The race to the finish line is officially underway with just two weeks remaining in the NFL regular season. While five teams have clinched playoff spots, there are still seven spots up for grabs and plenty left to determine in terms of how the seeds will play out. Here is a look at the top five NFL games on the schedule for Week 16.
Washington Redskins @ Tennessee Titans
Line: Titans -10
Just in case you forgot, Josh Johnson and the Redskins are technically still alive in the NFC playoff picture at 7-7. Washington is coming off a crucial 16-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to keep its season alive. Now the Redskins have to travel to Tennessee for an extremely difficult matchup with the Titans in order to stay in the race. The Titans are listed as double-digit favorites for this game as Washington is extremely banged up on many fronts.
Baltimore Ravens @ Los Angeles Chargers
Line: Chargers -4.5
The second game of the Saturday doubleheader offers even more intrigue with the Chargers contending for top spot in the AFC while the Ravens are currently the second wild card. Baltimore is 4-1 since Lamar Jackson took over as its starting quarterback. However, now it has to beat an LA side that is coming off back-to-back wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers have had nine days to prepare for this game but for the Ravens, it’s a short week.
Houston Texans @ Philadelphia Eagles
Line: Eagles -1
The Nick Foles-led Eagles need a home win over Houston to keep their season alive. Meanwhile, the Texans are trying to take advantage of an excellent opportunity to earn a first-round playoff bye and home field for at least the AFC divisional playoff by winning out. Houston is 0-4 all-time against Philadelphia and nearly blew a winnable game on the road last week at the New York Jets. A bye and a game at home would mean a lot to this young team.
It’s worth noting this line has moved a lot from the look-ahead line. The Texans opened -3.5 but the Eagles are now favored.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New Orleans Saints
Line: Saints -6
Pittsburgh is coming off a massive win over the New England Patriots to remain in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Now the Steelers need to beat the Saints on the road in order to keep it that way. The good news is they’re getting a Saints team that’s cooled off of late. Remember that Drew Brees-led offense that was on pace for record scoring? They’re averaging just 16.7 points per game over their last three contests.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Seattle Seahawks
Line: Chiefs -2.5
The Sunday Night Football showdown will feature a prime-time game in Seattle with two teams that need wins for different reasons. At 8-6, the Seahawks must win to remain in an NFC wild-card position. Meanwhile, Kansas City will be trying to bounce back from a dramatic collapse against the Chargers as they continue to battle for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Russell Wilson is 12-1 straight up in home games against AFC opponents in his career. The Chiefs could be ripe for the picking as they are just 2-2 over their last four games and have cooled off a lot as the losses of Kareem Hunt and Sammy Watkins are catching up to them.