NFL Week 16 is going to be a holiday feast for football fans around the world. It starts with a conference rival game between the Vikings and Saints on Christmas and culminates with the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills taking on a Patriots team that will miss the postseason for the first time in eons.
Sunday’s NFL Week 16 schedule is also pretty interesting with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams battling for the NFC West title. It’s in this that we give you our NFL Week 16 odds and point spreads with a tidbit for each game.
Update: Dec. 27, 9:45 AM EST
Related: NFL Week 16 schedule, predictions
NFL Week 16 Sunday games, Vegas odds
Carolina Panthers at Washington Football Team
Panthers-Washington Week 16 point spread: Washington -1.0 (over/under 43.5)
Injury update: Christian McCaffrey out
Washington’s narrow loss to the Seattle Seahawks back in Week 15 did very little to hurt the team. It remains one game up on the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys heading into this Sunday’s outing against Ron Rivera’s former team. Alex Smith missed said game due to injury. It’s interesting to look at. Washington is 10-5 in his 15 starts since the quarterback joined WFT back in 2018. All other quarterbacks, Dwayne Haskins last week included, are 6-25. With Smith expected to go here, Washington is a good bet.
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers
Colts-Steelers Week 16 point spread: Colts -1.5 (over/under 43.0)
After a really strong start to the season, Indianapolis’ defense has taken a step back over the past couple months. In the Colts’ past five games, their defense is yielding an average of 28.6 points per. The team gave up 19.7 in its first nine outings. So why the success? Philip Rivers and Indy’s offense is averaging 31.8 points over the past six games. There’s a moral to this story. Pittsburgh’s defense has taken a step back during its ugly three-game losing streak. Take the Colts to win outright and the over here.
Related: NFL quarterback rankings
Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs
Falcons-Chiefs Week 16 point spread: Chiefs -10.5 (over/under 53.0)
Update: Falcons WR Julio Jones out
Despite boasting a 13-1 record, the Chiefs have not been anywhere near as dominant as earlier in the season. Since a 35-9 win over the Jets in Week 8, all six of Kansas City’s victories have come by one score. In fact, the defending champs are winning by an average of four points during that span. As for the last-place Falcons, seven of their 10 losses have come by one score, including each outing during their current three-game losing streak. Kansas City at -10.5 seems a tad foolish when taking this into account.
Related: NFL Super Bowl predictions
Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars
Bears-Jaguars Week 16 point spread: Bears -8.0 (over/under 47.0)
Despite all of the criticism he has received, we must give embattled Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky some credit. In the four games since he’s regained his starting job, the impending free agent has thrown eight touchdowns against three interceptions while leading the Bears to an average of 31 points per game. Still in the playoff hunt, Chicago will be taking on a Jaguars squad in Week 16 that has lost 13 consecutive outings and has given up over 30 points per game this season. It seems ridiculous to go with the Bears at -8.0, but that’s my recommendation. This is the lock of NFL Week 16.
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Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
Bengals-Texans Week 16 point spread: Texans -7.0 (over/under 44.5)
Cincinnati has now won five of Zac Taylor’s first 30 games as the team’s head coach. In games an injured Joe Burrow has not started during that span, these Bengals are averaging just a hair over 16 points while losing by an average of 10 points per outing. Of course, last week’s win over the Steelers was likely more of a mirage than anything else. We’re also well aware of the Texans’ late-game struggles over the course of this season. That’s fine and dandy. But this otherwise meaningless NFL Week 16 game shouldn’t be too close from the get.
Related: Texans head-coaching news and rumors
New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens
Giants-Ravens Week 16 point spread: Ravens -10.0 (over/under 44.0)
After some major struggles at about the midway point in the season, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have righted the ship in a big way. Interestingly, it coincides with Jackson himself returning from a scary bout with COVID-19. In the three games since, Baltimore is averaging 40.3 points. Jackson himself has put up 10 touchdowns and two interceptions during this span. Even with the Giants having something to play for, I don’t envision Joe Judge’s squad keeping this one too close. The Ravens make sense at -10.0.
Related: If you’re a fan of the Ravens, check out #RavensFlock rumors, rankings, and news here.
Cleveland Browns at New York Jets
Browns-Jets Week 16 point spread: Browns -9.5 (over/under 43.5)
New York’s shocking win over the Rams last week notwithstanding, I highly doubt that Adam Gase’s squad has much of a chance against a surprising 10-4 Browns squad in Week 16. Cleveland has a whole lot to play for. Meanwhile, the team has absolutely dominated inferior competition thus far this season. In fact, Baker Mayfield and Co. are averaging 32 points in eight games against teams that currently boast losing records. Not shockingly, they are 8-0 in said games. With the Jets still losing by an average of 11.8 points per outing, there’s very little reason not to opt with the Browns at -9.5.
Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers
Broncos-Chargers Week 16 point spread: Chargers -3.0 (over/under 48.5)
Denver’s 48-19 blowout loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 was disheartening in that its defense was torn to shreds. It’s been a common theme under defensive-minded head coach Vic Fangio. In fact, these Broncos rank in the bottom six in the NFL in scoring defense. Taking on a Chargers team that has surprisingly won two consecutive close games after major struggles in that area under embattled coach Anthony Lynn, I don’t envision the Broncos righting that proverbial ship in Week 16.
