NFL Picks, Predictions Against Gap Week 16: The Patriots Return Bill; The Chief crushes the Steelers; Colts keep winning

news7h 12/22/2021

9 6 minutes read

NFL Picks, Predictions Against Gap Week 16: The Patriots Return Bill; The Chief crushes the Steelers; Colts keep winning

Week 15 in the NFL goes through some big surprises to kick our picks and predictions against the odds. With Christmas Day coming up in the middle of Week 16, there will also be no “gimme” game giveaways this week

There are some pretty big numbers involved in strong favorites, plus a lot of narrow favorites in competitions with two bad teams. All 32 teams are back in action and hopefully, all 16 matches will not face a schedule change.

Without further ado, here’s our latest fearless forecast for pig skin prognosis, hopefully some happy holidays:

(Game odds reflect opening odds for Week 16, with support from FanDuel )

NFL POWER RANKINGS:
Packers go to No. 1 as Buccaneers, Cardinals drop; Chiefs, Rise of the Cowboys

NFL picks against disparity for Week 16

Sunday 1pm ET, CBS

The Bills found something in last week’s run against the Panthers and also made their passing game more dangerous by tossing Gabriel Davis to complement Stefon Diggs at wide receiver. They should have been more gentle with the running game with Devin Singletary backing Josh Allen while they adjusted to handle the Patriots one-sided game plan with Mac Jones. Bill Belichick fooled them once, but the personnel constraints showed here in the Buffalo rematch.

Pick: The bill of exchange wins 20-17.

8:20 p.m. ET Thursday, NFL Network

The 49ers are rolling in attack with Jimmy Garoppolo passing the ball around and the game is on again. The Titans can slow them down a bit on the ground and hold George Kittle tight. The big deal will be wide recordings Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. The Titans didn’t have enough firepower in their pounding attack around Ryan Tannehill to score enough.

Pick: The 49ers won with a score of 23-20 but failed to cover.

Key of the Week: Charger (-9.5, 46.5 o/u) for Texans

Sunday 1pm ET, CBS

The charger is well-rested and will be ready to do more electrical attacks with Justin Herbert in a great position. The Chargers are lackluster in the AFC West battle but they are strong bettors to secure a place in their first season under Brandon Staley. The Texans will play more offensively once again with rookie QB Davis Mills, but they can’t stop what Los Angeles does well.

Pick: Chargers win 34-17 and include the spread.

Performance of the week: Vikings (+3, 49.5 o/u) vs Rams

Sunday 1pm ET, Fox

Vikings will compete on Monday night. The Rams will play on Tuesday night. Minnesota has a tendency to overwhelm opponents, leading to consistent close matches. Matthew Stafford returns to the NFC North line in another uniform and will have a hit on the pitch, but he will also face a lot of pressure. Kirk Cousins can use his weapon to work around the Rams’ defensive strengths with the comforts of home.

Pick: The Vikings won with a score of 27-24.

Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox / NFL Network

The Packers could feel another No. 1 seed in the NFC knockouts and won’t be in the mood for excitement at Lambeau Field this Christmas. The Browns were hoping for one more late AFC playoff spot but injuries and other problems have held them back too much to give them enough time to recover. Aaron Rodgers is back in good spirits with all his weapons on and can feel better about his versatile defense at home.

Pick: The packer wins 27-17 and covers the spread.

Colts at Cardinals (-2, 49.5 o / u)

Saturday 8:15 p.m. ET, NFL Network

The Colts did not change their game plan of playing tough defense, blocking the run, and containing a passing game with flexible lined men in the back seven. It’s not a good way to get Kyler Murray out of a slump caused by the Lions’ shock results last week. The Cardinals have also left huge holes in their running defense and the Colts face another team where their heavyweight approach to Jonathan Taylor was the ideal approach.

Pick: The Colts won with a score of 24-20.

Buccaneers (-11, 44.5 o/u) at Panthers

Sunday 1pm ET, Fox

The Buccaneers’ passing game unexpectedly faced some issues around Tom Brady with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin injured at wide receiver, but the return of Antonio Brown to boost Rob Gronkowski was a big help. As well as the Bucs’ good ball handling, whether it’s with the addition of Leonard Fournette or Ronald Jones. The Bucs’ defense is undaunted against the Saints and will try to keep up with Cam Newton.

