Week 16 gets underway with a huge matchup between NFC West rivals, as the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams on "Thursday Night Football."
And we get another pair of rivalry games Saturday, with the Philadelphia Eagles visiting the Washington Commanders and the Chicago Bears hosting the Green Bay Packers.
Sunday's slate features a big NFC South matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers in the early window of games. In the late window, the Jacksonville Jaguars visit the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Lions host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The New England Patriots hit the road to take on the Baltimore Ravens to close out Sunday's action, and the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Indianapolis Colts on "Monday Night Football."
Matt Bowen, Pamela Maldonado, Ben Solak and Seth Walder looked at the early Week 16 odds and identified which ones are worth jumping on now before potential shifts later in the week.
Note: Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
Denver Broncos -2.5 (-120) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Bowen: Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence lit up the Jets in Week 15, throwing for 330 yards and five scores. But this Broncos defense is different. The pass rush. Sticky in coverage. Pressure schemes. They dictate the outcome of games. Give me the Broncos to cover at home.
Last week: Lions +6 at Rams (Rams won, 41-34)
New England Patriots +2.5 (-105) at Baltimore Ravens
Solak: The Ravens finally had a normal(ish) day on offense -- but only 17 offensive points against the Bengals defense isn't much to write home about. The loss of linebacker Teddye Buchanan is a sneaky big one, as the Ravens are wanting badly for LB depth. The Patriots' loss to the Bills came with a few high-leverage second-half plays, but the Patriots still control their own destiny in the division by winning out. I make this closer to a pick 'em.
Last week: Patriots ML vs. Bills (Bills won, 35-31), Packers -2.5 at Broncos (Broncos won, 34-26)
San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts UNDER 46.5
Maldonado: Both teams want the same game script: Run the ball, shorten the game, avoid mistakes. Indy bleeds clock through Jonathan Taylor because of limited passing upside, especially if the offense stays conservative. The 49ers score efficiently but not quickly, comfortable grinding out drives. Sustained possessions, fewer chunk plays and red zone field goals point to pace killing this total.
Last week: Lions-Rams OVER 55 (Rams won, 41-34)
Drake Maye to win MVP (+425)
Walder: We're buying the dip here following the Patriots' loss to Buffalo, but the case for Maye remains strong. He ranks third in QBR, first in EPA per dropback and, in comparison to the other contenders, he receives less support from teammates. The Patriots rank 21st in pass block win rate, 25th in EPA per designed carry and his top receiver is Stefon Diggs (who has been quiet for three straight weeks), without much strength behind him. Plus, New England relies on Maye a ton: The team ranks third in pass rate over expectation, higher than all the other MVP contenders. Yes, the No. 1 seed is a long shot at this point, but the Patriots have a 53% chance to finish in one of the top two seeds at this point. While I'm at it, I might be tempted to sprinkle a little on Jordan Love at 75-1, too.
Last week: Cowboys -6 vs. Vikings (Vikings won, 34-26)
