Three NFL experts from the Prime Time Sports Talk staff came together to share their picks for Week 15.
These three writers will continue to make their picks for the entire season, earning two points for any correct win-loss outcome and an additional three points for correctly predicting the exact score. (Failure to accurately predict a tie will be treated as a loss.) A cumulative points total and record will be listed at the bottom of every article. An archive of all 17 regular-season and four playoff editions can be found here.
Mike Fanelli, Joe Heller, and Andersen Pickard contributed to this article.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Mike Fanelli: Raiders 27, Chargers 23
Coming off a last-minute victory last week, the Chargers have the momentum heading into this game. However, the Raiders are still in the thick of the playoff race and can’t afford to give up an easy win.
Joe Heller: Raiders 31, Chargers 27
The Raiders will get back in the win column this week. This game will be a shootout with Justin Herbert and the Chargers coming up just short.
Andersen Pickard: Raiders 27, Chargers 20
With Mike Williams out and Keenan Allen expected to be limited at best, the Chargers will need to rely on Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton stepping up big in the passing game. They’ll fare well, but it won’t be enough to push Los Angeles over the top. Las Vegas should win by a score.
Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos
Mike: Bills 34, Broncos 24
The Broncos got a last-minute win over the Panthers last week as Drew Lock threw a career-high four passing touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Bills are one of the hottest teams in the league after defeating the Steelers on Sunday night. One team is preparing for the playoffs while the other is planning vacations.
Joe: Bills 37, Broncos 20
Josh Allen will continue to make his case for MVP with another five-touchdown performance. This game won’t be as close as the final score suggests.
Andersen: Bills 34, Broncos 21
The Bills look like one of the best teams in football with Stefon Diggs dominating through the air and the defense impressing, too. Meanwhile, for the Broncos, Drew Lock exploded last week but isn’t a lock to replicate his performance. The Bills should win by two scores as Diggs and Zack Moss both have big games.
Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers
Mike: Packers 38, Panthers 27
This matchup features the top team in the NFC against one of the worst. D.J. Moore is back for the Panthers, but Christian McCaffrey is out. Packers by two scores.
Joe: Packers 34, Panthers 20
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers will continue their quest for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Davante Adams will account for another pair of touchdowns.
Andersen: Packers 38, Panthers 21
The Packers do not let up. They’ll take a 10-point lead in halftime and pull ahead further in the final quarter. Look for Davante Adams and Aaron Jones to both have big games, serving as a painful reminder to Panthers fans that Christian McCaffrey remains inactive.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys
Mike: 49ers 27, Cowboys 23
With their loss to Washington last week, the 49ers’ playoff hopes are very slim. Meanwhile, with their win last week, the Cowboys are still in the race to win the NFC East. This game could go either way, but expect the 49ers to put the final nail in the Cowboys’ playoff dreams’ coffin.
Joe: 49ers 27, Cowboys 20
This weekend’s 49ers-Cowboys game won’t feature Troy Aikman, Joe Montana, or Jerry Rice. Instead, it will feature Nick Mullens under center, leading the 49ers to victory over Andy Dalton and the Cowboys.
Andersen: 49ers 24, Cowboys 17
The 49ers fell just short against the red-hot Washington Football Team last week. Meanwhile, the Cowboys looked good, but they didn’t have a particularly challenging matchup. Sunday’s game should answer a lot of questions about these two teams. For now, though, bank on the 49ers to pull out the victory, fueled by another big game from Brandon Aiyuk.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Washington Football Team
Mike: Seahawks 24, Washington 13
After the Saints and Giants lost last week, Washington has the longest winning streak in the NFC at four games. However, the Seahawks need to win this game to keep pace with the Rams for the NFC West division race.
Joe: Washington 27, Seahawks 24
Chase Young and the Washington defense will limit Russell Wilson and the Seahawks’ offense. They will steal a victory and remain in the driver’s seat for the NFC East crown.
Andersen: Seahawks 28, Washington 17
If Alex Smith and Antonio Gibson were expected to play, Washington would be the clear choice here. However, Dwayne Haskins is in line to start under center and has proven that he is nearly incapable of leading a team to victory. Seattle’s explosive offense and increasingly strong defense should manhandle the Football Team en route to a two-score victory.
