NFL Week 16 Picks: Matchups Guide, Advice and Early Score Predictions

Week 15 ended with a somewhat surprising 26-15 Carolina Panthers victory over the Washington Redskins. That game wasn’t the only surprise of the week, either.

The suddenly surging Tennessee Titans managed to knock off the Kansas City Chiefs, allowing the Oakland Raiders to regain the AFC West lead and the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Houston Texans, meanwhile, came back to win against the Jacksonville Jaguars but benched quarterback Brock Osweiler in the process.

What sort of surprises await in Week 16? Well, that’s what we’re going to try to determine here. We’ll be examining the entire Week 16 schedule, along with the latest odds from our friends over at OddsShark.

We will also make our own game predictions, using factors like past performances, matchups and team health as guidelines. Then, we’ll take a look at some of the most important games of the week.

NFL Week 16

Key Matchups

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers

The game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers could have a massive impact on the NFC playoff race. The Packers desperately need a win here in order to set up a game with the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title in Week 17.

The Packers sit a game behind Detroit in the division but hold a head-to-head win over the Lions. Even if Detroit manages to beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, the Packers can still win the division in the finale.

However, the Packers must first get past the Vikings, who will naturally be looking to play the role of spoiler.

Minnesota might be able to spoil Green Bay’s plans, too, if the Packers defense plays the way it did late last week. The Packers surrendered 17 fourth-quarter points to Matt Barkley and the Chicago Bears, nearly squandering a big lead and risking overtime.

If not for a well-timed big play from Aaron Rodgers, the Packers might not have been able to secure the win in overtime. A 60-yard pass to Jordy Nelson set up a game-winning field goal, but the Packers definitely cut it close.

Assuming the Vikings don’t give up the way they appeared to do in last week’s 34-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, this should be a terrific game. However, we’ll take Rodgers and Co. to outduel Minnesota’s offense, which is rated 23rd overall by Pro Football Focus.

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

The Denver …

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