Just three weeks of the NFL regular season remain and playoff positioning around the league is starting to take shape. In the 3 feature games this week, we have the #1 seeded Ravens at home, the 8-5 Steelers hosting the 9-4 Bills in an important AFC clash and the 10-3 Saints taking on the 6-7 Colts on Tuesday. As usual, we have a full preview and tips for these key games across the Week 15 slate below.
NFL Week 15 Betting Tips
New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens (Friday 12.20pm AEDT)
The 5-8 Jets are finishing off the season with a few good performances after 4 wins in their last 5 in what has been another underwhelming season for this franchise. One positive out of this season has been the defence, especially defending the run. They're 2nd in the NFL for rushing yards allowed and that'll be the key against Lamar Jackson/Mark Ingram. They'll also look to get RB Le’Veon Bell back from the flu. He's been pretty average this season but the Ravens have kind of struggled with running backs in the last 2 weeks. So there’s a good chance he can take advantage with good blocking by the Jets O-line.
With a 9 game winning streak, the 11-2 Ravens have clinched the AFC North and they're currently the #1 seed in the AFC. So it's looking like the AFC playoffs will run through Baltimore. They'll be coming off an important 24-17 win over the Bills as Lamar Jackson tossed 3 TD passes. The defence had a nice day with 6 sacks and they'll look for the same pressure against Sam Darnold. Baltimore is 5-1 at home this season and 11-0 on their home turf in night games. So they’re well favoured to make it 10 straight wins and almost seal up the number 1 seed.
The Ravens control their destiny in the AFC at the moment but after 9 wins on the trot, they could be due for a letdown, especially on a short week. They're coming off 2 tough wins over the 49ers and Bills. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson does have a quad issue and was limited in practice. Considering the Ravens are 1-6 ATS when playing a team with a losing record and 1-7 ATS as a home favourite, we like the Jets to cover.
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers (Monday 12.20pm AEDT)
Buffalo will take a lot of positives out of a close 24-17 loss against the red-hot Ravens last week and they'll look to get back on track against another AFC North team in the Steelers this Monday. Bills QB Josh Allen had a tough game with 6 sacks, a lost fumble and a 14.3 QB rating. But they did run the ball well with rookie Devin Singletary. So if Allen can rebound with a better performance, they're a good chance of a road upset. The Bills have won 5 of 6 road games this season and have also covered in 5 of 6 against a home team with a winning record.
Full credit goes to Mike Tomlin and his team as the Steelers have overcome injuries all season with their 8-5 record. They're coming back from a West Coast trip as they beat the Cardinals 23-17. With a Week 17 trip to Baltimore, they really need to win upcoming games against the Bills and Jets to secure a wildcard spot in the AFC. During this 3 game winning streak, the defence has been really important as the Steelers offence has been ravaged by injury. In those 3 games, they've allowed a total of just 40 points and their gameplan against the Bills offence should be pretty similar to how the Ravens approached them in Week 14.
A big factor in December games across the East Coast is the weather conditions and it's looking like rain/snow in Pittsburgh could impact this clash. So we have to like the Under considering that fact. It's also trending for both sides and they really haven't shown an ability to score quick points lately. The Bills are 22-7 against the under as a road underdog and it's saluted in 5 of their last 6 overall games. Meanwhile, the Steelers are 5-1 against the Under in December and 5-0 in their last 5 games this season.
Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints (Tuesday 12.15pm AEDT)
After 3 straight losses, it looks like season over for the 6-7 Colts but they'll look for a few upsets to close out what has been a tough year. Going back to the offseason, they lost Andrew Luck before a regular-season snap and they've struggled with injuries all season, such as Mack and Hilton. Now the ageless Adam Vinatieri has succumbed to injury as well! So it's looking like another tough outing for this Colts team unless Brissett can have success against the Saints secondary, which is a good possibility. He’ll look to get Pascal and Doyle involved early on in the passing game and hopefully Marlon Mack can find plenty of running lanes.
The Saints were involved in one of the best games of the season last week as they went down to the 49ers in an absolute shootout, 48-46. Their offence was basically unstoppable with the ball as Drew Brees tossed 5 TD passes and they just have so many weapons, it must give nightmares to most defensive coaches. First, you have to try and stop the one-two punch of Kamara/Murray in the running game. Then you have the reliable combination of Thomas/Cook, the versatile Taysom Hill and the speed threats of Ginn Jr./Smith in the passing game. The question mark with the Saints is usually their defence, especially against the passing game. Last week alone, they gave up 354 yards through the air and rank 20th in the NFL with 244 passing yards allowed per game.
The Colts are coming off a 38-35 shootout against the Bucs and it's hard to see how their defence can stop the Saints variety of attacking weapons. So we have to like the Over total here. It's 5-2 when the Colts are coming off 350+ yards allowed and 5-1 when they play on MNF. The Saints have the same record on MNF and they're also 22-7 against the Over after allowing 350+ yards.
