NFL Picks Week 16: Expert Predictions, Odds Guide and Over-Under Lines

There are but two weeks left in the 2016 regular season, which means it’s time for the last few dogged battles for the still-remaining playoff spots. Four teams—the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks—have already clinched playoff berths, two in each conference.

That leaves eight playoff spots—and six division titles—up for grabs as the season winds to a close, which means plenty of meaningful games will play out over the holiday weekend.

Share Tweet Embed

Week 16 has nearly every team working on a short week. There’s the regular Thursday night affair between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, and then 12 games taking place on Saturday. Teams will be battling fatigue, cold winter weather and the crushing weight of expectations over the holidays. The action should be fierce.

Here are the expert picks, odds and over-under lines for Week 16. 

The Green Bay Packers are surging as the season comes to a close, winners of four straight and the current occupants of the NFC’s sixth seed. Aaron Rodgers and company are in good position to score a fifth straight win over the Minnesota Vikings and further burnish their playoff credentials, perhaps even getting one step closer to taking the previously-out-of-reach NFC North title.Ty Montgomery’s effortless transition from wide receiver to running back has been key to the Packers’ success in recent weeks. Against the Chicago Bears in Week 15, Montgomery had his breakout moment, rushing for 162 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries. The Packers have had little in the way of a running game for much of the season; Montgomery appears to have solved that problem.

Share Tweet Embed

Montgomery’s move from the flanks to the backfield hasn’t upset the Packers passing attack so far, and shouldn’t going forward.

Montgomery was never much of a threat as a wideout—his only notable receiving game without playing as primary ball-carrier was a 10-catch effort against the Cowboys on Oct. 16—and might be more useful catching passes out of the backfield. Plus, now that he’s established himself as a bona fide threat, Rodgers can now utilize more play action and expect defenses to be more honest playing both the run and the pass.

With the Packers offense firing on all cylinders, the Vikings can’t be expected to keep up, especially as the road side. The Vikings have topped 20 points just once in their last four games (1-3 in that span) and are coming off a 34-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Adrian Peterson did get a handful of carries in that game—his first action in …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com