Week 16 games are scattered around the holidays, with most of the action happening on Saturday. Two games are scheduled for Christmas Day on Sunday, and the NFL game of the week, which showcases a battle of NFC division leaders in Dallas and Detroit, will take place on Boxing Day Monday.
Game of the Week
Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys
Favourite: Cowboys -7
The Cowboys (12-2 SU, 9-5 ATS) can lock up the NFC East and the top seed in the conference with a win on Monday. As for the Lions, they’re still in playoff position after losing to the New York Giants last Sunday, but they have a couple of obstacles ahead of them. They’re a big underdog against the Cowboys and then host the red-hot Green Bay Packers in Week 17. To make matters worse, Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford is still dealing with an injury to his throwing hand. If there’s hope for Detroit on Monday, it’s in the Cowboys’ weak pass defense.
The Cowboys are 3-2 SU and ATS in their last five against the Lions, who are 3-4 SU on the road this season. The Cowboys are 6-1 ATS at home.
Game with the Biggest Spread
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Favourite: Patriots -17
The Patriots and Jets met in Week 12 in a very close contest. The Patriots scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:56 remaining. The game contributed to the four back-to-back losses that plagued the Jets in the latter half of the season. With a 4-10 record straight up and 5-9 against the spread, the Jets are having a rough season. They’ve won one of their last six games, and that win came against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Patriots (12-2 SU, 11-3 ATS), meanwhile, are still playing for the top seed in the AFC, so they should be focused. With an 8-2 SU record in their last 10 against the Jets, the Patriots should have an easy time winning straight up, but can they cover 17 points?
Game with the Smallest Spread
Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans
Favourite: Texans -1
The Bengals are now 5-8-1 SU (5-9 ATS) after a 24-20 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a game they led 20-6 at the end of the second quarter. Cincinnati lost out on their chance to play spoiler against their division rivals, and now bettors are wondering how much they care going into this Sunday night game.
An apathetic Cincinnati team would bode well for the 8-6 Texans, who elevated Tom Savage to starting quarterback after Brock Osweiler made two critical mistakes against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Savage cleaned up Osweiler’s mess, leading the team to a 21-20 win over Jacksonville. Savage will make his first NFL start against the Bengals. Despite all their quarterback woes, the Texans are still in the playoff hunt, which is a testament to how well their defense has performed. They rank first in yards allowed, and that’s without the injured JJ Watt.
*Odds as of December 22, 2016