Week 16 NFL Betting Preview
With their chances of making the playoffs now in jeopardy, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to extend their winning streak (both SU and ATS) against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals to six games when those AFC North teams hit the gridiron on Sunday afternoon in one of the notable matchups on the Week 16 NFL betting slate.
The Steelers are one game behind the Bengals and two games back of the Ravens at 7-7 (5-8-1 ATS) in the AFC North standings, and they're also two games back of the Indianapolis Colts – who hold down one of the AFC Wild Card berths right now. That has Pittsburgh desperate for a win over the Bengals (8-6 SU, 7-6-1 ATS) on Sunday.
Pittsburgh did manage to beat Cincinnati once already this season, topping them 24-17 as a 1-point road favorite on the NFL betting lines at the sportsbooks back on October 21. That was the fifth win in a row both SU and ATS for the Steelers over the Bengals dating back to 2010; Cincinnati last beat Pittsburgh in November 2009. At the sportsbooks the Steelers opened as 4.5-point favorites for this weekend's matchup.
Elsewhere in the AFC the Patriots, Ravens, Texans, and Broncos have already locked down conference playoff berths, with the Colts and Bengals currently in the Wild Card spots; for this weekend it's Indianapolis at Kansas City (+6), New England at Jacksonville (+15.5), Minnesota at Houston (-9.5), Cleveland at Denver (-14), and the Giants at Baltimore (pick'em).
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The Giants (6-8 ATS) are one of three NFC East teams with 8-6 SU records heading into this weekend, along with the Cowboys (6-8 ATS) and Redskins (9-5 ATS). Dallas will be hosting New Orleans as a 3-point home favorite on the NFL betting lines at the sportsbooks, while Washington is a 4-point favorite on the road against the Eagles.
The Redskins have won five games in a row heading into this weekend, and they beat the Browns 38-21 on the road last time out with backup QB Kirk Cousins playing in place of the injured Robert Griffin III (knee). Washington trounced Philadelphia 31-6 as a 3.5-point home favorite when those two teams met on November 18, and each of the last three games between the squads have been UNDER results for totals bettors.
The Packers, Falcons, and Niners have all clinched playoff berths in the NFC, with Atlanta on the road against Detroit (+3.5) on Saturday night this week, Green Bay (-13) hosting Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, and San Francisco at Seattle (pick'em) on Sunday night. The Seahawks (9-5 SU, 10-4 ATS) can still catch the Niners (10-3-1 SU, 9-5 ATS) for the NFC West title; they lost 13-6 in San Francisco as a 7.5-point underdog on the NFL betting lines when those teams last met back on October 18.
Rounding out the NFL lines for the week are Buffalo at Miami (-4), San Diego at the Jets (-3), St. Louis at Tampa Bay (-3), Oakland at Carolina (-9.5), and Chicago at Arizona (+5). The Bears have lost three games in a row to sit at 8-6 SU (6-7-1 ATS) on the season, while the Cardinals (5-9 SU, 6-7-1 ATS) finally put an end to their long losing skid with a 38-10 victory over the Lions at home last weekend.