NFL Odds, Picks, Predictions: Betting Previews For Broncos-Chargers, Packers-Rams, 49ers-Vikings

NFL Odds, Picks, Predictions

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Chargers at Broncos Odds

Joe Klein: This game features an interesting clash of styles, with Brandon Staley's aggressive, swashbuckling approach up against Vic Fangio's old-school conservative game plan. The Broncos are the third-slowest team in the NFL, while L.A. clocks in at third-fastest.

Which style will prevail? If Denver believes it can sit on a lead and try to milk the clock, it is wrong — the Chargers will keep coming and stay aggressive early and often in the game. I don't expect the Broncos to be content with small leads in this game if they are ahead. They should continue to press the issue.

The price you can get on this game — as well as the final injury report– dictates how to attack this game. At current prices of 47 and Denver +2.5 at time of writing (check real-time NFL odds here), the over is the more appealing option. Denver's slow pace is not conducive to overs in general, as eight of 10 Broncos games have gone under this season. However, there are too many leaks in this L.A. defense that Denver can exploit and get into the mid 20s. On the flip side, the Chargers can exploit a vulnerable Denver secondary that the market still has respect for, despite the injuries and underperformance.

At +3 (-120), I see value in the Broncos at home if Bradley Chubb is able to go — Denver activated him from the injured reserve Saturday, making him eligible to play. Chubb's presence should help Denver attack the L.A. offense on the obvious passing downs that the Chargers have relied on converting this season. Mix in a potential injury to G Matt Feiler on the line, and Denver's defense should be able to do just enough to stay close.

Be sure to shop around for the best price available on both the Denver side and the over. Chubb's status will be known in full before kickoff — wager accordingly.

Editor's note: Bradley Chubb is expected to play, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, making Broncos +3 now a bet for our analyst who likes them up to -120 juice. Note that the spread is on the move though, with some books lowering the line to -2.5, but PointsBet is still offering the Broncos +3 (115) as of 11 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Pick: Over 47 (-110) | Bet to: 47 (-110)

Rams at Packers Odds

Phillip Kall: The Rams present problems for the Packers that no other team can. This is all thanks to the presence of Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey's elite cover skills allow him to take away an opposing teams’ top option without requiring a constant double team.

If Ramsey can hold up in coverage against Davante Adams, the Packers could be in trouble. Last week we saw Green Bay be willing to turn elsewhere for its offense, but it came at a cost in terms of efficiency. The Packers' most targeted receiver, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, had only four catches on 10 targets. He did break one for a 75-yard touchdown to save his day, but he had just three catches for 48 yards otherwise.

As for stopping the Packers running game, we have seen the Rams hold teams to fewer than 70 yards in four games this year. However, the biggest part of stopping the run is simply attitude. L.A. didn’t have it against San Francisco, but with a week off and its chances of the NFC’s top seed slipping, motivation and attitude won’t be a problem.

In terms of creating scoring opportunities for the Rams, we saw the Vikings pick apart the weakened Packers defense. Between their depth of playmakers and an excellent play-caller, L.A. will have the tools necessary to recreate Minnesota’s success. The only question to answer for this offense will be how OBJ fits and if he is comfortable with that role. I am not too scared of this causing issues as both parties work through this “honeymoon” phase.

At full strength, this game would look much different. However, the Rams come in with extra rest and the Packers are still working through injuries and doing what they can to get to the bye. The Rams also have the extra boost of motivation since they need every win they can get to even have one home playoff game. The Packers pretty much have their division locked up.

Take the Rams to start the end of their year hot with a big win.

Pick: Rams -2.5| Bet to: -3.5

Vikings at 49ers Odds

Michael Arinze: I've got two player props in this game with Kirk Cousins not throwing an interception at -140 and for Deebo Samuel to go under 5.5 receptions (-120) for the reasons outlined in my complete game guide. We could easily be in for another tightly-contested game.

