The public had it right in our games last week, nailing the Titans in a Thursday night romp over Jacksonville. And proving that teams can still play defense in this league, the Ravens nearly stole one from the Chiefs, losing in overtime but covering the 6-point line, sending us to a pair of losses on our fade plays. We did claim success on Monday night with the Seahawks earning a cover after the early action favored the Vikings.
Things heat up in Week 15 for several teams on the playoff bubble, including a trio of seven-win clubs in the AFC. The Titans are one of those clubs and they have a date with the Giants in the Meadowlands on Sunday. Tennessee is coming off a big win over the Jags on Thursday and should be rested for this important battle. The public thinks so with over three-quarters of the early play backing Mike Vrabel’s team as a 2.5-point dog. The Dolphins pulled at a win in dramatic fashion over the Pats last week to keep their hopes alive. They travel to Minnesota with 60 percent of the early action backing the Fins.
Let’s take a look at a few of our Week 15 fade the public play picks of the week.
Oakland Raiders ( +3 ) at Cincinnati Bengals
The Silver and Black have actually been competitive the last few games and they pulled off a big upset as a 10-point pup against the Steelers on Sunday. That came a week after they nearly upset the Chiefs. While the Raiders have shown signs of improvement, the Bengals have been a huge dumpster fire losing five straight games and trying to get by without Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. Cincy opened as a field goal favorite and the early money has flooded Oakland with over 90 percent of the action on the visitors. It’s easy to see why given recent form.
Despite their five straight losses, the Bengals came close to ending that skid against the red-hot Chargers. They had a touchdown reversed on video review and ultimately settled for a field goal. They had a chance to tie the game late with a 2-point conversion, only to fail on that play. As odd as it sounds, the Raiders are probably breathing a sigh of relief after three straight games against playoff caliber teams. But the Raiders are in no position to be doing that and the Bengals are fighting like hell to get a win. Even though they are laying three points and headed to another non-winning season, I like Cincy in this one.
Buffalo Bills ( -2.5 ) vs. Detroit Lions
In what amounts to a big surprise on the early NFL betting lines is Buffalo getting so much early play that it tipped the line in its favor. The game opened as a pick ‘em at BookMaker.eu only to have the Bills get over 90 percent of the early action, raising the line to Buffalo -2.5. The Bills have played as a favorite on the closing line just once this season and that came last week. How’d they do? Well, they lost to the Jets.
Apparently most of the bettors are hoping this turns into a defensive battle since the Bills have the league’s top-ranked defense surrendering just 290.6 yards per game. And offense hasn’t been Detroit’s strong suit since Marvin Jones, Jr. and Kerryon Johnson were sidelined. And that win over Arizona didn’t do much to sway public opinion of the Lions, who managed just 218 yards in their 17-3 win. We have to give it up for the Lions defense, though. They did a number against the Rams the previous game and limited the Cards to just 279 yards while getting a pick-six from Darius “Big Play” Slay. Outside of Josh Allen’s running ability the Buffalo offense is stuck in neutral. Limit the QB on the ground and Bills are beatable, even for Detroit.
New Orleans Saints ( -6.5 ) at Carolina Panthers
They’re still fighting for a playoff spot, but a number of Panthers’ players and coaches have a bigger fight on their hands. A month ago Carolina was right there with the Saints and Rams at the top of the NFC then the wheels came off. It started with a lambasting at the hands of the Steelers and five losses later some jobs may be on the line. More frustrating for the team is that, outside of the Pittsburgh game, they’ve been right there with a chance to win each of the last four. But falling to Detroit, Tampa Bay and Cleveland isn’t going to get you in the postseason.
It’s been a bumpy road for the Saints over the last two weeks, but they locked up another division title and moved back into the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a comeback win over the Bucs while covering the 9.5-point spread. New Orleans hit the board as a 6.5-point favorite getting nearly 75 percent of the early action, and the Saints have plenty to play for, so don’t expect them to roll over. I do like the Panthers and this is their last chance to save the season, so they will come out swinging, and I’ll take the points, too.
NFL Betting Odds
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
