NFL Week 15 Betting Picks & Predictions

If you watched Monday Night Football last night, you saw how the last quarter of the regular season can produce some real surprises. Jay Cutler, of all people, outdueled Tom Brady as the Miami Dolphins took down the New England Patriots, 27-20 — and Brady threw an uncharacteristic two interceptions. We also saw some other surprises this past weekend, as Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz went down for the season with a torn ACL, leaving the team’s offense in the hands of Nick Foles, formerly the Eagles’ starter before they shipped him to St. Louis for Sam Bradford and then later brought him back as the backup. DeShone Kizer almost led the Cleveland Browns to a win over Green Bay, before his own mistakes (including that desperation heave that turned into a floating interception in overtime) gave the game to the opposition. What will happen in Week 15? Check out our NFL odds preview to get our perspective on the next round of NFL Week 15 betting matchups.

NFL Week 15 Betting Picks & Predictions

Week 15 Power Rankings (via @HarrisonNFL) 1. @steelers 2. @Patriots 3. @Vikings 4. @Eagles 5-32: https://t.co/nlNQRumjkV pic.twitter.com/sRSQ9v1YFv

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2017

Saturday, December 16

L.A. Chargers (-1) at Kansas City (8:25pm ET, NFL Network)

The Kansas City Chiefs finally ended their four-game losing streak with a 26-15 home win over the Oakland Raiders. That win over an AFC West rivalry gave the Chiefs faint hope in a division that had featured the Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers all tied at 6-6 going into Week 14’s action. The Chiefs’ offense has returned after a three-game stretch in which they only scored a total of 36 points in losses to Dallas, the New York Giants and Buffalo. Their defense also stood tall against Oakland last week as they avenged a loss to Oakland back on October 19. Now they welcome the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that has won four in a row. Sometimes they’ve been dominant in this streak (beating Buffalo by 30, Dallas by 22 and Washington by 17) although they also barely held off Cleveland at home. The pass rush is getting more confident behind Joey Bosa, and the offense is pounding the ball in the running game, while Phillip Rivers has stopped throwing backbreaking interceptions. But can the Chargers really win at Arrowhead? The Chargers are due a crucial mistake late in the game, and Kansas City has been one place they’ve made those mistakes too many times in the past. NFL Week 15 Betting Prediction: Kansas City 30, L.A. Chargers 27

Sunday, December 17

Houston (+10.5) at Jacksonville (1:00pm ET, CBS)

Well, we just saw Tom Savage take a brutal hit, go into the concussion protocol, somehow pass it, come back onto the field and look extra wobbly, and then leave for good, replaced by T.J. Yates. It would be extremely unlikely to expect Savage to play this week, which means that Houston will be playing their third-string quarterback against Jacksonville on the road. That’s the same Jacksonville team that routed Houston in Week One (leading to Savage being benched for Deshaun Watson) and that has won six of seven, including a 30-24 victory over Seattle at home this past weekend. The only loss in that stretch was a puzzling 27-24 setback at Arizona. Blake Bortles has learned how to manage games and minimize turnovers. That’s the sort of leadership Jacksonville will need to make a playoff run. NFL Week 15 Betting Prediction: Jacksonville 27, Houston 9

New England (-2.5) at Pittsburgh (4:25pm ET, CBS)

The New England Patriots will have a gigantic chip on their shoulders on Sunday afternoon as they head to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. The top seed in the AFC playoffs will be at stake, as the Steelers have won eight in a row to move to 11-2. The Patriots were keeping pace with them but fell in Miami on Monday night. Tom Brady didn’t look 100% with his throws, as his passes on out routes floated more than usual, and his deep balls were short enough for the Dolphins to catch up, leading to one of Brady’s two interceptions. Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback to have three different games with 500 or more passing yards on Sunday night as he led the Steelers to a furious comeback win over Baltimore, 39-38. Both the Patriots and the Steelers have issues getting defensive stops. Rob Gronkowski will be back for the Patriots on Sunday afternoon. Will his return galvanize the Patriots’ offense? Or will the Steelers get the New England monkey off their backs? NFL Week 15 Betting Prediction: New England 31, Pittsburgh 30