Pick: The Panthers won by 27-10 and took the odds.

Sunday 1pm ET, Fox

The Giants had a messy situation in midfield and their offense was cut short by not allowing Saquon Barkley or another runner to touch another key. However, their defense is still playing with pride towards Joe Judge, and the Eagles will make this game even more difficult with so many games to come in a very short week. Philadelphia closes the door on great defense in a light stroll.

Pick: The Eagles won 20-13 but failed to cover the spillover.

Sunday 1pm ET, CBS

The Bengals have control of the AFC North by beating Raven in Baltimore in Week 7 and are not going to give up here with the chance for a great breakout season. The Ravens’ defense can’t stop anything in the passing game any longer with all the injuries and Joe Burrow will light them up all over the field for a second time. The Ravens would do their best with anyone running and passing to stay competitive, but they were outnumbered.

Pick: The Bengals won with a score of 31-27 and took the points.

Lions at Falcons (-3.5, 43.5 o/u)

Sunday 1pm ET, Fox

The Lions had some flashes with new coach Dan Campbell. The Falcons enjoyed their sharing with new coach Arthur Smith. The Lions are surging after defeating the Cardinals, while the Falcons may be deflated after the 49ers’ defeat. But Detroit had a great moment in a failed season. Atlanta wants to finish well outside of the league. It wins with a few more defensive answers.

Pick: The Falcons won with a score of 23-20 but failed to cover.

Jaguars at Jets (-2.5, 42 o/u)

1 p.m. ET on Sunday, CBS

The Jaguars didn’t get it right by Trevor Lawrence with Urban Meyer and Darrell Bevell during his rookie season as the overall #1 pick. The Jets have been doing their best to lift Zach Wilson under the leadership of Robert Saleh and Mike LaFleur, but his progress as No 2 pick has generally been slowed by injuries and the cast weakened side. Wilson has had a few more personal moments than Lawrence and his team are a little more engaged and motivated in the bounce game.

Pick: Jets win 20-17 and that includes spreads.

Bears at Seahawks (-7, 43.5 o/u)

Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox

The Bears have come a long way in a short week, but it’s even shorter for the Seahawks. Justin Fields is a good spark for attack and the Seahawks have some holes he can exploit knowing his team will have a quick hit with David Montgomery. Russell Wilson could attack the Bears’ weakened defense a little better and also use his running ability well enough to secure a much-needed win.

Pick: The Seahawks won with a score of 23-19 but could not overcome the spread.

Broncos at the Raiders (-1.5, 42.5 o/u)

Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

The Broncos lost to the Raiders 34-24 at home in Week 6. These two teams even thought the lackluster Las Vegas would wipe out the series. Denver can also smash this with the typical 1-2 punch like Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon. Derek Carr and his weapons are lagging with their limitations and Vic Fangio’s defense will smash them on the road.

Pick: The Broncos won 19-17.

Steelers in the Chiefs (-10, 46.5 o/u)

Sunday 4:15 p.m. ET, CBS

The Steelers played much better defensively against the Titans to help them win a low-scoring game. But they also dropped a lot in the running game and were really overtaken by a team with almost no playstyle. That is not the case for Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Kansas City is playing as a possession team and focusing on another No. 1 seed, while Pittsburgh is on the cusp of falling out of the playoffs.

Pick: The top wins 34-17 and that includes the spread.

Washington football team at the Cowboys (-10, 47.5 o/u)

Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

WFT and Dallas just played a few weeks ago. The Cowboys handled that game well in the laning phase, but almost let Washington return to the game late. After a short week, the Football Team, with no chance of winning anymore, will go through a period of mobilization with limited attack facing a hot surrounding defense. Dak Prescott used this favorable match at home as a much-needed correction.

Pick: The Cowboys won with a score of 33-14 and covered the spread.

Dolphins at Saints (-3, 40.5 o/u)

Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

The Dolphins’ defense boosted their winning streak, aided by the running game making it all the more well-rounded to effectively lift a Tua Tagovailoa through its varied weapons. They struggled with the pass at times but cleaned everything up before the run. Miami is more flexible and plays a lot of the ball on both sides, while New Orleans’ restrictions keep the home team up to one more game against rivals AFC East.

Pick: The Dolphins won 17-13.

Vinnie Iyer’s 2021 picks: