NFL Odds - Week 15

The Patriots-Jets game is getting all the hype in Week 15, despite it being the biggest mismatch on the board. Cheating against each other will do that, I guess.

Denver (-1 on WagerWeb.com) at Houston, Thursday: Only Denver has a realistic shot of making the playoffs, and it’s not a good one. However, I’ll take Jake Cutler over Sage Rosenfels any day. The pick: Broncos.

Cincinnati (-8.5) at San Francisco, Saturday: Not a good week for the NFL Network, which gets a second dog game between losing teams (it’s also showing Denver-Houson). Again, I’ll go with the better quarterback here. Yeah, I think that’s Carson Palmer over some guy named Shaun Hill. The pick: Bengals.

Arizona (-3.5) at New Orleans: How rough has a season has it been for New Orleans? Well, the Saints lost their kicker for the season on Wednesday. They signed Martin Gramatica to replace Olindo Mare. Only reason I mention this is that this game could come down to a field goal. But probably not. The pick: Saints.

Atlanta (+13.5) at Tampa Bay: This game scares me, because the Bucs offense isn’t all that good, and a near 14-point margin is a lot of an offensively challenged team. However, Tampa Bay does get Jeff Garcia back, and the Falcons have to be shell-shocked after a week unlike no other. The pick: Bucs.

Baltimore (-3.5) at Miami: Can Miami get to 0-14? If it matters, Cleo Lemon is back behind center, replacing rookie QB John Beck. Not sure it does matter. Expect a low-scoring game, but the Baltimore defense is the best unit on the field. The pick: Ravens.

Buffalo (+5.5) at Cleveland: Arguably the most important game of the weekend - see WagerWeb.com on Sunday for a full preview. Buffalo must win to keep its playoff hopes alive, while the Browns are basically in if they emerge victorious. I see no reason why they won’t. The pick: Browns.

Green Bay (-9.5) at St. Louis: Marc Bulger (concussion) took all the snaps at practice Wednesday and is "on track to return" this week, according to the Associated Press. Rams coach Scott Linehan says he'll wait until Friday before naming a starting quarterback. If Bulger plays, I think the Rams keep this close. The pick: Rams to cover if Bulger plays, although buy to 10 to be safe.

Jacksonville (+3.5) at Pittsburgh: A potential first-round playoff preview. Pittsburgh was overwhelmed in the second half by New England last week, so you would think the Steelers will be plenty motivated. And Jacksonville lost star DT Marcus Stroud this week. The pick: Steelers.

NY Jets (+23.5) at New England: Ah yes, Spygate.Apparently the Jets and coach Eric Mangini aren’t exactly innocent victims in this cheating stuff. They were caught videotaping at Gillette Stadium last season and the Patriots had a Jets employee removed from the area, but Mangini said his team received permission. Then of course this season, the Jets blew the whistle on the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick.

Now Belichick and Mangini, once close friends, are on the outs big time. And most expect Belichick to run up the score on his former pupil. This is really the only reason to watch this mismatch. The pick: Patriots.

Seattle (-7.5) at Carolina: Seattle won’t have receiver D.J. Hackett this week, but the Seahawks are quietly playing as well as anyone. I see no reason to think why Carolina will do anything here, whether it’s Vinny Testaverde or Matt Moore at quarterback. The pick: Seahawks, although buy down to 6.5 to be safe.

Tennessee (-4) at Kansas City: The Chiefs couldn’t run against a bad Denver defense last week, and this team has gone in the tank. If Albert Haynesworth plays for the Titans, this game could be a rout because K.C. can’t throw. The pick: Titans.

Indianapolis (-10.5) at Oakland: JaMarcus Russell will see some significant game action for Oakland, but Indy played one of its best games in weeks in routing Baltimore last week. Marvin Harrison is likely out again for the Colts, but that shouldn’t matter. The pick: Colts.

Detroit (+10) at San Diego: Did any team suffer more key injuries last week than San Diego? Fullback Lorenzo Neal and star linebacker Shawne Merriman are for sure out, while starting QB Philip Rivers thinks he will play but sat out early-week practices because of a knee injury. The pick: Lions, but buy up to 10.5

Philadelphia (+10.5) at Dallas: Eagles RB Brian Westbrook is questionable, but he has gone into the Birds' last two games listed as questionable but come out with a total of 293 yards and two touchdowns. For some reason, I think the Eagles can keep this close. The pick: Eagles cover.

Washington (+4.5) at NY Giants: I have had no faith in he Giants, but I guess it’ time. The Giants defense will be a nightmare for Washington QB Todd Collins, in a for an injured Jason Campbell. New York eliminates Washington from the playoff conversation. The pick: Giants.

Chicago (+10) at Minnesota, Monday: Kyle Orton starts at quarterback for the Bears. So what? The Vikings are one of the league’s hottest teams, and Adrian Peterson shredded the Bears the last time these two played. Still, this is too many points. The pick: Bears to cover, but buy up to 10.5.

Note: All lines from WagerWeb.com as of Thursday.