Merry Christmas everybody! For Week 16 of the season, the NFL has gotten you a big pile of garbage. This might be the worst slate of games of the entire 2018-19 season and very few of the NFL Odds first posted back in may will be anywhere close to these when all these contests kick off.
Still, for your NFL betting requirements, you don’t need good games. You just need to win money. The games scheduled are more coal from Krampus, but you’ll be feeling pretty jolly if you pocket a wad of cash right before Santa is sued for workplace harassment and a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for his treatment of Rudolph.
With no Thursday Night Football it’s up to the NFL Network to pick up the slack with their Saturday night selection and it’s one of the better match ups of a notoriously weak weekend. If the Baltimore Ravens are still playing for anything at this point it will be a Wild Card spot and the team on their schedule Saturday night will likely be standing in their way; the Los Angeles Chargers. L.A. opened as a -3.5 favorite and depending who the Ravens field at quarterback, it might be one of the few NFL lines that won’t move.
Sunday Night Football’s battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks might be flexed. Midway through November, the Seahawk’s playoff hopes are just hanging on by a thread. By Christmas Eve, they could be long gone. If that’s the case, the Pittsburgh Steelers vs New Orleans Saints makes a lot more sense if they can pry it away from CBS. The Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles game is another possibility, depending on the Eagles’ playoff hopes. Regardless of that, back in May Seattle opened as a -3 favorite, but will probably be a dog at kick off.
If you thought the Sunday slate was bad, just wait until you see the tire fire on Monday Night Football when the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders kick off. Right before Thanksgiving, these two teams combined for four victories. It won’t get much better by Christmas. Oakland was a -4 favorite when the NFL odds were released. There’s no way that holds up.
Saturday Games, Dec. 22
Washington Redskins at Tennessee Titans
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NFL Network
Opening Line: Titans -10
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NFL Network
Opening Line: Chargers -5.5
A lot has to go right for Baltimore for this game to remain one of the best of a pretty lackluster weekend. After a solid start to the season, the Ravens wilted in November and an injury to Joe Flacco ensured that rookie Lamar Jackson would make his first NFL start on Thanksgiving weekend. There’s a chance, if Baltimore is out of contention at this point, that they’ve just handed the reigns to Jackson and prepared for life after both Flacco and John Harbaugh.
The Chargers rolled through November as the fourth best team in the AFC. And while that might only be good enough for the fifth seed in the playoffs, Los Angeles looks like they’re a solid bet to nab it. To keep that position, they must win these winnable games, especially at home. Philip Rivers looks like he’s once again putting together a Pro Bowl campaign and, for the first time in years, might have a postseason appearance with which to celebrate it.
Sunday Games, Dec. 23
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Browns -6.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Cowboys -7
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Vikings -5
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Patriots -12.5
Green Bay Packers at New York Jets
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Packers -1.5
Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Texans -.3.5
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Panthers -3.5
New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Colts -9.5
Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins
Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: -5
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Rams -13.5
Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. EST
Broadcast: FOX
Opening Line: Bears -3.5
Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. EST
Broadcast: CBS
Opening Line: Saints -6.5
Sunday Night Football, Dec. 23
Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST
Broadcast: NBC
Opening Line: Chiefs -2.5
If NBC doesn’t get this one flexed, it should still be one of the more entertaining games of the slate. While the Seahawks could be out of the Wild Card hunt at this point, they’ll never be an easy beat for any team. Russell Wilson is that rare quarterback like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady that you can’t count out in any situation. There’s always a chance, no matter how overmatched his team is, that he can get them the victory.
The Chiefs could still be playing for home field at this point, as the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers were breathing down their necks toward the end of November. Kansas City had the tiebreak victory over Pittsburgh, but dropped their game against New England. Coming into Thanksgiving, the Chiefs had a two-game cushion on the Pats, but will have to battle down to the wire to keep it. There’s no way this line will sit at Seahawks -3 and will more likely be Chiefs -7 by kickoff.
Monday Night Football, Dec. 24
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. EST
Broadcast: ESPN
Opening Line: Broncoes -2.5
Let’s hope you’ve spiked your eggnog for this one, because there’s no way you can make it through a Broncos vs Raiders game at this point without a little help. Back in May, Oakland was a four-point favorite, but I can’t see them being a favorite over anyone in December. The Raiders are one of the worst teams in the league as head coach Jon Gruden has shipped away many of their best players and been dominated and outcoached in every contest.
Vance Joseph will likely be wrapping up his head coaching tenure in Denver at this point unless general manager John Elway has already fired him. Joseph hasn’t done well, make no mistake, but the Broncos’ problems aren’t all his fault. In spite of that, Denver should still be favored in this one by at least a field goal at the opening whistle.