Top 3 NFC Matchups-Week 16
Atlanta and Chicago are the only teams in the NFC that have clinched a spot in the playoffs, but Philadelphia, New Orleans, and New York can lock up a spot with a win this week. The final spot will come out of the NFC West, most likely to a team with a losing record, but that mess will not be decided until the final week.
Here is a look at my top three matchups in the NFC for Week 16 of the NFL season. All odds are provided by Betus.com.
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San Francisco @ St. Louis (-1 ½) Over/Under: 39 ½
The 49ers are 5-9 and coming off a blowout loss to San Diego, but in the wild, wild NFC West they still have a shot at winning the division title. They need to win this one and next week’s game against Arizona and hope that Seattle loses to Tampa Bay and St. Louis in the season finale.
The Rams are coming off a lopsided loss to Kansas City that dropped them to 6-8 on the year, but they will still clinch the division with wins in their final two games. Regardless of the outcome, 2010 has been a remarkable turnaround for a team that had won a combined total of six games in its last three seasons.
San Francisco is 9-3 ATS in its last 11 games against the Rams and 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven games in St. Louis. The total has stayed ‘under’ in the last four meetings in St. Louis and in seven of the last nine meetings overall. St. Louis should get the win at home where it has played well all season long, but the ‘under’ could be the best play in this one.
New York Giants @ Green Bay -3 Over/Under: 43
The 9-5 Giants have to quickly put last week’s meltdown against Philadelphia behind them and take advantage of a Green Bay team that has lost three out of its last four games. A win would at least secure a wildcard spot in the playoffs and keep their division hopes alive if the Eagles lose to Minnesota.
The Packers postseason chances hinge on the return of QB Aaron Rodgers, who missed last week due to a concussion he sustained in a Week 14 loss to Detroit. He has been cleared to play by the doctors but still is listed as questionable on the injury report.
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last five games following a SU loss. Green Bay is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games following a SU loss and 6-2 ATS in its last eight games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in three of the last five meetings. The combination of a huge Giants hangover and the return of Rodgers tip the scales in favor of the Packers, who should go off as a two to three point favorite by game time.
New Orleans @ Atlanta (-2 ½) Over/Under: 48 ½
The Saints six-game winning streak came to a halt last week at the hands of Baltimore, but at 10-4 they are all but guaranteed a wildcard spot even if they lose this game. A win over Atlanta would keep their faint division chances alive but more importantly set the stage for the playoffs should these two teams happen to meet again.
The Falcons are a perfect 6-0 at home this season but have hardly been dominant. Their closest call was a two-point 16-14 win over San Francisco in Week 4 and they have won their last four at home by a combined 21 points.
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in their last five games against the Falcons and 3-8 ATS in their last 11 against the NFC South. Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against the NFC South and 6-0 ATS in its last six overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of the last six meetings. The Saints rally to avoid losing two games in a row, but they are simply putting off the inevitable as the Falcons know they can clinch next week with a win over 2-12 Carolina.
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