NFL Picks 2018: 5 Best Bets Against The Spread For Week 15 Include Packers, Giants, Colts

A bunch of teams that are still in the hunt for the playoffs are in virtual “must-win” situations in Week 15. The New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts all need victories as they fight for spots in the postseason. The New England Patriots are road favorites, according to the Las Vegas betting odds, and they can clinch the AFC East title Sunday afternoon.

There’s no such thing as a “sure thing” when it comes to gambling, but here are the five best bets against the spread for Week 15 of the 2018 NFL season:

New York Giants (-2.5)

The Giants should probably be favored by three points at home over the Tennessee Titans, given the way New York is playing. Even without Odell Beckham Jr., they should be able to win and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

The Titans have been a bad team on the road with a 2-4 record. Before beating the lowly Jets and Jaguars at home in their last two games, Tennessee was beaten by 45 combined points in Indianapolis and Houston. Marcus Mariota has as many interceptions as he does touchdown passes away from Tennessee. Saquon Barkley should put up more big numbers against a defense that surrendered 9.8 yards per carry to opposing running backs in their last two road games.

Green Bay Packers (+6)

You can’t pass up a chance to take Aaron Rodgers getting six points against the Chicago Bears. Even though the current NFC North leaders have proven to be a much better team than the Packers, it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see Green Bay have a chance to steal a win late in this game.

Green Bay has covered the spread in seven of their last eight games in Chicago, according to OddsShark. Rodgers gives the Packers a significant advantage at quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky has thrown five interceptions in his last two games, both of which were at Soldier Field. The second-year quarterback is starting to pay for the mistakes he got away with earlier this season. Chicago’s defense might not be able to cover those errors up enough for the Bears to win by more than a field goal.

New England Patriots (-2.5)

Here’s another situation in which a great quarterback always seems to perform well against the team he’s facing in Week 15. In this case, it’s both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick that own the Pittsburgh Steelers, making them an easy choice when they are laying less than a field goal.

It isn’t just the fact that Brady is 8-2 in the regular season against the Steelers with a 111.8 passer rating, or the fact that New England has beaten Pittsburgh five straight times. Pittsburgh’s home-field advantage hasn’t meant a ton in 2018 with three losses at Heinz Field. Ben Roethlisberger is banged up with a rib injury, and the Steelers ran the ball 19 times for just 40 yards last week without James Conner. The Steelers have lost three games in a row, and they are 0-3 at home against teams that currently have winning records.

Indianapolis Colts (-3)

As much as the addition of Amari Cooper has improved the Dallas Cowboys’ offense, the unit is still nowhere near being among the league’s best. Dallas’ No.2 ranked scoring defense won’t be quite as dominant on the road, making it difficult for the Cowboys to win against Andrew Luck in Indianapolis.

The Colts have scored at least 27 points in each of their last five home games. They’ve averaged 33 points to go along with four straight home wins during that stretch. Indianapolis just put up 24 points on the road against a strong Texans' defense. Dak Prescott continues to be off target on some easy throws, and he’s got an 81.9 passer rating on the road.

Carolina Panthers (+5.5)

The New Orleans Saints are laying a lot of points here in a divisional game on the road. The Panthers are desperate for a win after five straight losses, and a victory could put them back in the driver’s seat to win a wild-card berth.

Four of Carolina’s defeats during their losing streak have come on the road. They were a perfect 5-0 at home before blowing a fourth-quarter lead to Seattle in Week 12 and losing on a last-second field goal. The Saints’ offense has slowed down during their current road trip, totaling just 474 yards over the last two games. Maybe Cam Newton’s recent turnover issues won’t be a problem against a New Orleans defense that only has two interceptions in the last three games.

Season Record: 35-31-4

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