NFL Week 16 Betting Predictions

It’s the penultimate week of the NFL’s regular season in Week 16. This year that means four days of football. You have the final Thursday and Monday night games of the year, a nearly full schedule on Christmas Eve and just two games on Christmas Sunday but very important ones. Here are some NFL betting predictions for Week 16.

NFL Week 16 Betting Predictions

One game remaining in Week 15. See you Monday Night. pic.twitter.com/RurS42cTNs

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 19, 2016

David Johnson Will Have Another 100-Yard Game

Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott is probably going to win the NFL rushing title and might be the best running back in the NFL just purely as a runner. But when you include catching the ball, good luck finding someone better than Arizona’s second-year David Johnson. In Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, Johnson had 108 scrimmage yards (53 rushing, 55 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns. Johnson is the first player in NFL history to begin a season with 14 consecutive games with at least 100 scrimmage yards, surpassing Edgerrin James (13 in 2005). Johnson also tied Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (1985) for the second-longest streak with at least 100 scrimmage yards at any point in a single season. Only Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (15 in 1997) has a longer single-season streak in NFL history. The Cardinals visit Seattle this week as sizable underdogs on NFL odds. Those teams tied 6-6 back in Week 7. Seattle’s defense isn’t as good now without injured Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas.

The Browns Will Avoid Infamy

Yep, I’m calling my shot: the Cleveland Browns are 0-14 and 6-point underdogs on NFL odds this week against the Chargers, but I believe the Browns will beat San Diego and avoid just the second 0-16 regular season in NFL history (2008 Lions). The Chargers have nothing to play for, don’t like playing in the cold, have to travel across county and it’s one of those 10 a.m. Pacific time kickoffs. Although I’d feel better about this pick if Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor can play. He was to have an MRI Monday on his sprained finger. There are reports he may be dealing with ligament damage. It is unclear when Pryor suffered the injury, but it affected him in the second half of the Week 15 loss to the Bills. Will the Chargers have top running back Melvin Gordon? He missed the team’s Week 15 loss to Oakland. There’s really no point in rushing Gordon back with San Diego eliminated from the playoff chase. Kenneth Farrow rushed 15 times for 39 yards and caught 2-of- 3 targets for 14 yards in the Chargers’ Week 15 loss to the Raiders in starting for Gordon. He out-touched Ronnie Hillman 17 to 7, but Farrow fumbled twice — losing one — and was inefficient on his carries for the second straight week.

The Jags Won’t Be Better With Interim Coach

We had our second NFL head coach of the season fired on Sunday as Jacksonville blew a 13-0 lead in Houston and dropped its ninth straight game, 21-20. The team then fired Coach Gus Bradley right after the game, meaning he had to fly out with the team even though he was no longer its coach. The Jaguars fell to 2-12 with the loss and Bradley’s career record in Jacksonville fell to 14-48 over nearly four full seasons. That makes him the head coach with the lowest winning percentage in the Super Bowl era (.226) with a minimum of 50 games coached. Bradley joins Jeff Fisher, whom the Los Angeles Rams fired Dec. 12, as former head coaches who will be looking for new roles this offseason. The Jaguars play their home finale this week against Tennessee, which dominated Jacksonville earlier this season in Nashville. The Titans still have everything to play for as they are tied for the AFC South lead with Houston. They will cover that 4-point spread in NFL betting.