Only two weeks remain in the 2020 NFL season. The playoffs are so close that teams can taste it. Well, some teams anyway. See, while many squads are still fighting to a chance to win the Super Bowl, many others have all but thrown in the towel. That's what makes going through our Week 16 NFL picks so difficult: Prospective betting minefields are everywhere.
This, in fact, is why some sports gamblers won't wager any money over the final two weeks of the season. They view it as a fool's errand. For the ones brave enough to say in the game, though, we've come up with some moneyline decisions we think you'll like. But first, let's take a look at the latest Week 16 odds, courtesy of Bovada:
| Week 16 Favorite |  | | Week 16 Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | -1200 | +700 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| New Orleans Saints | -330 | +265 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -360 | +280 | Detroit Lions |
| Arizona Cardinals | -210 | +175 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Miami Dolphins | -150 | +130 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Kansas City Chiefs | -500 | +350 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Chicago Bulls | -350 | +275 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Los Angeles Chargers | -180 | +160 | Denver Broncos |
| Los Angeles Rams | -115 | +135 | Seattle Seahawks |
| Philadelphia Eagles | -120 | +105 | Dallas Cowboys |
| Green Bay Packers | -200 | +170 | Tennessee Titans |
| Buffalo Bills | -290 | +240 | New England Patriots |
Be sure to double-check these game lines before deciding on a wager. Many of them will move as we find out about which starters may be sitting out. Our picks for Week 16 are based on the lines as they currently stand.
Let's make some money.
Week 16 NFL Betting Breakdown
Pittsburgh Steelers (-1200) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (+700)
This is probably the safest pick of the entire week. The Steelers have the AFC North all sewn up, but they're working off two disappointing losses after beginning the year 11-0. It has prompted many to wonder whether they are overrated—pretenders more so than Super Contenders.
Facing the Bengals is the perfect way to get back on track. They still don't have star rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, who is done for the year after tearing his ACL, so they only rank 30th in points scored per game. Their defense isn't special either. This is the perfect bounce-back outing for the Steelers before they rest their starters in Week 17.
OSB Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers (-1200)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-360) vs. Detroit Lions (+280)
Betting picks don't get more intriguing than this one.
The Bucs are still vying for first place in NFC South with the New Orleans Saints, so they're not going to bench quarterback Tom Brady or anything along those lines. More than that, the Lions are expected to be without Matthew Stafford under center. They have no shot at the playoffs, and he's injured, so they have no reason to risk long-term problems.
That's terrible news for the Lions. Their defense is already among the NFL's five worst. Removing their best offensive player from the equation is a recipe for disaster.
OSB Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-360)
Arizona Cardinals (-210) vs. San Francisco 49ers (+175)
Don't look now, but the Cardinals are starting to put it together. They've now won two straight, and with the Los Angeles Rams losing in Week 15, it has opened the door for Arizona to sneak into the playoffs.
Sure, they're going to need help. But it starts with winning the games in front of them. That shouldn't be a problem. With an offense that ranks 10th in points scored and 13th in points allowed, the Cardinals have been decidedly above average. They should be able to make quick work of the banged up Niners—particularly given how well quarterback Kyler Murray is playing both inside and outside the pocket.
OSB Pick: Arizona Cardinals (-210)
Green Bay Packers (-200) vs. Tennessee Titans (+170)
At 11-4, the Packers could technically lay down in the final weeks. We don't expect them to, at least not yet.
Another victory all but ensures them a first round buy in the quest for an NFC Conference championship and Super Bowl appearances. They'll want to get Aaron Rodgers and company some extra rest.
Indeed, the Titans can be frisky. Any Derrick Henry-powered team is. We might be inclined to avoid this game if the Packers were. They're not. They're at home, and they've lost just once at Lambeau Field this season—where they have picked up victories by an average of 14.3 points.
OSB Pick: Green Bay Packers (-200)
Parlay Bet of the Week
We won't be taking any chances this week by journeying outside the box with our proposed parlay bet. As we mentioned at the top, betting during the final two weeks of the season is extremely difficult to begin with. Expanding our parlay beyond the four picks above is a little too risky.
Here's what our bet slip is going to look like:
- Steelers (-1200)
- Bucs (-360)
- Cardinals (-210)
- Packers (-200)
This isn't by any means our most lucrative parlay ever, but it gets the job done. Prospective payouts come out a little over 3-to-1. For every $100 you put on the line, you're looking at getting around $306 back—more than $200 in pure profit.
If you're willing to saddle yourself with a little extra risk, we're not against adding the Seattle Seahawks at +135 over the Rams. Los Angeles has been a classic Jekyll-and-Hyde case for the past few weeks, and they're working off a bad beat at the hands of the New York Jets. They appear to be coming undone.
Add Seattle at +135 to your bet slip, and your return increases to roughly 7.2-to-1. So for every $100 you wager, you'd be looking at a $720 payout to give you more than $600 in straight profit.
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