NFL Week 16 Odds, Picks & Predictions: Underdog Bets (2023)
Week 15 was another week for favorites, as most covered their spreads outside of a few teams like the Falcons and Packers. Will underdogs bounce back in a week with huge playoff implications?
Let’s look at our top Week 16 underdog bets to keep the streak going.
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NFL Week 16: Top Underdog Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
New Orleans Saints (+4) @ Los Angeles Rams
The Saints have been iffy at times throughout this year, most notably with QB Derek Carr and the offense as they’ve battled injuries. They rank in the middle of the pack in most offensive stats, but it has appeared worse if you watch their games. They’ve had a pretty easy schedule this year as well. With that being said, this Saints defense has been playing well all year and they rank in the top 12 in the main defensive stat categories. One matchup to watch in this game will be the Rams rushing offense versus this defense, as that has been the Saints’ weakness thus far.
On the other hand, the Rams defense struggled throughout the year and they rank in the bottom half of the league in most defensive stat categories. While the offense has been very good, the Rams defense has definitely cost this team a couple of wins this season. WR Chris Olave will return for the Saints this week, which is an enormous boost if this offense wants to get going. I’m looking for the Saints to have a good night on offense as they should have their way with a better complement of weapons. With Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, and Jamaal Williams in the rushing attack and Kamara and Olave in the passing game, they should have this Rams defense in trouble tonight. The Rams have seen too many blown coverages in the past month and I think the Saints will take advantage of this again.
Bet: Saints +4 (-110)
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers (+2)
I know. Jake Browning versus Mason Rudolph on Christmas Eve is not ideal. But hear me out. There are only a couple situations where we would like to bet on Pittsburgh. First, this team plays much better when they are a home underdog. Second, this team plays better when they face divisional opponents as an underdog. As a bonus, they don’t have to face Joe Burrow or Ja’Marr Chase. Is this going to be enough for the Steelers to pull out a win and keep their season alive? I’m not sure. But, I think the odds may be in our favor.
Browning and the Bengals pulled off a miracle win last week over Minnesota, but I think they may have used up all of their magic. Give me the Steelers at home against a familiar opponent.
As we stated last week, this Ravens squad may be a team of destiny this year. They still currently have the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a one-game lead over Miami. That’s four wins in a row and they’re 8-1 in their past nine games. This team is built for January football. However, they now have two huge tests coming up. First, they travel across the country to San Francisco for Monday Night. Then, it’s a home game versus Miami on New Year’s Eve.
On the other hand, this 49ers team hasn’t really been tested since their string of losses in October. Yes, they played at Philly, but the Eagles were depleted and exhausted after a rough stretch in their schedule and it showed. This game will be the biggest challenge for the 49ers this year against the best defense they’ll play in the regular season.
I believe the Ravens come to California ready to go. It’s a primetime game, so I’m not worried about the Ravens traveling across the country for this matchup. They’ll have time to acclimate their bodies to the West Coast and this game is too big to not have the guys hyped up and ready to go. Take the Ravens with the points here as they look to make a statement on Christmas Day.
Bet: Ravens +5 (-110)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
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