NFL Betting Picks for the Week 15 Saturday Slate

Riley Thomas•_riley8

5mo

The NFL's Week 15 slate features the season's first round of Saturday games. Three matchups are on deck, including the Minnesota Vikings against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers traveling to take on the Indianapolis Colts, and the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions clashing in primetime.

When looking at FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds, several intriguing lines are available. What are the best bets for Saturday's trio of games? Let's take a look.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

NFL Best Bets

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals

Over 40.0 (-110)

The Vikings are fresh off a snooze fest of a 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, which was the lowest-scoring NFL game in 16 years. Minnesota's defense -- which has given up only 12 points over the last two weeks -- is tasked with slowing the Bengals' red-hot offense.

After totaling 34.0 points per game (PPG) over the last two games, Cincinnati might be able to finally make a Vikings game entertaining. Minnesota has been like watching paint dry of late.

According to numberFire, the Vikings have the sixth-best schedule-adjusted defense in the league. They have the 5th-best mark in adjusted run defense and the 12th-best rating in adjusted pass defense. The Bengals could have the tools to shred Minnesota's secondary.

Jake Browning has flourished since taking over, amassing 0.38 expected points added per dropback (EPA/DB), and Ja'Marr Chase has totaled 44.9 receiving yards over expectation (RecYOE) over the last two games.

The run game has also taken the forefront with 267 combined rushing yards on 4.2 yards per carry during the two-game span. While Minnesota gives up only 3.7 yards per carry (fourth-best), they are only 15th in ESPN's run stuff win rate.

Cincinnati should be a much stiffer test for the Vikings, who faced two bottom-11 offenses over the last two games.

Since Joshua Dobbs took over Minnesota's starting signal-caller spot, the Vikings have totaled at least 30 rushing attempts in four of five games -- compared to their season average of 24.2 attempts per game. Even though Nick Mullens is set to start this week, Minnesota will likely continue to run the ball at a high rate.

Running the rock should set Minnesota up for success thanks to the Bengals sporting numberFire's second-worst adjusted run defense. Cincy also gives up the ninth-most rushing touchdowns per game. Several of the Vikings' rushers could be a wise pick for an anytime touchdown, such as Ty Chandler (+200).

The over is 4-1 in the Bengals' previous five games. I expect the over trend to continue with both offenses holding matchup advantages.

Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions

Broncos +4.0 (-110)

After the Broncos' five-game winning streak was snapped in Week 13, Denver bounced back with a dominant 24-7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers last week. The Lions have hit a bump in the road over the last month with a 2-2 record while going 1-3 against the spread (ATS) in that time.

The Broncos are 5-2 ATS over the previous seven games, which includes a 2-1 ATS record in their last three road games. I see Denver being poised for another cover.

First off, the Lions' defense has been like Swiss cheese in recent weeks, surrendering 29.8 PPG over the last five games. The Broncos have reached 20 points in five of their previous six outings.

Denver has averaged 32.2 rushing attempts per game since Week 8. They average 4.3 yards per carry (10th-best) while Detroit gives up only 3.9 yards per carry (7th-best). The Broncos boast the third-best run block win rate, and the Lions rank last in run stuff win rate.

Javonte Williams could be in store for a large workload; over his last six games, he has a 60.0% snap share while averaging 17.8 carries per game.

Jared Goff has been streaky over the last month, tossing five interceptions since Week 11. Denver's passing defense has improved, holding three of their last four opponents to no more than 210 passing yards. As a result, the Broncos have moved up to numberFire's 13th-worst pass defense -- a solid jump from where they were after the early part of the campaign.

The turnover battle could be key as Denver leads the league in takeaways per contest. With Goff's recent struggles, the Broncos might be able to generate some more takeaways.

I like the Broncos' chance to find success on the ground while potentially winning the turnover battle.

Looking for the latest NFL odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the NFL betting options.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.