NFL betting, odds: A couple huge division showdowns among Week 16 opening lines
The AFC East or AFC North might not be officially decided on Sunday, but it might feel that way.
There are a couple of enormous games in Week 16 in terms of division championships. The New England Patriots host the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots would clinch the division with a win, and the Bills would be a huge favorite to win the AFC East if they win. In the AFC North, the 8-6 Baltimore Ravens face the 8-6 Cincinnati Bengals. The Cleveland Browns will also factor in the division race but the Ravens-Bengals winner will take a big step toward an AFC North title.
Here is the first look at the lines for Week 16, with the point spreads from BetMGM:
San Francisco 49ers (-3.5) at Tennessee Titans
The Titans lead their division, but the 49ers are the better team right now and are rightfully favored. Tennessee still leads the Colts by a game in the AFC South and they can't afford to keep losing.
Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers (-7.5)
The first of two Christmas games. The Browns will be on a very short week after playing Monday, in a game rescheduled due to their COVID-19 outbreak.
Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals (-1.5)
If the Cardinals, who lost at Detroit on Sunday, drop this one then they might blow the NFC West. And it's a tough test against a Colts team that just beat the Patriots.
Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons (-4.5)
Can the Lions put together a winning streak? They dominated the Cardinals on Sunday in one of the shockers of the NFL season. The Falcons lost 31-13 at the 49ers.
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5)
The Ravens are sliding fast and a loss on Sunday would put their playoff spot in serious jeopardy. However, a win would put them in good position to win the AFC North. The Bengals won the first meeting with the Ravens and it's a little surprising they opened at less than a field goal for the rematch.
Los Angeles Rams (-3) at Minnesota Vikings
The Rams should have a little more energy after seeing the Cardinals lose at Detroit. Stealing the NFC West is on the table. The Vikings are still in the wild-card race, and they play on Monday night.
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (-1.5)
The first meeting will be remembered a long time, as the Patriots threw three times in a windstorm and won. Hopefully the weather for the rematch is a little better. The Bills, a game behind New England after Week 15, would have an edge in the tiebreaker due to a better divisional record than the Patriots if they win this game. The Bills' final two games are at home against the Falcons and Jets, so there's a good chance they win the AFC East if they can beat the Patriots on Sunday.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets (-2.5)
About the only intrigue is that the Jaguars now own the No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 draft, and a win here could ruin that.
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-10)
The Giants look awful lately and it's no surprise they're double-digit underdogs. The Eagles are still alive in the wild-card race, though they do have a big game against Washington on Tuesday. It will be a short week for them due to the rescheduled game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-11.5) at Carolina Panthers
The Buccaneers have some injury concerns with Leonard Fournette, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin going down on Sunday night in an ugly loss to the Saints. The line dropped three points, from an opener of 14.5 on Sunday.
Los Angeles Chargers (-10.5) at Houston Texans
The Chargers couldn't win a crucial game against the Chiefs last week, but they're still in fine shape for a wild-card spot and the Texans should provide an easy win.
Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (-7)
The Seahawks will be on a short week due to the Rams game being rescheduled, and they're not too happy about it. The Bears play on Monday night so they won't have a full week to prepare either.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5)
It's a bit surprising the Steelers are getting double digits. They're not bad. But the Chiefs are coming off a big win, they're on an against-the-spread winning streak and bettors will happily back them.
Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5)
The Broncos will have to see if Teddy Bridgewater can play after suffering a concussion. After losing to the Bengals on Sunday, Denver's playoff chances took a huge hit and they might not rush Bridgewater back.
Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys (-10.5)
Washington is one of the teams that has had a huge COVID-19 outbreak, so it'll be on a short week after playing Tuesday, and we'll have to see who is available by Week 16.
Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints (-3)
Here are a couple teams that are hanging around the wild-card races. The Dolphins have somehow won six in a row after a 1-7 start. The Saints kept their hopes alive with a huge 9-0 win at Tampa Bay on Sunday night.