What 5 NFL games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into Week 15? Here you go. Enjoy.
Week 15 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
– Week 15 NFL Predictions, Schedule, Times, Lines, Previews
– CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
– CFN Expert Picks: NFL
Click on each game for the game preview and fearless prediction.
5. Seattle at Washington
LINE: Seattle -6.5
ATS PICK: Washington
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Every once in a while you need to trust the process.
Seattle is the fun team. It’s the team with the big downfield passing game, the running game is working, and needs this to hold off Tampa Bay and Arizona in the playoff hunt.
There shouldn’t be much of a problem – the Seahawks should get in – but it could use a cushion. On the other side, Washington is probably locked in as the NFC’s four-seed because the East is so totally miserable.
However, the Giants are only one game back and get a battle with the Browns.
But that’s not why you called.
Seattle is better than Washington, and Seattle is MUCH better than a Washington Football Team with Dwayne Haskins at quarterback. However …
Haskins just wasn’t that bad before losing his gig. He wasn’t consistent, and the coaching staff seems to be trying to send a message, but he can play enough to be bay against a Seattle pass defense that’s good for giving up more 200 yards on a regular basis. It would be nice to get more than 6.5 because Alex Smith is out and Haskins is in, but that’s what it is.
And why?
Turnovers.
Here’s where you’re trusting in the process, and the trends.
Washington is on a strong four-game winning streak thanks to its run defense and takeaways. It forced eight turnovers over the last four games, and out of the six wins, five of them came in the five games when it came up with multiple takeaways.
Seattle has turned if over more than twice four times in the last eight games and lost all four.
NEXT: New York Jets at Los Angeles Rams
4. New York Jets at Los Angeles Rams
LINE: Los Angeles -17
ATS PICK: Los Angeles
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
You don’t ever give away 17 points to anyone ever in the NFL, but there are too many good factors working the Rams’ way.
Start with the brutal reality that the Jets are just awful.
It might sound so simplistic, but the team had its chance against the Raiders, didn’t come through, collapsed, and didn’t get on the flight to Seattle in a 40-3 loss. That was the second time in three games the Jets only managed three points.
Now they get to face the No. 1 defense in the NFL playing in its own house.
Which goes to two other key factors. Home, and rested. The Rams whacked around New England last Thursday night, while the Jets went to Seattle and now have to go back to the coast a week later to deal with the Rams.
Out of the six Jet road games, one was a ten-point loss in the opener. Another was a six-point loss to the Chargers, but that came off a bye week. There’s no rest for New York this time around, and in the other four road losses, they got whacked 36-7 by the Colts, 24-0 by Miami, 35-9 at Kansas City, and then last week’s clunker to the Seahawks.
If the Jets score in double-digits against this Ram D, it’s not your fault.
NEXT: Houston at Indianapolis
3. Houston at Indianapolis
LINE: Indianapolis -7
ATS PICK: Indianapolis
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
We just did this two weeks ago, Indianapolis won 26-20 in Houston, and now it’s a home game.
That loss, though, was more than just the Colts surviving in what turned out to be a desperately needed victory for their playoff life. It might sucked all the wind out of the Texans.
Everyone has been through a lot in the NFL, but consider all the drama this team has gone through along with the pandemic.
The loss of DeAndre Hopkins, a midseason coaching change, the suspension of Will Fuller, the lack of a running game and the loss of David Johnson, and on and on and on. When Deshaun Watson lost that fumble just as it looked like the Texans were about to go in and upset the Colts, that might have been one bad moment too many.
It certainly showed last week – the Texans didn’t get off the bus in a 36-7 loss to a bad Chicago team.
It’s the NFL, and teams usually pride up and bounce back after bad performances, but Indianapolis needs this. It’s hanging on to the 6 seed, and the 4 Titans probably aren’t losing to the Lions and the 5 Browns likely won’t lose to the Giants.
The Colt running game is rolling, the Texan run defense has been having problems, and this needs to be a strong win at home with a date at Pittsburgh coming up next.
If Chicago could run on Houston, so can Indy.
NEXT: San Francisco at Dallas
2. San Francisco at Dallas
LINE: San Francisco -3
ATS PICK: San Francisco
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
This is taking a chance that the line is artificially off because of the schedules. Actually, it’s more like the line is an overreaction.
San Francisco is sputtering, but it’s having problems with the strong defenses. It could’t get the O going over the last few weeks, and there’s a massive turnover problem. The Niners have given it up two times or more in each of the last seven games and in nine of the last ten.
However, the O had problems against Washington, and Buffalo, and the Rams, and the Saints, and the Packers. All five fo those teams are nasty defensively.
Dallas isn’t.
The public usually likes Dallas no matter what, and it certainly helped to play a dead Cincinnati last week. Dallas wins 30-7, Washington can’t do anything right offensive, Dallas is back at home after a long stretch of road games over the last two months …
Dallas still can’t play any defense.
Finally, after dealing with nasty defenses for almost the entire season, the San Francisco ground game gets to roll. The Cowboys can’t stop the run, the Niners are going to simplify the game plan to pound away and pound some more, and the three points being given up shouldn’t be that big a deal.
NEXT: Tampa Bay at Atlanta
1. Tampa Bay at Atlanta
LINE: Tampa Bay -5.5
ATS PICK: Tampa Bay
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Well that shot up fast.
Tampa Bay opened as just a 1.5 point favorite on the road against the Falcons, and that got instantly hammered very, very hard.
The Buccaneers aren’t playing all that well. They offense has been inconsistent and the defense has fallen off a bit, but there’s a reason.
Everything was fine after getting a week off and hosting Minnesota, but before that, not only were the Bucs on a 12-game bender without a break, but they closed out with the Saints, Rams, and Chiefs in three of the last four games.
And the NFL world panicked wondering what was wrong with Tom Brady, and what was wrong with the Bucs.
They played a nasty schedule and were gassed. It’s not that hard.
It’s the first of two games against the Falcons in the last three weeks, and they’re playing this at the right time. Atlanta is getting Calvin Ridley, but there’s no Julio Jones. Todd Gurley should play, but he’s definitely off, and now he’s going against the NFL’s best run defense.
This is a banged up Falcon offense that’s not only struggling, but it’s not getting any help from the D.
Brady and the passing game should have a big day against the NFL’s third-worst pass defense, the big plays will be there, and again, Tampa Bay is playing someone bad.
