Just two weeks remaining in the 2015 NFL season as we take a look at a couple of the key games and Australian televised games over the christmas weekend - so make sure to read on for our 2015 NFL Week 16 betting tips.
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San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders – Friday 12:25pm
Week 16 of the NFL begins with a West Coast battle for pride. The San Diego Chargers take on the Oakland Raiders at the Coliseum. Neither team will make the playoffs but this should be a close contest. Earlier this season Oakland beat San Diego 37-29. That day Oakland’s QB completed 77.4% of passes and San Diego also had two costly turnovers.
The line opened at -5.0(OAK) and is currently sitting at -5.5(OAK) with a total of 46.5.
All season long the Chargers have had trouble running the football. However last week against Miami they may have worked something out as they were able to out gain the Dolphins on the ground by 96 yards and ran for a total of 140yards. This ground game is so important for quarterback Phillip Rivers.
The value is with the Chargers. We get a five point head start and a better quarterback. Not to mention a team that has a big revenge factor.
Tip: San Diego Chargers at the line (+6.0) - $1.96 at Sportsbet
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings – Monday 12:30pm
The New York Giants will still be thinking about last week’s loss to the unbeaten Carolina Panthers. The Giants lost 35-38 as Carolina kicked a 43 yard field goal as time expired. The Giants have now lost four of their last five games and will not only have to win this game to make the playoffs but also need other teams to lose. It’s not impossible but their spirits will be down especially with the suspension cloud over star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
The Minnesota Vikings are in a far more positive place. They sit 2nd in the NFC North and also have current wild card eligibility. The Vikings play an old school style of football utilizing their biggest weapon Adrian Peterson. Peterson has backed up an unbelievable 2014/15 season with a very solid 2015/16 season. The Vikings have handed the ball to him 286 times for 1314 yards and 9 touchdowns, that’s an average of 4.59 yards per carry.
I feel as though the Giants loss to Carolina will carry through to today’s game and when the Giants fall behind Eli Manning will be forced into making big plays and this will play into the hands of a very good Minnesota defense.
Tip: Minnesota Vikings at the line (-5.5) - $1.92 at CrownBet
Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos – Tuesday 12:30pm
Monday night football will be a very interesting game. Both Cincinnati and Denver sit atop their divisions but Denver can actually miss the playoffs if Kansas City wins their final two games and Denver drops a game. Both teams will start with their back-up quarterbacks. Andy Dalton broke his thumb but should return soon and Peyton Manning is out.
Filling in for Denver is Broke Osweiler who has been arguably better then Manning and filling in for Cincy is AJ McCarron who makes just his second career start. McCarron will have the very tough task of facing the number one defense in the NFL who consistently get to the quarterback (47 sacks this season ) McCarron is not known for being the fastest decision maker and I believe the Denver defense will really control this game.
Brock Osweiler has won three out of five games in the absence of Peyton Manning. It won’t be easy for Osweiler today as he is going up against a very good defense who allows just 17.4 points per game but the home field factor is far more significant for the Broncos today.
Tip: Denver Broncos at the line (-3.5) - $2.07 at Sportsbet
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
