It’s all guns blazing as we head towards the 16th week of NFL action.
The playoffs continue to take shape with seasons being kept alive for some and seasons ending for others.
tennessee vs. san francisco
24th december 12:20pm
The Titans will look to all but lock up first place in the AFC South when they come up against the 49ers on Friday afternoon.
Playing on the quick back-up might just be what the home team needs in this game after falling to the Steelers on the road on Monday, while the 49ers crushed a struggling Atlanta to the tune of three-converted touchdowns.
This battle between AFC and NFC rivals will give us a great guide as to which conference of the NFL is stronger.
With the Titans hosting this game, their superior 5-2 record at home should be improved upon in front of their home fans and they look great value at the head to head.
Suggested Bet: Tennessee head to head at $2.52
green bay vs. cleveland
26th december 8:30am
The Green Bay Packers train piloted by Aaron Rodgers is stationed at home again as they get ready to clash with the Cleveland Browns.
The Packers made it 11-3 with pulsating 31-30 victory over Baltimore last weekend, which saw Rodgers produced a three-touchdown game for 268 yards.
The Browns know their pass rushing and aerial defence needs to be on point against Rodgers who is throwing with an accuracy akin to Michael Van Gerwan in the darts.
You just cannot tip against the Packers at home at the moment and -6.5 favourites should be able to cover the spread.
Suggested Bet: Green Bay -6.5 at $1.87
arizona vs. indianapolis
26th december 12:15pm
The injuries and long season might just be beginning to the their toll on the Cardinals as they get set to the host the Colts.
Arizona is in desperate need of some defensive cohesiveness having conceded 30 points to Los Angeles and Detroit in consecutive losses.
The Colts are going to provide a huge threat with their brutally powerful running game led by Jonathan Taylor who was incredible in the 27-17 win over New England last week.
You just get the feeling the momentum the Cardinals had earlier this season is really beginning to wear thin and the Colts have a sense of timing about them.
Suggested Bet: Indianapolis head to head at $1.94
atlanta vs. detroit
27th december 5:00am
You would be far fetched to find a better two-win team at the 16-week mark of the NFL season than the Detroit Lions as they carry the momentum of an upset 30-12 win over the Cardinals into their match against Atlanta.
The Lions produced a first-half blitz in what was their best performance of the year and now face the Falcons who are coming off an 18-point defeat against San Francisco.
The Falcons, despite the loss, have definitely put together a better body of work throughout the season with a 6-8 record and should be able to deal with a Lions team that was well set to beat an injury-plagued Cardinals team.
With playoffs still a mathematical possibility, that should be enough motivation for the home team to win.
Suggested Bet: Atlanta Falcons -5.5 at $1.90
minnesota vs. la rams
27th december 5:00am
The Minnesota Vikings (7-7) welcome the Los Angeles Rams (10-3) to U.S Bank Stadium.
With a playoffs spot on offer for the Vikings, they have added motivation to win this contest and have done a great job since losing to Detroit on December 6.
Wins against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati has put the Vikings in the box seat with fate in their own hand.
The Rams will attempt to put the Vikings defence under the pump with Matt Stafford at the helm of the gun.
Three wins in a row have the Rams also hitting this game with momentum, but again, the home team as underdogs look great value
Suggested Bet: Minnesota at $2.21
new york jets vs. jacksonville
27th december 5:00am
With the season over for both teams in terms of playoffs, the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars come face to face.
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost a very winnable game against the Houston Texans in Week 15, However, they cannot dwell on it too much.
The loss agains the Texans made it six consecutive defeats, while the Jets have lost three in a row and not exactly travelling any better.
This game is nothing but a migraine.
In what is a 50/50 split, the visitors might just be the value.
Suggested Bet: Jacksonville +2.5 at $1.91
philadelphia vs. new york giants
27th december 5:00am
The newest star quarterback prospect of the NFL in Jalen Hurts and his Philadelphia Eagles take on the New York Giants.
This game marks the second time these two teams have gone head to head, with the Giants prevailing 13-7 back on November 29 and it was actually the scene of the Giants’ last win.
Since then, they have lost every game since that victory and come up rank outsiders here on the road.
The Eagles, with Hurts in great form, should be able to get one back over the Giants.
Suggested Bet: Philadelphia -10.5 at $1.90
new england vs. buffalo
27th december 5:00am
While the AFC East will not be decided based on the New England Patriots’ game against the Buffalo Bills alone, the contest goes a long way towards determining who will win the division crown in 2021.
The Bills field one of the most complete teams in the NFL, and their offence is a big reason for their success.
Josh Allen and the passing game in particular being a challenge for opposing offences.
That being said, the Patriots might just have a match for Allen in the form of Mac Jones who continues to carry New England from strength to strength this season.
However, the Patriots have mixed their home form this season with a 3-4 record, so it is definitely the Bills who represent the value here as the underdogs.
Suggested Bet: Buffalo Bills +2.5 at $1.91
cincinnati vs. baltimore
27th december 5:00am
Baltimore is on the road in an attempt to stop a three-game slide when it faces the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend.
The Ravens have been the unlucky side of some close losses having dropped games to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Green Bay by a combined four points.
