NFL Predictions Week 16: Best Picks Against the Spread (ATS)

This is the final, reliable weekend to pick NFL games this season. Will you risk it all, or follow the winners to glory? Your Best Picks Against the Spread (ATS) for NFL Predictions Week 16.

Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.

TODD:

Two weeks remain in the NFL regular season. Week 17 is always a crapshoot with certain teams packing it in either preparing for the playoffs or preparing for draft position. That means this week, Week 16, is the final, reliable weekend of games of the year. In other words, this is my last chance to get my season record back up to .500 before flipping a coin the following week.

You don’t have such trouble. With a 19-11 record on the year through 15 weeks, you are crushing your against-the-spread selections, pushing nearly 64 percent. Let’s keep it going.

Arizona Cardinals -4 vs. Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers -10.5 at Baltimore Ravens

Is there any good team that has looked worse this year than Green Bay? I know the Packers have had their share of injuries to skill players on offense, but their struggles have also come thanks to terrible seasons by supposed stars. I’m looking at you Eddie Lacy.

Arizona is at home here, trying to sew up a bye in the NFC playoffs. The Cardinals also might simply be the best team in football this season. The offense is beyond compare; the defense is superb, especially in the secondary. I know Green Bay has the potential to topple Arizona outright, let alone cover a field goal-plus on the road, but we haven’t seen that Packers team in a long, long time.

Related Story: Our Week 16 Power Rankings are in

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is a double-digit favorite against the Baltimore Ravens, and I’m sure that line will continue to climb. I like grabbing it at 10 or so; I’d even take it a bit higher. I don’t see Baltimore hanging with Pittsburgh under any circumstances that don’t include a Ben Roethlisberger injury.

Pittsburgh is also in the midst of a heck of a battle for an AFC wildcard playoff berth. The Steelers need to hold off either the Chiefs or the Jets to make the postseason. They will definitely not be taking Baltimore lightly with so much on the line.

Dec 19, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver

(88) celebrates scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the New York Jets along with quarterback

(17) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

DAN:

Its been a nice year picking games so far, with many strong teams giving up only a few points. I like both of your picks this week for that reason, even if the Pittsburgh line looks large. It’s not. As for my picks, I’m leaning on two road teams getting points in matchups that are relatively even.

Dallas Cowboys +6 at Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals +3.5 at Denver Broncos

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The Cowboys put up a solid fight against the New York Jets last week, giving them fits with their strong defensive line play. The Bills are a step below New York on offense, putting Dallas in a nice position to control the game. Five of the Cowboys’ losses this season came by six points or less, and their offense found a groove last week under new quarterback Kellen Moore. I’m not ready to pick Dallas in an upset, but take them against the spread.

Six points are a lot for two teams out of the playoffs. The Bills coaching staff is in its first season, yet Dallas’ staff are playing for their jobs. The game means more to the Cowboys, and Dallas plays close games to begin with, so take the points this week.

As for the Monday Night matchup between the Bengals and Broncos, two backup quarterbacks face off in a battle of playoff caliber teams. Cincinnati wants to secure a first round bye, with the number one seed in their sights. Denver must snap its losing streak in order to remain in the playoff picture. Yet there’s a reason that the Broncos have been losing, and Cincinnati is a significantly better football team.

More nfl spin zone: Will the Packers win it all?

Even without Andy Dalton, the Bengals took care of business last week. They are getting more than a field goal in Denver, when I believe they win straight up. Something is off with the Broncos, who lost their momentum of late. The opposite is true of Cincinnati. Take the points and the better team. Plain and simple.

Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at College Sports Madness, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.