Week 15 NFL Preview, Insights & Analysis

6 years ago - Sportingbase

In a strange NFL season where you have teams out of the playoffs that should be in and the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys who are in the playoffs and should be out. One team that has a bad fate at the moment is the 8-5 Tennessee Titans, who are on the outside looking in at the moment. The Titans game against the Houston Texans on Sunday headline week 15 play.

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans

In a battle for first place in the AFC South, the Texans and Titans enter Week 15 with identical records of eight wins and five losses. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this year as they also close out the season on December 29 in Houston.

Why the Texans win:

Houston should be hungry after their defense self collapsed last week in a 38-24 home loss to the Denver Broncos. Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins now has four touchdowns (one passing and three receiving) in the last three games.

Why the Titans win:

Ryan Tannehill is going on a run right now that is starting to make NFL headlines. He is 6-1 in his last seven starts with his only loss coming on November 3, in a 30-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Betting Insights

The home team has won each of the last six games between the Texans and Titans.
The Titans have covered the line in each of their last four games.

My take:

The Texans enter the game as a three-point underdog. At the moment you either get the great Deshaun Watson or the ordinary Deshaun Watson. Before making your pick, keep this in mind. The Texans have not lost two straight games all season long. That is why you need to pick Houston.

Bet Now With Ladbrokes
Bet Now With Neds
Bet Now With PlayUp ( New )

[adrotate banner=”81″]

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

In this NFC North Division battle, the 10-3 Green Bay Packers are hosting the 7-6 Chicago Bears. Fans might remember that the Packers and Bears opened the season on September 5, with Green Bay winning 10-3 in a defensive struggle at Soldier Field.

Why the Bears win:

Chicago’s defense has been excellent as of late. Their 232 points allowed is the second-fewest in the NFC and now they are getting consistent quarterbacking from Mitch Trubisky.

Why the Packers win:

Green Bay is 6-1 at Lambeau this year with their only loss coming back on September 26 when they were defeated 34-27 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Everyone knows that the Packers have offensive weapons, but they have made some excellent improvements on defense in 2019 that have made them one of the elite teams in the NFC.

Betting Insights

The Packers have won each of their last five home games against teams that held a winning record.
The Bears have failed to cover the line in six of their last seven Sunday games.

My take:

Aaron Jones is starting to become an elite NFL running back. Still, don’t expect him to rush for 100 yards on Sunday against a strong Bears defensive line. Expect Aaron Rodgers to have a solid game from the Packers passing perspective and give the Packers the W.

Bet Now With Ladbrokes
Bet Now With Neds
Bet Now With PlayUp ( New )

[adrotate banner=”120″]

Los Angeles Rams @ Dallas Cowboys

In this all-NFC battle, the ice cold 6-7 Cowboys face an 8-5 Rams team that are coming off their most impressive win of the year–a 28-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Why the Rams win:

The Cowboys are atrocious at the moment and there is nothing to like. In the last two games, they were clearly outplayed by the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears, and the week before that only scored nine points in Foxborough.

Why the Cowboys win:

Believe it or not but the Cowboys actually lead the NFL right now with 430.8 yards per game. It should just be a matter of time that yards should equal points.

Betting Insights

The Rams have covered the line in each of their last six road games against NFC opponents.
Seven of the Rams’ last eight games have gone UNDER the total match points line.

My take:

Dallas’s offense and defense has simply been ugly the last three weeks. The team is in disarray, which is weird for a division leader. Take the Rams as the Cowboys’ losing streak does not end Sunday.

Bet Now With Ladbrokes
Bet Now With Neds
Bet Now With PlayUp ( New )

[adrotate banner=”129″]

Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers

In this intriguing all-AFC matchup, the Buffalo Bills are 9-4 and could swipe the AFC East division title away from the New England Patriots. At 8-5, the Pittsburgh Steelers have won seven of eight games and have given up only 40 points in their last three games.

Why the Bills win:

The Bills are 3-1 in their last four games with their only loss coming to the explosive Baltimore Ravens by a score of 24-17. Buffalo has been able to shutdown teams with subpar quarterbacks all-season long.

Why the Steelers win:

If you take a look at the numbers, Pittsburgh is not winning games flashy by any means. Last week in Arizona, Devlin Hodges only had 152 passing yards and Kerrith Whyte only had 41 rushing yards to lead an injury plagued Steelers rushing attack. With James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster back practicing for the Steelers, Pittsburgh’s offense should be significantly better.

Betting Insights

The Steelers have won seven of their last eight games.
The Bills have failed to cover the line in each of their last five games against AFC North opponents.

My take:

There is no doubt this is the best Bills team we have seen in years. However, this Steelers squad are no pushovers themselves. After a dismal start, Pittsburgh has not lost at home in two full months. They are playing within their means and deserve to be a two point favourite. Take Pittsburgh.