Lamar Jackson has been out for the majority of those games with a sprained ankle, but there is the word around the traps that he might very well be on the mend.
His return would surely signal a Ravens victory on their way to a playoffs berth.
Suggested Bet: Baltimore Ravens +2.5 at $1.91 (If Jackson plays)
houston vs. la chargers
27th december 5:00am
The Los Angeles Chargers come to NRG Stadium on Monday morning to take on the Houston Texans in week 16 AFC action.
This game is huge for the Chargers, who are looking to recover from a Thursday Night Football overtime loss last week to the Chiefs.
The Texans have been a very easy beat for a lot of teams this season as they sit 3-11 with a defence that has more holes than Swiss cheese.
Houston did do a good job to gain some pride back on a losing season with a big win against Jacksonville last week, but this is a completely different ball game.
The Chargers have much more depth and talent in all areas of the field.
Suggested Bet: LA Chargers -9.5 at $1.92
carolina vs. tampa bay
27th december 5:00am
After a blip on the radar last week which saw Tom Brady lose his cool, Tampa Bay travels over to Carolina for a clash against the Panthers.
Brady was shutout for the first time in 15 years in the 9-0 loss against New Orleans and the Panthers might smell blood at home.
But, as for Carolina, they haven’t scored more than 21 points for four straight weeks (all losses) and have lost by double-digits in two of those games.
Rarely does Brady have two poor games in a row, so expect a big bounce back here from the Bucs.
Suggested Bet: Tampa Bay -9.5 at $1.89
seattle vs. chicago
27th december 8:05am
The Chicago Bears (4-10) are on their way to Lumen Field on where they will attempt to knock off the Seattle Seahawks (5-9).
It has been an unlucky season for the Seahawks with their quarterback Russell Wilson struggling for form since breaking his finger earlier in the year.
Wilson has battled on gamely throughout, but his mob fell short 20-10 against the LA Rams last week.
This game against the Bears represents a much easier task than having to deal with Matt Stafford as the opposing quarterback.
If Wilson can get his passing game going, this could be a rout in the favour of the Seahawks who come up against the 24th ranked team defence in the NFL.
Suggested Bet: Seattle -6.5 at $1.91
kansas city vs. pittsburgh
27th december 8:25am
The Kansas City Chiefs will attempt to keep their winning streak rolling along when they face the in-form Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday morning.
The Chiefs have scorched their way to 10-4 in the AFC West with seven wins in a row and are the -7.5 favourites for this contest.
Pittsburgh might just prove a very tough nut to crack for Patrick Mahomes and his troops after they shutout Tom Brady in a 9-0 win against Tampa Bay.
Mahomes, despite his team being a big winning run, has not looked as confident in the gun as he was last season and has relied heavily on the running game of his teammates.
Think the Steelers can give Mahomes and his squad a headache like they did with Brady last week.
Suggested Bet: Pittsburgh +7.5 at $1.90
Las vegas vs. denver
27th december 8:25am
The Las Vegas Raiders will welcome the Denver Broncos to Allegiant Stadium in Week 16.
Sitting at 7-7, the Raiders will play two more home games in the regular season, sandwiched around a road matchup against Indianapolis, so this game is integral to a playoffs berth.
The Broncos could be without starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for the matchup, and that would prove a major problem.
The Raiders, even though it his a been a rough year off the field, have fought hard and can easily knock off the Broncos if Bridgewater misses.
Suggested Bet: Las Vegas -2.5 at $2.06 (If Bridgewater misses)
dallas vs. washington
27th december 12:20pm
The 10-4 Dallas Cowboys open the doors to AT&T Stadium when it hosts the Washington Football Team.
The Cowboys skipped along to 10-4 after a 21-6 win over New York Giants and has all but locked in its playoffs spot, while Washington dropped to 6-8 after going to the Eagles.
Both the Cowboys and Washington have already met this season and it was the Cowboys who proved superior with a 27-20 win on the road.
A return to their home venue now sees Dallas the commanding $1.20 favourite and it is no wonder given so many of their players are in line for individual honours this season.
Defensively, the Cowboys have looked better than they have in recent years and this will go a long way to winning this game and potentially going deep into playoffs.
Suggested Bet: Dallas Cowboys -11.5 at $1.90
new orleans vs. miami
28th december 12:15pm
The Miami Dolphins (7-7) travel to meet the New Orleans Saints (7-7) at Caesars Superdome in week 16 of the NFL season.
Having shaken the AFC senseless with six-consecutive wins, the Dolphins could not be in better form hitting the road for this crucial clash.
Miami’s most recent win was a 31-24 results when visiting New York Jets in Week 15 as Duke Johnson and Myles Gaskin showed why they are considered amongst the best rushers in the league over the last month.
But the Saints bring in some strong form after shutting Tom Brady for the first time in 15 years with a 9-0 upset result last week.
That type of defensive display would seriously trouble the Dolphins who face their toughest test to date since their loss against the Bills back on November 1.
If the Saints can control the rushing game of the Dolphins, they should be able to stop this impressive winning streak.
Suggested Bet: New Orleans -3.5 at $1.90
