Intro by Yank
This week we gave games featuring Mac Jones, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener, and Tommy DeVito. It’s grey and cold out most places but still too early to really think about the holidays. It’s Week 15 of the NFL season baby, feel the excitement! Lucky for you all(or maybe unlucky?) Sam and I aren’t on the injury report so read on for our picks!
Week 15 Picks
The Collaboration:
The Buffalo Bills @ the Detroit Lions-2.5
Sam: The Lions are dominant, and while the Bills are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Rams, I’m not sure the Lions are the team you want to try to “bounce back” with. Despite being banged up, the Lions defense is still doing enough, and that running game should always manage to keep them off the field for long stretches.
Yank: Thank god for this game this week for providing some entertainment value. You all know I’m riding with the Lions every week for the remainder of the season. This should be a close game either way that should come down to the late 4th quarter. Dan Campbell has proven reliable in those pressure situations, while Sean McDermott decidedly has not.
Yank’s Pick: $11.00 on the Lions-2.5 (-110)
Sam’s Pick: $11.00 on the Lions-2.5 (-110)
The Pittsburgh Steelers+5.5 @ the Philadelphia Eagles
Yank: Mike Tomlin with his best team in a long time as a big underdog, against a team that barely beat Carolina last week? Say no more.
Sam: The Eagles are an enigma. Yes, they have a good winning streak right now, but does that mean we ignore some earlier concerns? The defense has some weaknesses and there is obviously a lot of locker room drama right now. This feels like a good test for them at this stage to see how serious they are, but even so, that line feels a bit too high. Happy to put my money on the Steelers.
Yank’s Pick: $11.00 on the Steelers+6 (-115)
Sam’s Pick: $11.00 on the Steelers+5.5 (-110)
The Washington Commanders-7.5 @ the New Orleans Saints
Sam: The Commanders have been good money for most of the season, so it seems like a no-brainer to take them against a Derek Carr-less Saints team. That being said, I’m still worried about the Kingsbury offense in the second halves of seasons. If the Commanders can take care of business against this Saints team, they should be a fun wildcard team to watch.
Yank: I watched more Saints-Giants last week than any sane person should have and I can say this definitively: the Saints are really bad. If Washington scores 24 points in this one they should easily cover.
Yank’s Pick: $11.00 on the Commanders-7.5 (-110)
Sam’s Pick: $5.50 on the Commanders-7.5 (-110)
The Cincinnati Bengals-5.5 @ the Tennessee Titans
Yank: At this point, I am going against the Titans every week and there is nothing anyone can say to stop me.
Sam: The stats like the Bengals offense and it’s easy to see why. Burrow and Chase are one heck of a duo. They’re playing against a Titans defense that has been bad in some ways, but do have some game-wreckers on the line. That could be trouble. Meanwhile, Levis has had some moments, but he’s also had plenty of full-Levis moments too. We need a few more of those and this one should come through.
Yank’s Pick: $11.00 on the Bengals-5.5 (-110)
Sam’s Pick: $5.50 on the Bengals-5.5 (-110)
The Confrontation:
The Dallas Cowboys @ the Carolina Panthers-3
Sam: I’m a Panthers sympathizer, what can I say? The Panthers have been good ATS since Bryce re-entered the lineup and this is more like what I expected them to look like at the beginning of the season. Furthermore, I don’t see the Cowboys as a big obstacle for them to overcome. Yes, it is the first time they are favored in basically 2 years, but the Cowboys defense just lost two starters on defense and Cooper Rush is still playing QB for them.
Yank: I just don’t believe in the Carolina thing still. Ultimately this is probably a me-problem, but they are bereft of talent on both sides of the ball. Now they are full FG faves against a team with CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons? I just don’t see it.
Yank’s Pick: $5.00 on the Cowboys+3
Sam’s Pick: $5.00 on the Panthers-3
The Isolation:
The Miami Dolphins @ the Houston Texans-2.5
Yank: I believe in the Texans and CJ Stroud, I think reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. Meanwhile, the Dolphins probably should have lost to the long-dead Jets last week. Miami is a weird team but I think Houston can take care of business in this one.
Yank’s Pick: $11.00 on the Texans-2.5 (-117)
The Kansas City Chiefs-4.5 @ the Cleveland Browns
Sam: This is a disaster bet, but something about this game feels like a stumbling block for the Chiefs. The Browns defense is still pretty good, and the Chiefs have no major motivation to dominate this team. It will be a cold, sloppy game and I’m not sure the Chiefs will go 16-1. I’d expect this to be a trip-up game, but it means nothing in the grand scheme of things for the Chiefs.
Sam’s Pick: $4.00 on the Browns ML (+188)
Authors: Sam Mattson and Michael Yanckello
One Last Line 