After all, those seem to be the only types of games the Vikings play nowadays. At best, this game feels very much like a coin flip to me, so that's why I'm passing on the side and total altogether. Instead, I've decided to split my unit of action between the two player props I outlined.

Pick: Kirk Cousins Under 0.5 INTs (-140) | Bet to: -145

Bonus Pick: Deebo Samuel  Under 5.5 Rec (-120) | Bet to: -130

NFL Odds, Picks, Predictions

Steelers at Bengals Odds

Mike Randle: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

This season, Pittsburgh is 4-1 (80%) against the spread (ATS) as an underdog, with its only loss coming at Green Bay.

I'm riding with Mike Tomlin again as the divisional road underdog in a team Pittsburgh has usually dominated. I grabbed this line at 4.5 and love getting over that critical field goal difference.

I would bet this line to Pittsburgh +3.

Pick: Steelers +3.5 | Bet to: +3

Jets at Texans Odds

Mike Vitanza: While neither team has found a great deal of success so far this season, this Texans team possesses a sizable advantage on the defensive side of the ball and seems to have found a formula on offense that even a playoff-bound (albeit injury-riddled) Titans team had trouble stopping last week.

The Jets have had a multitude of problems scoring points this season, but even more so with Zach Wilson at the helm. While he still has time to develop into the quarterback the Jets hoped for when they took him with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, there’s nothing to suggest that it will begin this week against the Texans.

I’m expecting this superior Texans defense to limit the Jets offense throughout the day, and for Houston to be able to muster enough offense against New York's bottom-ranked defense to pull out a sizable enough victory here. With the point spread at just 2.5 heading into Sunday, there is still certainly value on the Texans here.

I’m taking this at the current line of -2.5 and would prefer to play this at -3 or below. I believe this game will be settled by more than just a field goal, so I would play it up to -4 as well if the line continues to tick upwards prior to kickoff.

Pick: Texans -2.5 | Bet to: -4

Bucs at Colts Odds

Billy Ward: This is a very interesting matchup between two teams that are strong on both sides of the ball. However, the interaction of those strengths will be the key to this one. The Colts' stiff run defense is of little value against the Bucs, who only reluctantly run the ball. Their struggles to defend the pass are concerning, especially against Brady.

On the other side of the ball, the Bucs' (almost) equally tough run defense is much more crucial to this matchup. While Jonathan Taylor and the Colts rushing offense has gotten it done in tough spots before (like against the Bills last week), it's a very big ask against Tampa Bay. Taylor will likely bust a few big plays in this one, but moving the chains consistently is a different story. While the Buccaneers have had their struggles in the secondary, forcing Carson Wentz to keep up with Tom Brady favors Tampa.

The spread on this game opened at Tampa -1 before being bet down to -3 throughout the week. Obviously, laying the key number of three isn't optimal, especially on a road favorite. Still, the Bucs don't really take their feet off the gas pedal, throwing deep into games regardless of the score. This game could play close throughout but still have a somewhat lopsided final total. I'm taking the Bucs -3 at -110 odds, but no lower.

Pick: Bucs -3 | Bet to: -3

Falcons at Jaguars Odds

Mike Vitanza: Points are hard to come by in the NFL, particularly when your offense is struggling as much as the ones featured in this game are. The loss of Calvin Ridley has been a death blow to this Falcons offense, while the Jaguars are struggling to find their identity with a rookie quarterback under center.

At a total of 45.5, there is value on the under in this one. The Falcons are averaging 10.8 points per game since Ridley left the team, while the Jaguars are averaging just 13.2 points per game over their last five. In fact, with a season high of just 23 points back in October, there hasn’t been a defense that Jacksonville has been able to exploit all season.

The biggest danger to the under here will be turnovers. Both teams are at the bottom of the league in terms of turnover differential, which always leaves the risk of defensive scoring plays. Through 11 weeks, Jacksonville ranks 31st with a -12 differential, while Atlanta ranks 30th with a -8 mark. Without defensive scoring plays, however, these offenses will still need to find a way to put the ball into the end zone. Based on what we’ve seen from both sides recently, I’m betting more often than not that won’t be the case.

