Road-warrior Saints barely favored over Titans in opening Week 16 odds

The New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans are preparing for their Week 16 kickoff, and the Saints are favored per the opening betting line

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The New Orleans Saints must hit the road for the final two weeks of the regular season, visiting the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Week 16 and then the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in the Week 17 finale. The Saints have traveled exceptionally well this season, losing just one of their first six road games. But they’re facing a desperate Titans squad that needs a win to remain in the AFC playoff picture, and without the benefit of a normal week after playing on Monday night.

Per the opening line from BetMGM, the Saints are still favored over the Titans, but barely. The Titans are 2.5-point home underdogs against New Orleans, with an over/under of 50.5 points — one of the week’s highest. That suggests a final score around Saints 27, Titans 24. That’s as close as wins get in the NFL.

It’s going to be fascinating to see whether Ryan Tannehill can continue making magic for Tennessee. The backup-turned-savior has played well since being named the starter, going 6-2 while leading the NFL in yards gained per pass attempt (9.5). He’s scored 17 touchdown passes while throwing just 6 interceptions, and added 4 touchdown runs on the ground. But he hasn’t exactly been challenged often, with just two of his last eight opponents owning a winning record.

Pressure couldn’t be higher on each of these teams. The Saints must win to keep their hopes of securing a top-two playoff seed alive. The Titans need a win to even get to the playoffs. Neither squad is going to give up an inch.

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4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 16 opponent

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out four key things to know about the Oakland Raiders heading into Week 16.

The Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders meet for the second and last time this season in what will be a bout in the last game played at Dignity Health Sports Park this Sunday.

Here are four key things to know about the Raiders heading into the matchup:

Wheels have fallen off

About a month ago, you would have thought that the 6-4 Raiders were headed to the playoffs. But Oakland has been hit with injuries and they haven’t been able to perform at the level they were earlier this season. As a result, they’re on a four-game losing skid and have been outscored 136-49 during that span.

Defense has taken a dip

When the Chargers and Raiders met earlier this season, you would’ve thought that they had a top-10 defense as they forced three turnovers and sacked quarterback Philip Rivers five times. But the numbers don’t suggest that heading into their second meeting.

Oakland is 27th in league in opposing passing yards per game (263.8), 30th in opposing passing touchdowns per game (2.3) and they’ve struggled at getting to the quarterback, posting only four sacks in their last four games. Along with that, their red zone defense ranks 31st as opponents have a 66.7% conversion rate.

Stout in pass protection

If the Chargers want to have success on the defensive side of the ball, they need to put quarterback Derek Carr under duress. Los Angeles’ pass rush has been one of the more disappointing areas, totaling only 27 sacks this season, which ranks 27th in the NFL. It won’t be an easy task to get hot as defensive end Joey Bosa and company face an offensive line that has yield the second-lowest pressure percentage in the league (18.3%) and the fifth-lowest amount of sacks (24).

Struggles to beat Chargers on the road

The Raiders might have taken care of business in the team’s first meeting, but history shows the Bolts have had their number whenever the game is played in Southern California. In last two games played at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Chargers have won by the scores of 26-10 and 30-10. Quarterback Philip Rivers has been red hot in those contests, completed 78% of his passes, while throwing five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Who’s favored in Chargers vs. Raiders?

The Los Angeles Chargers have opened as home favorites over the Oakland Raiders in Week 16.

The Los Angeles Chargers (5-9) have opened up as 5.5-point favorites over the Oakland Raiders (6-8) in Week 16 of the 2019 regular season, per BetMGM.

The Chargers are coming off their worst loss of the season to the Minnesota Vikings as they were plagued by turnovers and were outmatched in all three phases. As a result, they suffered defeat by the score of 39-10.

The Raiders are also entering Week 16 off a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-16. In their last game in the Coliseum, it was an ugly scene as the players were booed and had food thrown at them by fans as they walked off the field.

The last time the two teams met was in Week 10 of this season. It was a back and forth battle, but the Chargers were unable to prevail on their game-winning drive attempt, losing by the score of 26-24.

While the Raiders might not be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, it would have to take nearly a miracle in order for them to keep playing in January.

For the Bolts, they have been eliminated of playoff contention for the past two weeks, but they are hoping to avoid being swept by Oakland this season.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Broncos will wear Color Rush uniforms against Lions in Week 16

The Broncos will wear their all-orange Color Rush uniforms against the Lions this week.

The Denver Broncos (5-9) plan to wear alternate all-orange Color Rush uniforms when they host the Detroit Lions (3-10-1) at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 16 of the 2019 NFL season.

The league no longer has official Color Rush games — with both teams sporting bright colors — but teams are permitted to wear their Color Rush uniforms as alternates if they choose to. It’s unclear if Detroit plans to wear a Color Rush uniform or its standard away uniform on Sunday.

