NFL Week 15 overreactions
USA TODAY’s Prince Grimes breaks down the best storylines from NFL Week 15.
Sports Seriously
The Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans play on Sunday, Dec. 21, at the Texans’ NRG Stadium in a game on the NFL Week 16 schedule.
Which team will win the NFL Week 16 game?
Check out these NFL Week 16 picks and NFL Week 16 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 2:25 p.m. MST on CBS (stream with FUBO).
The Texans are a 14.5-point favorite over the Raiders in NFL Week 16 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
Houston is -1400 on the moneyline, while Las Vegas is +800. The over/under (point total) is set at 38 points.
NFL Week 16 picks: Rams at Seahawks | Eagles at Commanders | Packers at Bears | Buccaneers at Panthers | Bills at Browns | Chargers at Cowboys | Jets at Saints | Vikings at Giants | Chiefs at Titans | Bengals at Dolphins | Falcons at Cardinals | Jaguars at Broncos | Steelers at Lions | Raiders at Texans | Patriots at Ravens | 49ers at Colts | The Republic’s score predictions
Watch Raiders at Texans live on FUBO (free trial)
Jeremy Cluff writes: “Are the 9-5 Texans being overlooked in the AFC playoff race? They have won six in a row and have a defense that has allowed an NFL-best 228 points. The win streak will reach seven games against the struggling Raiders.”
Bookies.com: Bet the Texans to cover vs Raiders
Bill Speros writes: “The Raiders must lose to keep pace in the race for the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Texans, meanwhile, sit just a game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South. They pull the lucky straw this week as the Jaguars visit Denver. Houston extended its winning streak to 6 with a 40-20 win over Arizona at home Sunday. C.J. Stroud continued his ascent by completing 22 of 29 passes for 260 yards and 3 TDs. The Raiders have some trend lines pointing in their favor (they’ve covered in 8 of 9 against AFC teams in December), not to mention the 14.5-point number. But this game matters for the Texans. And their defense should keep Vegas in single digits.”
The site’s formula predicts that the Texans will win the NFL Week 16 game against the Raiders.
ESPN: Texans have an 80.3% chance to beat Raiders on Sunday
The site gives the Raiders a 19.6% shot at winning the NFL Week 16 game, with the remaining percentage accounting for a tie.
Dimers: Texans 24, Raiders 13
It writes: “After extensive simulations, our model gives the Raiders a win probability of 11%, while the Texans have a win probability of 89%.”
Sportsnaut: Houston Texans 24, Las Vegas Raiders 0
Matt Johnson writes: “We think the Las Vegas Raiders will get shut out, again, in Week 16. It’s rather simple: the Houston Texans’ defensive line can absolutely overwhelm Las Vegas up front, and there isn’t a single Raiders wide receiver who stands a chance against Houston’s corners. Brock Bowers might take a shutout off the board, but we just lack any faith in the Raiders’ offensive line and play-calling to believe that will happen.”
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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