NFL Week 16 odds, best bets: Backing Joe Flacco again, plus Rams stomp Saints, Buccaneers bash Jaguars

No more over/unders for me! My against the spread picks were great last week but the totals crashed. Such is life late in the season. Especially this year when we’ve got so many backup quarterbacks playing. 

It’s wild just how many backups have been in play this year — roughly 75% of the NFL has been forced to play a backup quarterback for significant time this season, and the results have been virtually impossible to figure out. Jake Browning in for the Bengals? Sure, no problem, business as usual! Joshua Dobbs come on down! Joshua Dobbs backup? Why not! 

The teams who survive this season may very well end up being the teams who got lucky and won the war of attrition in terms of keeping their quarterback healthy. In fact, let’s back some starters this week, all favorites but reasonably low numbers. And Joe Flacco. Welcome to 2023!

You might not be freaking out at the idea of NOLA vs. LA in prime time on a Thursday, but this is a massive, MASSIVE game when it comes to the NFL playoff picture. Our SportsLine projection model gives both of these teams somewhere between a 40-60% swing when it comes to making the playoffs based on the outcome of this game. The Rams are 69% in if they win and 27% if they lose, while the Saints are 65% in if they win and 9% in if they lose. The Rams are heating up with Cooper Kupp scoring a TD in three straight games and Puka Nacua lingering for Offensive ROY if C.J. Stroud keeps missing time. They’re also forcing Derek Carr out on the field despite serious injuries, mostly because — in my opinion — he is terrified Jameis Winston will win a game and steal his job. The Rams are elite at defending pass-catching running backs and can snuff out short Charles Checkdown passes, so I find it really tough to back the Saints with the way their offense operates. Chris Olave back on the field makes a massive difference, but double him, limit Kamara after the catch and let…


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Author : Will Brinson

Publish date : 2023-12-21 16:42:35

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