The Broncos previously wore alternate blue uniforms in a 16-0 win over the Tennessee Titans and in a 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this season. Denver has worn Color Rush uniforms once a season since 2016, posting a 2-1 record in those games.

The last time they wore Color Rush uniforms, the Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-17 during the 2018 season.

The Broncos will wear their standard orange jerseys with white pants when they host the Oakland Raiders to close out the season in Week 17.

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Broncos remain in top 20 of NFL power rankings despite loss

The Broncos lost on Sunday but did not drop any spots in NFL power rankings.

Despite losing to the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) 23-3 in Week 15, the Denver Broncos (5-9) did not move down in Nate Davis’ latest NFL power rankings for USA TODAY Sports. The Broncos are still ranked No. 20, the same position Denver was ranked last week.

Here is Davis’ commentary with the Broncos’ ranking:

Von Miller has never failed to reach double-digit sacks over course of a full season. He’s got seven with two weeks to go this year.

The last time Miller didn’t record at least 10 sacks was 2013, a season that was cut short by suspension and injury. He needs to total three sacks over the next two games to reach that total this year.

Despite Sunday’s loss, Denver is still considered the second-best team in the AFC West, at least according to Davis’ rankings. The Chiefs are ranked above them at No. 5 and the Oakland Raiders (6-8; No. 25) and Los Angeles Chargers (5-9; No. 26) are ranked below them.

The Baltimore Ravens (12-2) are ranked No. 1 and the Cincinnati Bengals (1-13) are ranked No. 32. View the complete NFL power rankings here.

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NFL odds: Broncos 6.5-point favorites vs. Lions in Week 16

The Broncos are considered betting favorites against the Lions this week.

The Denver Broncos (5-9) are considered 6.5-point favorites at home against the Detroit Lions (3-10-1) in Week 16, according to odds from BetMGM. The over/under for combined points scored between the two teams has been set at 37.5.

Last week, the Broncos scored just three points in a 23-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4). The Lions scored 17 points in a 38-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7). That’s just 20 combined points last week, which would be 17.5 points below this week’s over/under line.

Denver and Detroit have faced off 12 times in the past and the Broncos own a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series. Denver won the most recent meeting against the Lions, a 24-12 road victory during the 2015 season.

This marks the first time the Broncos have been considered favorites since Week 6, when they were 2.5-point favorites at home against the Tennessee Titans (8-6). Denver ended up winning that game 16-0.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots odds, lines, picks and best bets

Analyzing the Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots huge AFC East Week 16 matchup, with NFL betting odds, lines, picks and best bets

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The surprising Buffalo Bills (10-4) head into Gillette Stadium for a big rematch with the host New England Patriots (11-3) in what will play a huge role in deciding the AFC East. The game is Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Bills-Patriots odds and betting lines, providing actionable betting tips and picks around this key Week 16 matchup.

Bills at Patriots: Week 16 preview, betting trends and notes

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New England beat Cincinnati 34-13 last week, despite QB Tom Brady throwing for just 128 yards. It was his lowest passing total of the season and his completion rate was a mediocre 51.7%, which was his fourth consecutive game with sub-53% passing.
The Bills handled the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-10 last weekend, which was their fourth win in their last five games.
The Patriots won 16-10 in Buffalo earlier this year, but it was hardly convincing and Bills QB Josh Allen was knocked out of the game. It was New England’s sixth consecutive win over Buffalo.
The Bills have beat the Patriots just twice in their last 10 meetings. The good news for Buffalo is both wins came on the road; the last was a 16-0 win Oct. 2, 2016.

Bills at Patriots: Key injuries

Patriots WR Julian Edelman (knee/shoulder) hasn’t been at 100% for weeks. Edelman was limited Tuesday, but he’ll be there Saturday if he has to crawl. CB Jason McCourty (groin) and DL Danny Shelton (shoulder) were also limited Tuesday.

Bills DT Corey Liuget (knee) was limited Tuesday, while OT Ty Nsekhe (ankle) didn’t go. Both will be monitored this week.

Bills at Patriots: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 2:40 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Patriots 15, Bills 13

Moneyline (?)

Winning in Gillette Stadium is difficult for any visitor, especially young quarterbacks. Since Week 3 of 2000, only two quarterbacks (Daunte Culpepper and Patrick Mahomes) under 25 years old have won a road game vs. New England. Allen is 23.

Allen hit just 46.4% of his passes and threw three interceptions vs. New England earlier this year. The PATRIOTS (-295) are larger favorites than I would have predicted; feeling them in the -180 range. The Pats are the straight-up pick, although Buffalo (+230) provides a nicer payday for those anticipating a handing off of the torch. Buffalo is close, just not there yet…

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on New England profits $3.39 with a victory. That same bet on Buffalo returns $23 profit with an upset.