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
Mike: Vikings 24, Bears 20
Last week, the Bears overcame their losing streak and defeated the Texans. Meanwhile, the Vikings got knocked out of a playoff spot by the Buccaneers. With only three weeks left in the season and both teams sitting at 6-7, the winner of this game would have a much-needed leg up on earning a Wild Card spot.
Joe: Bears 24, Vikings 21
Mitchell Trubisky will follow up arguably the best game of his career with another solid performance, making his case to retain the starting job. Minnesota, with all of their firepower, will lose another game that they should have won.
Andersen: Bears 27, Vikings 21
The Bears played dominant football last week against the Texans, snapping a painful losing streak. While it won’t come at such a merciless margin as last week, Chicago should defeat the Vikings to earn a leg up in the playoff race.
New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins
Mike: Dolphins 20, Patriots 13
A year ago at this time, no one would have thought the Dolphins would be the favorites over the Patriots. However, it’s 2020 and the Dolphins are pushing for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Patriots are below .500 and will likely miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Joe: Dolphins 27, Patriots 20
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins have their eyes set on the playoffs while the Patriots are likely to miss the playoffs for the first time in what seems like forever. The Miami defense will come through in the clutch once again.
Andersen: Dolphins 27, Patriots 10
The Patriots suffered an obliteration at the hands of the Rams last week while the Dolphins made it close against the Chiefs. Brian Flores will use the mobility of Tua Tagovailoa and the versatility of Lynn Bowden Jr. to outsmart and outmaneuver his old team and coaching mentor. Dolphins by three scores.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Baltimore Ravens
Mike: Ravens 34, Jaguars 17
The Jaguars haven’t won since Week 1, and that won’t change this week despite going back to Gardner Minshew. The Ravens are pushing for the playoffs, and the Jaguars are thinking about the NFL Draft.
Joe: Ravens 31, Jaguars 17
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will continue to fight for a playoff spot. Gardner Minshew will provide a spark back in the starting spot for the Jaguars but his flame will fizzle while playing from behind all day.
Andersen: Ravens 34, Jaguars 24
Gardner Minshew will provide a spark in his return, but it won’t be enough to outlast a surging Ravens team. Baltimore should win by at least two scores despite Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin being inactive due to COVID-19.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Mike: Buccaneers 27, Falcons 23
The Buccaneers appeared to right the ship with their win over the Vikings last week, but they are still on shaky ground. The Falcons are out of the playoff picture while the future of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are in question. Still, this game will be closer than many expect.
Joe: Buccaneers 31, Falcons 30
A rejuvenated Tom Brady and his Buccaneers offense will piggyback off of last week’s performance with a crucial divisional win.
Andersen: Buccaneers 28, Falcons 23
The Buccaneers didn’t look great last week, but they got the win when it mattered. Their success should continue into Week 15 as they travel to Atlanta for a critical late-season divisional clash with the Falcons. Ronald Jones and Ryan Succop are out for the Buccaneers, but Atlanta has issues of their own with Julio Jones unlikely to play and Hayden Hurst struggling in the passing game. If Atlanta were at full strength, they could pull off the upset. However, that’s not the case. Tampa Bay should win.
Detroit Lions vs. Tennessee Titans
Mike: Titans 31, Lions 17
Can anyone stop Derrick Henry right now? The answer is no. Meanwhile, the Lions might be without Matthew Stafford for this game, taking whatever chance they had of winning and throwing it out the window.
Joe: Titans 34, Lions 24
The Titans will continue their quest for the AFC South crown. Derrick Henry will eclipse the 200-yard rushing mark as he tries to lock up his second straight rushing title. The Eric Dickerson single-season yards record will be within his grasp as well.
Andersen: Titans 35, Lions 20
Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown, who have been virtually unstoppable as of late, will each score two touchdowns en route to a commanding victory over a Lions team that will be without Kenny Golladay and Matthew Stafford. Look for Tennessee to take an early lead and never look back, crushing the spirits of Lions fans before halftime even arrives.
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
Mike: Colts 27, Texans 23
After their loss to the Bears last week, the Texans have been eliminated from the playoffs. With their first- and second-round picks belonging to the Dolphins, the Texans have every reason to ruin the Colts’ playoff push. However, that won’t happen.
