2011 Week 16 NFL Betting Preview
For the first time in seemingly forever, the NFL will be playing a full slate of games on a Saturday to avoid conflicts with Christmas Day. That doesn't mean that there won't be a ton of NFL betting action that will determine the teams that are playing for the Super Bowl this year, so don't miss out on any of the information here at Cappers Mall!
We'll start in the AFC, where very little has actually been decided. The Houston Texans know that they have won the AFC South, but two losses could leave them in the No. 4 seed, while two wins could be good enough to get them all the way to the top of the conference. They'll guarantee themselves a first round bye in the playoffs with a win and some help this week. Houston has a relatively easy game against the Indianapolis Colts as 6.5 point favorites on Thursday Night Football, but it was favored by 6.5 last week in the bad loss to the Carolina Panthers as well.
Houston has never won a game in Indianapolis, and the Colts are playing well right now, as they have covered three games in a row. The Texans have also never won a Thursday Night Football game in team history, though the sample set is incredibly small.
On Sunday, the top teams in the AFC all have contests that really should go their way. The New England Patriots have the toughest game of the bunch against the Miami Dolphins, but even still, that game is at home, and the Pats are still getting the nod by 9.5. That pales in comparison to the 13.5 points the Baltimore Ravens are favored by over the Cleveland Browns and the 16 that the Pittsburgh Steelers are favored by over the St. Louis Rams.
In the AFC West, things are going to be mighty interesting. If the chalk holds up on Sunday, the Denver Broncos are going to clinch the division title. Denver is favored by 2.5 points on the road at the Buffalo Bills, while the Kansas City Chiefs are favored by 2.5 over the struggling Oakland Raiders. An Oakland loss parlayed with a Denver win gives the Broncos the division title. Kansas City and the San Diego Chargers need wins and a Denver loss just to stay alive. The Bolts are 2.5 point underdogs on the road at the Detroit Lions, whom we will speak about in a moment.
Elsewhere in the AFC, the New York Jets are favored by a field goal over the New York Giants, and they need two wins to ensure that they are going to be in the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. The Cincinnati Bengals, who are four point favorites over the Arizona Cardinals, and they would be in the driver's seat for the top seed if the Jets are to lose.
The only other AFC Wild Card contender, the Tennessee Titans, are 7.5 point favorites to get back above .500 and to stop their losing streak when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the NFC, it all revolves around the Green Bay Packers. They should have no problem getting the top seed in the NFC locked up this week, as they take on the struggling Chicago Bears as 13 point favorites at home.
If the Pack do win, the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints are left to battle it out for the other first round bye slot in the conference. The Saints are seven point favorites on Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons in a game that would lock up the NFC South once and for all for the hosts, while the Niners are slender 1.5 point favorites on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, who are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win.
The Wild Card spots are currently held by the Lions and the Falcons, both of which have tough tasks. If both win, the efforts of the Seahawks, Bears, and Cardinals are futile, as they will all be eliminated from playoff contention. All three teams need a win and at least one loss by one of these two teams to stay alive, though some need both to lose to have a shot at qualifying for the postseason.
In the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys will be helped by losses by Detroit and Atlanta as well. The Boys are two point favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that could clinch up the NFC East with a New York loss. The Eagles also need the Giants to lose to the Jets earlier in the day to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The Giants will be eliminated with a loss and a Dallas win, which would give the Cowboys the NFC East title. Dallas' Wild Card hopes stay alive with a win and losses by either the Falcons or Lions, though it would take a three way tiebreaker to get them in over any other team at 9-7.
In other action on the Week 16 NFL odds, the Minnesota Vikings are getting 6.5 at the Washington Redskins, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are +7.5 at the Carolina Panthers in what could be the final game for Head Coach Raheem Morris if he were to lose a ninth straight game.
