NFL Week 16 Odds Preview: Playoff Positions at Stake

Low-Scoring Totals a Theme on The NFL Odds

The NFL playoff race hits a critical point this early Saturday when these 1:00 p.m. Week 16 matchups occur. All four games could shuffle the playoff picture and see some teams eliminated. Moreover, it becomes more “interesting” as two road teams are favored in what looks to be a low-scoring weekend per the NFL Week 16 odds.Expect wintery weather in some of these matchups.

Game Information

These God-Forsaken Teams are Still Alive

This may be a must-watch game for any decent person living outside Cleveland as the Browns can get eliminated from the playoffs with a loss here.

Even if the Saints (+125) are just 1-5 (on both moneyline (ML) and spread) as a road team, this team’s defense could test the shorthanded Browns (-2.5). Leading running back Nick Chubb (foot) and pass rusher Myles Garrett (illness) are both on the NFL Week 16 injury report and may not play.

The Browns (-145) would do well to exploit the run against New Orleans. However, the Saints have allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards in their last two road games. Defenses may rule here as Cleveland’s has kept it afloat. The team is undefeated (3-0) with Deshaun Watson despite his subpar performances. The total, which is the lowest this Saturday at 32, has gone under in all of his starts with Cleveland.

New England Patriots Must Win Against Red-Hot Bengals

The Bengals are playing for the top seed in the East (and a playoff bye) while the Patriots are trying to stay afloat in the playoff rice.

Cincinnati came back from a 17-3 deficit against the Buccaneers while New England came up with the most hilariously awful way to lose a game in the 100+ years of the NFL’s existence. Now, the Pats are underdogs (+163) in their own turf where they are 3-3 on both the ML and spread.

New England is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games hosting the Bengals. But those did not involve Joe Burrow, who has been unstoppable for Cincinnati. The third-year quarterback has 16 total touchdowns and a 103.5 passer rating during Cincinnati’s six-game winning streak. The Bengals (-190) are also 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games hence why they’re the chalk on the NFL Week 16 odds.

Buffalo Bills Face Lofty Spread in Wintery Chicago

The Bills (-450) sit atop the AFC on the NFL standings this 2022. But the team has gone just 2-6 ATS in its last eight games. It looks to cover a 10-point spread despite blizzard-like conditions potentially meeting these teams this Saturday.

The Bears (+340), who are already ranked last in passing stats, will struggle to score even more. Chicago has been held to 20 points or fewer in its last three games. The team is on a seven-game skid.

And yet, the Bears’ totals have typically gone over. Seven of their last eight games have. Let’s thank their atrocious defense, which is the third-worst in the NFL by allowing 25+ points on average.

The total for this game is set at 40 thanks to gale-like winds forecasted this Saturday. If Buffalo is to beat up Chicago, it may come slowly and through the ground.

Stumbling Titans Face Frisky Texans

This NFL AFC South matchup could play out like a bad movie with a crazy ending. For one, the Texans (+6) are rolling into this as +185 underdogs.

Houston has not beaten any team other than Jacksonville since last year, literally (December 26, 2021). And yet these Texans gave Kansas City and Dallas a run for their money as 17-point and 14-point underdogs, respectively.

So this may be the bettors’ choice for an upset with Tennessee having lost four straight. These teams are also struggling to score. Both are in the bottom seven of the NFL in scoring.

The under has cashed in better than 50 percent of their games. However, the total has gone over in four of their last six matchups. At 37 points, it’s the second-lowest on the NFL Week 16 odds this Saturday.

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