Against the Spread (?)

The spread has BUFFALO (+6.5, -110) written all over it; the hook (half point) makes it even sweeter.

New England’s offense, despite last week’s point total (there was a defensive score in there, too), stalls too often. They really miss Gronk. The Patriots are 3-3-0 at home ATS, 8-6-0 overall. Simply put, this will be close. The Bills are 9-4-1 ATS this year, 6-0-1 on the road. Hit this hard; a much closer line come Saturday won’t shock.

Over/Under (?)

The 37.5-point line is among the lowest of the week, paying -110 on both sides. Buffalo is 1-6-0 vs. the O/U this year on the road (3-11-0 overall); New England is 2-4-0 vs. O/U at home (5-9-0 overall). Score extra profit here; a $10 UNDER (-110) wager profits $9.09 with both teams combining for 37 points or less, which they will.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Ryan’s NFL Picks: 32-16

Follow @RyanBonini and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Week 16 Sunday Night Football remains the same and that’s puzzling

The flex schedule has been a godsend to NBC. Sunday Night Football is the marquee NFL property and for that reason, the league can flex games that are deemed to be more entertaining to the powers that be. Week 16 should have a game flexed into SNF that has playoff ramifications. Instead, we are still stuck with the Chiefs-Bears game. The Bears were officially eliminated from playoff contention this Sunday.

Let’s be honest, the Bears have essentially been eliminated from real playoff contention for a while. The league knew this. NBC knew this. Still, nothing was done. There are rules regarding what games can be flexed — Cowboys Wire does a great job breaking it down here — but those rules only really take away the Saints-Titans game from being flexed.

There’s an obvious choice for a flex game that hits on every necessary rule created by the NFL: Cowboys-Eagles. It’s a late afternoon game. It’s a game between two teams that have a shot at the playoffs. It’s essentially an NFC East championship game. Both teams played on Sunday during a normal timeslot so it’s not like one team has a greater scheduling advantage. This is the one time that fans that aren’t interested in Dallas or Philadelphia as their favorite team are openly clamoring for the NFC East to be put on primetime. It’s amazing this game wasn’t flexed.

The only thing that makes sense is that Fox used some leverage to make sure this game wasn’t moved to the SNF slot. The Chiefs are a nice draw, but they aren’t as popular as Dallas in primetime. The Bears are a big market, but Dallas and Philadelphia are also in the top-10. Plus, Bears fans aren’t invested anymore since their season is officially finished.

So we get a meaningless game on Sunday night. That’s kind of odd.

Quandre Diggs not expected to play Week 16 against Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that safety Quandre Diggs has a high-ankle injury, and his status for Week 16 is in jeopardy.

The Seattle Seahawks went into Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers down four defensive starters, and they left the game down two more – Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs – who both suffered sprained ankles in the team’s Week 15 victory.

Wagner’s injury seems to be minor, but Diggs may not have gotten as lucky.

Carroll confirmed on 710 ESPN Monday morning that Diggs suffered a high ankle sprain and said they don’t know exactly how long he will be out.

“Quandre, he had a high-ankle shot there, so we’re gonna have to see how that goes and how he responds to it,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN’s Pete Carroll show Monday morning. “We don’t know at this point. Some of these injuries are really bad and sometimes guys have bounced right back. We don’t know yet.”

Diggs has been a huge addition to Seattle’s defense, recording three interceptions, one for a touchdown, as well as 21 combined tackles and one forced fumble in five games since coming over in a trade from the Lions.

He has been Seattle’s highest performer in the secondary, and his play has elevated the play of Bradley McDougald as well.

Seattle will likely turn to Lano Hill and potentially Marquise Blair to replace Diggs for as long as he is out, and updates on his status will be available throughout the week.

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It’s official: Broncos can’t make NFL playoffs in 2019

Can the Broncos still make the NFL playoffs this season?

After starting 3-8, the Denver Broncos were longshots to reach the 2019 NFL playoffs. Quarterback Drew Lock won his first two starts, though, renewing optimism that the team could finish 8-8 and sneak into the postseason as the AFC’s No. 6 seed.

After Sunday’s 23-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver’s hopes of a late-season push have been crushed. The Broncos are now officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 5-9 record.

Even if Denver won its final two games and ended the year 7-9, that wouldn’t be enough to make the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans already have eight wins so the Broncos could not catch up to them.

The Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders are also within reach of eight wins, ruling out the possibility of Denver making the playoffs with a losing record. This marks the third-straight year the Broncos have finished with a losing record.

Denver will host the Detroit Lions on Sunday and the Raiders in Week 17. Already eliminated from postseason contention, Denver will be playing for pride and the future. Lock is 2-1 as a starter so far this year.

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