Joe: Texans 24, Colts 20
Deshaun Watson and the Texans are just playing out their remaining schedule while the Colts are hoping to catch the Titans for the division title. The Texans will play spoiler this week.
Andersen: Colts 38, Texans 23
Close game? No chance. Last week, the Colts pummeled the Raiders, who are significantly better than the Texans. Don’t be surprised if Jonathan Taylor finishes with more touchdowns than the entire Texans team.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals
Mike: Cardinals 27, Eagles 16
Both teams got a win last week, with the Eagles pulling off an upset over the Saints. Jalen Hurts will start again this week, but Kyler Murray and the Cardinals get the critical win in their push for the playoffs.
Joe: Eagles 34, Cardinals 31
Jalen Hurts will begin his NFL career 2-0 as a starter. With the loss, Kyler Murray and the Cardinals will be on the brink of elimination. The season that began so promising will be hanging by a string.
Andersen: Cardinals 27, Eagles 24
The Eagles are a tempting pick here after their dominant showing against New Orleans last week, but they need one more big week to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Jalen Hurts should toss three touchdowns but it won’t be enough as the Eagles come up short in Arizona.
New York Jets vs. Los Angeles Rams
Mike: Rams 31, Jets 13
At 0-13, the Jets’ best hope for a win will come in Week 17 against the Patriots; it certainly won’t happen this week against the Rams or next week against the Browns. 0-16 is very likely at this point.
Joe: Rams 34, Jets 10
With the NFL West crown being theirs to lose, the Rams will demolish the Jets. Adam Gase’s team will be down three scores at halftime on their way to 0-14.
Andersen: Rams 34, Jets 0
Predicting a shutout is a rare and arguably foolish mission, but it’s hard to imagine this Rams defense will allow any points to the Jets after holding the Patriots to three a week prior. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles offense should impress early on before transitioning to resting their starters in the second half.
New Orleans Saints vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Mike: Chiefs 34, Saints 27
This game is the best matchup this week and would have been a battle of No. 1 seeds in both conferences if the Saints didn’t fall into a trap game against the Eagles last week. As good as the Saints have been this season, last week showed that Taysom Hill struggles when trailing, and the Chiefs have the firepower to outscore anyone.
Joe: Chiefs 27, Saints 17
With Drew Brees likely out yet again, this game will go from a shootout on paper to a Chiefs victory by two scores, if not more.
Andersen: Chiefs 31, Saints 21
A few weeks back, this game would have been fun to pick. Now, though, we know that Taysom Hill cannot lead a comeback and the Chiefs are the best team in football. Patrick Mahomes and co. should win by two scores.
Cleveland Browns vs. New York Giants
Mike: Browns 26, Giants 20
This game was flexed into the Sunday night spot as it has a playoff impact for both teams. The Browns have been the better team this season while the Giants have taken advantage of a weak division.
Joe: Browns 38, Giants 24
This game features two teams that have the possibility to steal their respective division titles. The Giants’ defense is better than their record indicates, but the firepower that the Browns have on offense will be too much for them this week.
Andersen: Browns 31, Giants 24
James Bradberry landing on the COVID-19 list could cost the Giants any chance they had at winning the NFC East. New York will keep it close, but Baker Mayfield and the Browns’ offense have played incredible football lately.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Mike: Steelers 31, Bengals 10
When the league scheduled this game for Monday night, it was supposed to feature Joe Burrow against Ben Roethlisberger. Instead, the Steelers are coming off back-to-back losses and the Bengals have no chance of winning this game. The only question is if it will be a two- or three-touchdown spread final.
Joe: Steelers 20, Bengals 17
The Steelers will get back in the win column after back-to-back losses. Originally a possible trap game for Pittsburgh, recent events such as Joe Burrow’s ACL injury will hand the Steelers the win as they keep fighting for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Andersen: Steelers 27, Bengals 14
This game seems fairly hard to predict. For example, when the Steelers’ run defense shuts down Giovani Bernard, does that mean the passing game will click? On the other side, it’s probably safer to expect a pass-heavy game for Pittsburgh, but Diontae Johnson and Eric Ebron have been plagued by drops lately. The one thing that is clear, though, is that the Steelers will win by at least two scores.
Point Totals
Mike: 274
Joe: 259
Andersen: 256
Records
Mike: 137-72
Joe: 128-81
Andersen: 125-84
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