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Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Eagles-Cowboys Week 16 point spread: Eagles -3.0 (over/under 49.5)
Injury update: Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott says he’ll play Week 16
This is what we’d call an intriguing Week 16 divisional game. Dallas has only a 5% chance of making the playoffs despite being a half game up on the Eagles in second place and only one game behind Washington for the NFC East title. At 4-9-1, Philadelphia boasts a 10% chance. The moral of this story? Both teams are battling for their playoff lives in Dallas on Sunday. With Washington playing earlier in the afternoon, we’d caution against even betting on this one. It could mean absolutely nothing for both teams.
Related: Drama between Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys?
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Rams-Seahawks Week 16 point spread: Seahawks -1.0 (over/under 47.5)
Updated: Seahawks’ Josh Gordon has setback with substance abuse, will not play
The Rams’ shocking loss to a previously winless New York Jets team came with Los Angeles as 17-point favorites. It’s among the biggest upsets we’ve seen in the NFL over the past decade. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot for Sean McVay and Co. Having already defeated Seattle this season, a win in Week 16 would give Los Angeles the tiebreaker in the NFC West. As for the Seahawks, they’ve maintained home-field advantage despite not having fans in attendance in Seattle. The team heads into Week 16 at 6-1 at the Link. All of this is a long way of saying that a huge Week 16 game between these two rivals is nothing short of a pick em.
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NFL Week 16 Sunday Night Football
Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers
Titans-Packers Week 16 point spread: Packers -3.0 (over/under 54.0)
Green Bay ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in yards allowed per rush at 4.5. Derrick Henry has put up an absolutely absurd 1,303 yards and 11 touchdowns at a clip of 5.9 yards per rush over the past 10 games. The issue here for Tennessee is that opposing teams have found themselves behind a ton against Green Bay, disabling their ability to create balance on offense. We don’t envision this being a major deal given that these Titans are averaging an absurd 37.4 points over their past five games. Expect this one to be close, and avoid taking the Packers at the points.
Related: If you’re a fan of the Packers, check out #GoPackGo rumors, rankings, and news here
NFL Week 16 Monday Night Football
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Bills-Patriots Week 16 point spread: Bills -7.0 (over/under 46.0)
This could get pretty ugly. Since returning from COVID-19 back in Week 6, Cam Newton has thrown three touchdowns compared to eight interceptions in 10 games. New England is averaging 18.2 points during that span and boasts a 4-6 record. Fresh off earning their first AFC East title since the Jim Kelly era, Buffalo heads into Week 16 averaging 34.8 points over its past six games. Take Josh Allen’s team with the points, and don’t think twice about it.
NFL Week 16 Christmas Day football
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Vikings-Saints Week 16 point spread: Saints -7.0 (over/under 51.0)
Following their disastrous 33-27 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 15, these Vikings are now 2-6 against teams who are currently .500 or better on the season. In what can’t be considered too much of a surprise, Kirk Cousins has thrown 13 touchdowns against 11 interceptions on those eight games. There’s always a moral to this story. Vikings fans tend not to be merry when their team goes up against winning squads. Taking on a Saints team that needs a win here to keep a first-round bye on the table, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings putting up much of a fight in this one. That’s especially true with the team’s playoff hopes hanging on by a string heading into NFL Week 16.
Related: NFL Playoff predictions, Week 16
NFL Week 16 Saturday football, NFL betting odds
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
Buccaneers-Lions Week 16 point spread: Buccaneers -9.5 (over/under 54.0)
Despite being down 17-0 at halftime to the Falcons last week, Tom Brady led his Buccaneers to a 31-27 victory. It has the 9-5 team on the verge of a playoff appearance. One more win or a Bears loss, and this will become reality. For his part, Brady has led his Bucs to 30.2 points per game in their past five outings. They now have the pleasure of going up against a Detroit defense that yielded 40 points to the Titans last week and has given up an average of 35.5 points in its past four outings. This game shouldn’t necessarily be that close.
Related: Detroit Lions head coaching news
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
49ers-Cardinals Week 16 point spread: Cardinals -5.0 (over/under 49.0)
Update: 49ers sign QB Josh Rosen
49ers quarterback Nick Mullens has turned the ball over 16 times in eight starts thus far this season. All said, San Francisco has given the ball away 15 times in its past five games. Last week against the Cowboys, the 49ers’ defense gave up just 10 points on drives that didn’t start with a special teams score or a turnover from their previous possession. That’s impressively bad. Prior to last week’s narrow win over Philadelphia, the Cardinals had forced six turnovers in their previous three games. Even with C.J. Beathard going over an injured Mullens in Week 16, I don’t envision a scenario where the 49ers cover here.
Related: 49ers offseason preview
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders
Dolphins-Raiders Week 16 point spread: Dolphins -3.0 (over/under 47.5)
Update: Raiders QB Derek Carr questionable
Over the course of the past two seasons, Jon Gruden’s Raiders are 2-7 in games played after Thanksgiving. That very same span sees Las Vegas at 12-9 in games played before the holiday. It really is something to behold. This season alone, the Raiders have dropped four of five heading into this Saturday evening contest. Their only win come against the Jets via a late-game fluke. As for the Dolphins, they are a resounding 5-2 in the seven games rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has started this season. Math isn’t hard for this NFL Week 16 game.