We are in the home stretch of the NFL season. Week 16 is a popular elimination week, the fantasy football championship for many, and a week that usually gives us great games. Last week, the Saints and Chiefs were the only teams with winning records to play each other. For Week 16, we have three of those matchups and they are all games worth betting on. With this in mind, let’s dive into the Sunday Sevens.
Favorite: (-3.5) Packers versus Titans
The Packers and Titans clash on Sunday night in what should be a high-scoring game. The Titans are one of the toughest offenses to stop and Derrick Henry should give the Packers defense problems all night. However, the Packers’ defense is built to preserve the lead if they earn it. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and the balanced attack should carve up the sorry Titans defense. This should be a close game but expect the Packers to pull ahead late and cover the 3.5 point spread.
Underdog: (+7.5) Bengals versus Texans
Both teams are a mess right now and this game is generally hard to predict. The Texans look mentally done with this season and the Bengals looked that way until last week. Many are expecting the Bengals to crash back to reality after last week’s upset to the Steelers and thus the line favors the Texans by more than a touchdown. While it’s hard to place any confidence in the Bengals’ offense, the defense has the ability to keep the game close. Expect the Bengals to cover the spread and potentially win the game as well.
Over: Seahawks versus Rams (47.5)
This game is poised to be the best of Week 16. Both teams have their flaws and of course their strengths. Granted the Rams defense can be one of the best at times and the Seahawks defense has improved drastically in the recent games, but the Seahawks just played four terrible offenses in a row and the Rams just gave up 20 to the worst offense in the NFL. Both offenses have also struggled recently but expect the Rams to play more off the play-action and run game and the Seahawks to give Russell Wilson better looks. The Over should cover in a surprise scoring spree.
Under: Falcons versus Chiefs (54)
It’s hard to bet the Under in a game that the Chiefs are playing in and the same can be said with the Falcons. However, 54 points is a lot to cover (last week I said the same thing about the Titans-Lions game and welp) and both teams have the ability to play down to expectations. In addition, the Chiefs defense is better than most people give it credit for (allowing 22.1 points per game) and have only been toying with opponents in the second half with the big lead they already have. Expect the Under to cover with the Chiefs blowing out the Falcons but running out the second half.
Money Line: Broncos versus Chargers
This is a barn-burning game with both teams playing in a lost season. The Chargers had an incredible victory last week and the Broncos were pummeled by the Buffalo Bills. While the Broncos might be the less talented team, it’s easy to forget how bad the Chargers are and what happened the last time these two teams played. In a pick ’em game, we can expect the Broncos to escape with the victory after watching the Chargers escape with back to back wins.
Alternate Spread: (-5.5) Colts versus Steelers
I was surprised to see the Colts as only slight favorites in this game. The Steelers have been a mess in recent games and look broken right now. The Colts, on the other hand, are fighting for the AFC South and have looked incredible in recent games. The run game might be one of the best in the NFL, Philip Rivers is having a career year, and the defense doesn’t appear to have any weaknesses. The Colts should win this game and they can turn it into a blowout. If you are going to bet on the Colts, you might want to bet an alternate spread as they should win by a touchdown if not more.
3 Leg Parlay: Washington + Philadelphia + Browns versus Jets Under 40.5 (+334)
With the division within reach, the Football Team should take care of the Panthers. In a game that can go either way, the Eagles should also crawl out with a victory against Dallas. Meanwhile, the Browns and Jets might not get into a shootout but should cover an alternate total of 40.5. All three of these bets are a potential coin flip but expect all three to hit and win the parlay.