Archived: Week 15 NFL Picks & Betting Previews

December 14, 2021

Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills (-12)

The Bills desperately need to stop their slide. Against the struggling Panthers, Buffalo should be able to do that. The Panthers seemingly have no idea who they want to play QB (and neither of them is playing particularly well). If the Bills lose this game, they are in serious trouble.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-8.5)

The Dolphins must avoid coming off the bye week with a sloppy game, or they risk undoing all their hard work of the past few weeks. We have seen Zach Wilson struggle against the Patriots this year, and a former Belichick disciple in Brian Flores should be able to cause similar confusion. Look for this to be a comfortable win for the Dolphins — unless they shoot themselves in the foot.

Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles (-4)

We should be seeing both Taylor Heinicke and Jalen Hurts under center after both have had injury scares. Heinicke looked off against the Cowboys, and the offense has now been stagnant multiple weeks in a row. However, the Eagles’ offense has been extremely hit or miss with Hurts under center.

How Washington handles the Eagles’ run game will be key. This defense has been solid against the run in recent weeks, and if they can take that element away from Hurts, they can cause the upset.

Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos (-1.5)

The Bengals’ season is spiraling, while the Broncos’ defense is dragging this team to playoff relevance. The winner of this game will have a huge head-to-head tiebreaker that could decide who goes to the playoffs.

The key to this game rests on the Bengals’ run defense. They have not allowed a team to rush for more than 100 yards in the last four. If they can do that again this week, they should come away with a victory. Cincy’s defense will have the chance to capitalize on the less-than-stellar play of Teddy Bridgewater.

This should be a close game between AFC playoff hopefuls. Ultimately, it will come down to who makes the least mistakes, which has been something Joe Burrow has struggled with this season. The sportsbooks have this spot on with the Broncos having the edge thanks to home-field advantage.