The NFL is getting better. Don’t take my word for it, as we’re coming off arguably the best game of the year on Thursday night when the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. This victory vaulted Seattle into the playoffs, and as we turn our attention to the rest of the Week 16 slate, several teams face wins and losses Qualifying scenarios.
For example, the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers simply need to win the game to ensure they get their hat in the ring for the Lombardi Trophy. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles can clinch the NFC East Championship with a win, and a few other clubs need a little luck to make their way to victory this weekend as well. This makes it a very entertaining list to not only watch, but to bet on as well.
As we prepare for Week 16, which includes two games on Saturday, let’s make sure you’re in good shape and get your bets in order before kickoff. Below, you can find our best bets for the week, plus picks for every match remaining on the slate.
All possibilities are across DraftKings Sportsbook.
Saturday 8:20 PM ET (FOX | Fubotry for free)
Losing Micah Parsons for the season to a torn ACL is a huge blow for the Packers. The star rusher had 12.5 sacks on the season (tied for third-most in… NFL), and his absence It completely changes the way we look at a club’s chances of making a Super Bowl run. It also changes how opposing offenses plan to play against them, and should make life much easier for Caleb Williams and Co. They look to retain their NFC North crown.
These two rivals played a tough game at Lambeau Field just a few weeks ago, and I think Williams will be much better at Soldier Field this time around. The Bears’ quarterback has a better passer rating at home than his production on the road (99.2 vs. 81.6), along with a superior average yards per attempt (7.35 vs. 6.53) and TD-INT ratio (11-1 vs. 10-5).
Meanwhile, the Packers’ defense (even with Parsons) was much different on the road. Aside from Lambeau, Green Bay is giving up 25.6 points per game compared to just 14.6 points per game they give up at home. The Packers also have just 2-5 ATS on the road this season — a 28.6% coverage rate that is third lowest in the NFL. The Bears take this to maintain control of the NFC North entering Week 17.
Expected result: Bears 28, Packers 26
choice: Bears -1.5
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Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS |). Paramount+)
Ladies and gentlemen, the Saints have found a quarterback. Tyler Shough has turned it on in recent weeks, to the point where he could be in play to be the franchise’s starter for 2026 and force the front office to look at the position this offseason. In his six appearances this season, Shugh has completed 69% of his throws and has a passer rating of 92.1. Most recently, he led New Orleans to back-to-back victories against the division rivals Buccaneers and Panthers.
Now, he faces a Jets defense that allowed Trevor Lawrence to score six total touchdowns (five passing and one rushing), which led to Defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes was fired. Shug shouldn’t face much resistance this week, which could make it very difficult for undrafted rookie Brady Cook to make his second career start.
Expected result: Saints 26, Jets 17
choice: Saints -6.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
Sunday at 1 PM ET (FOX | Fubotry for free)
Both teams are coming off fourth-quarter collapses in Week 15, so neither is instilling a ton of confidence at this point in the NFC South race. However, I think Tampa Bay is in a worse position. The club has lost five of its past six games and allowed 29.3 points per game during that stretch. On the year, the defense ranks 30th in yards allowed per game (246.9 yards) and in red zone efficiency (72.2% touchdown rate). Baker Mayfield has also struggled a bit on the road, owning a 1-3 record over his last four drives while throwing more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three).
All of this has me fading with the Bucs in this pivotal matchup, especially with Carolina 9-1 ATS in its past 10 games as a home underdog. Bryce Young is also a much better quarterback at home, as he enters this game with a 4-1 record at Bank of America Stadium this season with a 67.7% completion rate and 98.5 passer rating.
Expected result: Panthers 24, Buccaneers 21
choice: Panthers +3
Sunday at 4:05 PM ET (Fox | Fubotry for free)
I don’t know what it is, but I can’t bring myself to buy Jaguars yet. Trevor Lawrence’s production last week was certainly impressive, and he leads the NFL in yards per attempt (8.6) and passing touchdowns (13) on the club’s five-game winning streak. However, when you look at Jacksonville’s opponents, it’s hard to be completely impressed. For example, the six-touchdown game came in Week 15 against the Jets.
This Broncos defense is a whole different animal, and the unit comes into this week with 58 sacks on the season (most by any team through 13 games since the 2000 Saints). Denver is also a perfect 7-0 at home this season, underscoring how tough it is to go out in general. If the Jaguars can achieve that, I’ll start looking at them differently, but I don’t expect that to be the case.
Expected resultBroncos 24, Jaguars 20
choice:Bronco -3.5
Monday, 8:15 PM ET (ESPN | Fubotry for free)
We beat Philip Rivers and the Colts to the punch last week against Seattle, and we made the 44-year-old pay, pulling off the almost outright upset. While that made for a nice story, I think the Seahawks were caught not taking Rivers and Co. seriously and are looking forward to the huge matchup with the Rams on Thursday.
I expect Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh to call things that will make Rivers’ life even more difficult than it was last week. As for the Niners, they are one of them The Sleeping Giants are in the NFC playoff picture. They have won four straight games by more than 10 points, and Brock Purdy is starting to find his way back into form. San Francisco is also 3-0 straight up and ATS in primetime games this season.
Expected result: 49ers 30, Colts 19
choice:49ers -5.5
The rest of the group
Eagles in leaders (Saturday)
Expected result: Eagles 28, Leaders 17
choice: Eagles -7
Bills in Browns
Expected result: Bills 27, Browns 16
choice: Bills -10.5
Chargers at Cowboys
Expected result: Chargers 27, Cowboys 23
choice: Chargers +1.5
Bosses in Titans
Expected result:Chiefs 23, Giants 21
choice: Titans +3
Bengals at Dolphins
Expected result: Bengals 28, Dolphins 17
choice: Bengals -4.5
Vikings at Giants
Expected result: Vikings 24, Giants 20
choice: Vikings -2.5
Falcons at Cardinals
Expected result: Falcons 27, Cardinals 23
choice: Falcons -3
Steelers in black
Expected result: Lions 30, Steelers 20
choice:Black-7
Texas Raiders
Expected result: Texas 30, Raiders 14
choice: Texas -14.5
Patriots at Ravens
Expected result: Patriots 27, Ravens 24
choice: Patriots +3