Week 15 NFL Betting: Detroit Lions vs. Oakland Raiders Odds, Prediction, and Pick
This is one of the most interesting match-ups of the weekend here, as the Detroit Lions head on the road to take on the Oakland Raiders. The Lions are currently looking to hold on to a Wild Card spot in the NFC, while the Oakland Raiders are looking to regain form after losing two games in a row and being overtake for the lead in the AFC West. They’ll need to get back to their winning ways in order to catch Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos for the divisional lead. Now, this match-up is obviously huge heading into the final two weeks of the season, as the Lions are sitting at 8-5 overall, and the Raiders are 7-6 overall. The Lions won last week after losing three of their last four, and looking like they were in serious danger of falling out of playoff contention.
The Raiders on the other hand looked to have turned a corner after Carson Palmer and company had pulled off three straight wins, but they could be in trouble if they can’t turn it around right now at home. This game is crucial, and fortunately for Oakland it’ll be played in their home stadium. One of the most interesting match-ups to watch here will be Matthew Stafford against the Raiders defense, and also the Raiders running game against the Lions front line.
This game will kick off at 4:05pm and will be a great betting option!
Odds and Sports Betting Line
Detroit Lions: -1
Oakland Raiders: +1
Free Prediction
What a game here, and it’s not surprising at all that this one is almost a pick. The Lions looked solid last week, but still have quite a bit to prove in order to show that they are in the elite of the NFL. The Raiders on the other hand, well, they have a lot to show in general before anyone can consider them a playoff team, and say that they have a shot to knock off the Broncos. I think that it’ll be a close one, but that the Lions are going to take over when it matters and pull out a nice win on the road to put themselves one step closer to a 2011 Playoff berth. I’m going with the Lions by a touchdown on the road.
Prediction: Detroit Lions- 27 Oakland Raiders- 20
Free Pick
I assumed this one would be around a pick, and -1 for the road team sounds just about spot on. While I think that the Raiders are going to come out strong, this Lions team just seems to have whatever “it” is this season, and I think that they are going to be playoff bound, and also cause some problems in the playoffs as well. I think the Raiders could actually have the lead for a good amount of the game, but Stafford, and Calvin Johnson are going to get the job done when it matters most, in the 4th quarter. I’m picking the Detroit Lions to get the win and the cover here.
Pick: Detroit Lions -1
Week 15 NFL Betting: Cincinnati Bengals vs. St. Louis Rams Odds, Prediction, and Pick
The Cincinnati Bengals are in a serious must-win situation here on the road. Fortunately, they are matched up against a team in the St. Louis Rams who are now 2-11 and have lost four games in a row. Before the season, the Rams had hopes of being able to take down the NFC West, but they were completely done in by the San Francisco 49ers, who have ran away with the division. The Bengals are currently sitting at 7-6 overall, and are on the fringe of making a wild card spot. They are one game back of the New York Jets for the 6th seed in the NFC, and the team will need to get back to their winning ways if they want to make it into the playoffs this season, after losing two games in a row currently.
The main reason why the Rams are 2-11 is partially due to Sam Bradford’s injuries, but also due to the fact that the team just hasn’t been able to get it together at any point during the year. Steven Jackson has been the lone bright spot, but he can’t win games alone, and the addition of Brandon Lloyd at wide out hasn’t helped them out. Now, when you look at the Bengals, the team has been led by two rookies in quarterback Andy Dalton, and wide receiver AJ Green. Cedric Benson has also played a huge role in the offense, but their defense will be the real thing to watch down the stretch of the 2011-2012 NFL season.
This game will kick off at 4:05pm EST, and will be played in St. Louis. This is definitely one of our favorite picks of the week though, as the Bengals are looking to stay in contention on the road.
Odds and Sports Betting Line
Cincinnati Bengals: -6.5
St. Louis Rams: +6.5
Free Prediction
It’s tough not to like the Cincinnati Bengals here. The team is in a situation where they have to win this game if they want to remain as a serious playoff contender, and the team they are playing hasn’t shown much of a pulse to this point. I think that the Bengals win this one in a pretty impressive fashion, and shut down the Rams offense who hasn’t shown much of anything this year. I’m going with Cincinnati to win by two touchdowns and remain in hot pursuit of the New York Jets for that final playoff spot.
Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals- 28 St. Louis Rams- 14
Free Pick
I love getting this line before it hits -7, as the Bengals are definitely a much better team than the St. Louis Rams. The real factor though is that the Bengals have to win this game! Only one of the Rams two wins this season has come at home, so that doesn’t give me any reason to think that they’ll rise up at home and play better than they have all year. I think that the Bengals not only get the win, but also cover the spread of -6.5 I’m picking Cincinnati on Sunday.
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals -6.5
NFL Week 15 Betting: Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans Odds, Prediction, and Pick
This is an interesting match-up that we have here between two teams who are definitely on the rise. While the Carolina Panthers are only 4-9 overall, they’ve had a large number of very close losses and are definitely one of the scarier teams in the NFL, who can pull off an upset any week. Now they are up against a Houston Texans team who is 10-3 overall, and has rallied through all types of injuries, including losing two quarterbacks in Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, their top wide out in Andre Johnson, and one of the best defensive ends out there in Mario Williams. The Texans have already locked up their division, and are now simply looking to hold one of the top two spots in the AFC when the season comes to an end. They are being led by rookie quarterback TJ Yates, who is rivaling the quarterback on the other team, Cam Newton, as a serious play maker.
The Panthers on the other hand are an electrifying offense, who can really go off at any time it seems like. Cam Newton is definitely a front runner to be the Rookie of the Year, and having a nice finish to the season would help his cause quite a bit. The Panthers will rely heavily on Newton in this game, while the Texans will rely on their running game with Arian Foster and Ben Tate.
This game will kick off at 1:00pm EST, and has the potential to be one of the games of the week that no one is really talking about! On top of that, we love our betting pick here as well!
Odds and Sports Betting Line
Carolina Panthers: +6.5
Houston Texans: -6.5
Free Prediction
It’s tough to bet against this Texans team right now who has overcome so much adversity to this point in the season. The Texans 10 win season is no fluke, and I think that they’ll definitely get the job done at home against this injured and below average Panthers defense. The Panthers will keep it close though, and I definitely don’t think that the Texans will be able to pull off a blowout with the large number of injuries on their roster. I’m going with the Panthers to win by a field goal.
Prediction: Houston Texans- 24 Carolina Panthers- 21
Free Pick
If we can get this one at +7 it’d be perfect, but I still like the Panthers to keep this game close. The Texans don’t have the same high powered offense as they did to start the year, but I think that the team is talented enough to win quite a few games. The Panthers offense can put some points on the board, but their real issue is their defense. This makes an interesting match-up, and I think that this game could open a few eyes about both teams heading into the final games of the season. In the end though, I’ll take the Texans to win, but I’m picking the Carolina Panthers to cover the spread of +6.5 on Sunday.
Pick: Carolina Panthers: +6.5
Betting On The NFL
