’ll probably need to run the table. The Los Angeles Rams, on the other hand, will be in a battle for home field and will likely have the NFC West sewn up at this point. The Rams started as -1 favorite, but it’ll probably be a touchdown at the opening whistle.
Monday Night Football will have a marquee match up too for Booger McFarland to block everyone’s view in the stadium while hot-wheeling in the Boogermobile. The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints should be in a pitched battle for the NFC South. The Saints have the early edge after their October and November, but the Panthers are a Wild Card team at worst. Carolina opened at -1, but the Saints will likely be favored when boot hits leather on MNF.
Thursday Night Football, Dec. 13
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX, NFL Network, Amazon Prime
Opening Line: Chiefs -3.5, 56.5
While the Chargers are a good team and probably the only real stumbling block Kansas City has left to an AFC West title, that -2 line will probably hit -6.5 before Troy Aikman and Joe Buck fix their ties. Patrick Mahomes is one of the frontrunners for NFL MVP, leading a Chiefs offense that might be one of the best in NFL history.
Los Angeles has benefited by a realization that the offense goes through Philip Rivers and not the running game and is probably secure in at least the fifth seed in the AFC. If the Chiefs do stumble, L.A. could make the final few weeks of the season interesting, especially if they can steal this win in Arrowhead.
Saturday Games, Dec. 15
Houston Texans at New York Jets
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NFL Network
Opening Line: Texans -6.5, 42.5
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NFL Network
Opening Line: Broncos -3.5, 44.5
For once, the Browns aren’t the worst team in football, so at least there’s that. They do, however, boast the worst coaching staff in the league and that’s even after firing Hue Jackson and Todd Haley. Interim head coach Gregg Williams isn’t coaching for his job. He’s coaching for A JOB, somewhere else. Hopefully no other team in the NFL is stupid enough to hire him.
Vance Joseph has been a huge disappointment with the Broncos, but it hasn’t all been his fault. General Manager John Elway’s quarterback moves have been laughably bad. This year they went with Case Keenum and have paid the price.
Sunday Games, Dec. 16
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Bears -4, 46.5
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Bills -2.5, 38bea
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Baltimore Ravens
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Ravens -8, 47
Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Falcons -8.5, 44
Oakland Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Bengals -3, 46
Tennessee Titans at New York Giants
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Giants -2.5, 42.5
Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Vikings -8, 44.5
Washington Redskins at Jacksonville Jaguars
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Jaguars -7, 36
Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Colts -3, 47
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Seahawks -5.5, 44.5
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: No line
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NBC
Opening Line: Rams -8.5, 52
Carson Wentz, back from his season-ending knee injury, has played well this season. The problem is, the rest of the Eagles haven’t. The Rams are the compete opposite, able to dominate games on offense and are right there with the Chiefs on an historic scoring track
Los Angeles has two potential MVP candidates in Todd Gurley and Jared Goff. Gurley will, at worst, probably stack up his second offensive player of the year award. This line will definitely move and, will at least sit at -6 after Carrie Underwood wraps up her opener.
Monday Night Football, Dec. 17
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. EST
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Line: Saints -6.5, 54
It doesn’t happen often, but MNF will be in a battle with the Steelers-Patriots match up at 4:25 p.m, as the best potential game of the week. Cam Newton has flourished under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner and Drew Brees, in spite of Mahomes, Goff and Gurley, is probably the NFL’s MVP two months into the season.
While the Panthers opened as the road favorite, New Orleans will probably sit at -7 or more when Hank’s rowdy friends crack open their first brew.