I’m hitting the under in this one at the current mark and would be comfortable playing it down to the 44.5 mark if the line continues to fall prior to kickoff.

Pick: Under 45.5 | Bet to: 44.5

Panthers at Dolphins Odds

Michael Arinze: It's almost been a tale of two seasons for the Dolphins, considering the only blemishes on their record occurred during a seven-game losing streak. Now the Dolphins have put together a three-game winning streak of their own, and it wouldn't surprise me if they won this game outright against the Panthers.

When I look at the composition of this matchup, I believe it suits the Dolphins based on how I project things to play out. A possible letdown spot for the Panthers also can't be ignored, as I think they could be a bit laggard after failing to defeat their former coach Ron Rivera in Week 11.

One angle that certainly supports a play on the Dolphins is that they're on a current 4-0 against the spread and straight up run when they're no more than a two-point underdog at home. Bet365 recently moved Miami to +2.5 while most of the sportsbooks are sitting at +2. With the underdog available at -115 odds, I wouldn't mind paying the additional five cents in juice to side with the home team.

Pick: Dolphins +2.5 (-115) | Bet to: +2

Titans at Patriots Odds

Phillip Kall: These are two similar teams in terms of their paths to success. On offense, they have no problem running the ball and playing a conservative style. On defense, they have excellent backend defenders who create turnovers and set up their limited offenses.

While the Patriots are clicking and the Titans have stumbled, trusting either with a touchdown spread is risky. Turning to the total is the better route to take.

Both of these teams' scoring is built on getting help from their defense in turnovers. However, they both will have no problem trusting their defense and not pushing the envelope. Last week we saw the Titans stick to their conservative game plan all the way until the fourth quarter. Once their backs were against the wall, Ryan Tannehill forced throws and that is when the turnovers began stacking.

As long as Tennessee’s defense keeps it close I feel safe the Titans won’t put themselves in bad spots. Even against the Falcons and Panthers, the Patriots offense did not manage more than 20 points.

Mike Vrabel has a habit of coaching up and down to his opponents. In a game that could determine the winner of the AFC he should bring his A-game.

Both teams' conservative offenses should limit turnovers and keep this a low-scoring grind-it-out game. Avoid the trouble of betting and gambling on which defenses make the big play. Take the under and avoid the risk of trusting either offense to not throw the game away.

Pick: Under 44 | Bet to: 42.5

Eagles at Giants Odds

Michael Arinze: There's been somewhat of a revolving door to the infirmary for the Giants this season, as they've often struggled to come out of their games without a key player picking up an injury.

One unit that seems repeatedly hard done by injuries is the wide receiver group. Sterling Shepard has already been ruled out, and Kadarius Toney could also be slated to accompany him on the sidelines. If Toney doesn't play, the Eagles should have a much easier time crafting a game plan to defend against perhaps the most experienced Giants wide receiver in Kenny Golladay.

As far as the divisional matchup is concerned, this is one of those series where you can almost throw out any home-field advantage. Note that the visiting team is 5-1 against the spread (ATS) in the last six head-to-head meetings, per our Action Labs data:

Furthermore, dating back to 2003, New York is 6-12 ATS for a loss of 6.4 units when it hosts Philadelphia. During that span, there's been just one occasion where the Giants covered consecutive home games against the Eagles, and they managed to cover as five-point underdogs in their last meeting.

Philadelphia opened up as a three-point favorite, but the line is now up to -3.5. Since I don't have much interest in playing the Giants, I'd look to buy the Eagles down to -2.5 at -145 odds. That number's available at BetMGM, but I wouldn't play it any higher than at -3.

Pick: Eagles -2.5 (-145) | Bet to: -3 (-125)