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NFL Office Pool Picks Week 15 with Expert Analysis and ATS Predictions

by Sean Barnard - 12/14/2022

NFL office pool picks Week 15 Kirk Cousins Minnesota Vikings

The conclusion of the NFL season is rapidly approaching, with each team set to make their final statements in the four remaining weeks. For some, their goals are still well within reach with plenty to play for, while others have shifted gears to making their evaluations for next year. All 32 teams have completed their bye weeks, which makes for a full slate of games from here on out. In Week 14, favorites went 9-4 straight-up and 7-6 against the spread. Here is an early look at the Week 15 slate and what to expect in each matchup.

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Thursday Night: San Francisco 49ers (-3.5) over Seattle Seahawks

The 9-4 San Francisco 49ers will travel to Seattle after a convincing 35-7 victory over the Buccaneers. The biggest story of the game was third-string and rookie quarterback Brock Purdy making his NFL debut and leading the team to the win. Purdy completed 16 of his 21 attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing one in as well. Seattle has cooled down from their hot start to the season and sit at 7-6 overall but will have the home crowd to back them. While some might be doubting if Purdy can pull off the impossible again, his play looked to be legit. He has a terrific chance against this Seahawks team that is 0-4 both straight up and against the spread in their last four. With the better defense, and some momentum on their side, expect the 49ers to get the job done on the short week. San Francisco 24, Seattle 14.

Minnesota Vikings (-4) over Indianapolis Colts

The short-term boost that Jeff Saturday provided after taking over as head coach seems to have worn off, as the Colts have lost three consecutive games and most recently were dismantled by the Cowboys by a score of 54-19. They will be well rested and coming off the bye week for this one. The Vikings have not beaten the Colts since 1997, which is their longest active drought against an opponent. They also will be hungry for revenge after falling the Lions last week 34-23. While Minnesota has had no luck against the Colts in recent years, they are the more talented team and will put that on display. Expect them to lean on Justin Jefferson heavily, and he is coming off an 11-reception performance in which he tallied 223 receiving yards. Vikings 31, Colts 14.

Cleveland Browns (-3) over Baltimore Ravens

The biggest storyline heading into this game will be the status of the quarterbacks for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson missed last week, and it appears uncertain if he will be ready to suit up, while backup quarterback Tyler Huntley suffered a concussion in the previous matchup. Despite this, the Ravens managed to scrap to a 16-14 victory with Anthony Brown under center to close things out. The Browns sit at 5-8 on the season and were most recently handed a 23-10 loss by the Bengals. Deshaun Watson continues to shake off some rust and went 26-42 for 276 yards last week while adding a touchdown and an interception. This is one that you should keep an eye on the status of the quarterbacks before putting anything at stake. However, if both Jackson and Huntley are out for the Ravens, the cards seem to be aligning for the Browns to pick up a victory in this one. Cleveland 27, Baltimore 13.

Miami Dolphins (+7.5) over Buffalo Bills

The matchup has game of the week potential as two of the most high-powered offenses prepare to face off. Tua Tagovailoa has struggled a bit of late after his near-perfect start to the season and will have a difficult task against the Buffalo defense. The Bills are allowing the second-fewest points this season and have had the third-best red zone defense by allowing touchdowns on just 47.4% of these trips. However, The Dolphins secured the victory over the Bills in Week 3 by a score of 21-19 when the two teams most recently faced off. While Miami has disappointed in back-to-back weeks, Mike McDaniel is too good of a coach not to have some sort of adjustments made. Expect this to stay closer than many seem to expect but for the Bills to come out on top and take a significant step forward toward locking up the AFC East. Bills 35, Dolphins 31.

Philadelphia Eagles (-9) over Chicago Bears

The Eagles continued their impressive season by taking down the Giants 48-22 in enemy territory. They moved to 12-1 on the year and will have a less difficult challenge against the 3-10 Bears, who are riding a six-game losing streak. The Bears will need some help from Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Eagles if they are to have a chance in this game, and the execution of Philadelphia is not one to doubt. Count on Philadelphia to put forth another convincing victory, while the Bears close out their rebuilding season exactly as planned. Eagles 35, Bears 13.

Atlanta Falcons (+4) over New Orleans Saints

The 5-8 Falcons will be coming off their bye week and are still very much alive within the playoff picture. They have officially named Desmond Ridder to starting quarterback, and the third-round pick will be giving his best effort to prove why he deserves a legitimate chance at being the long-term starting quarterback. The Saints are riding a two-game losing streak and have fallen short in four of their last five to move to 4-9 on the year. These two teams faced off in Week 1, with the Saints securing a 27-26 victory, but Jameis Winston was under center, so neither team will have the same quarterback. Both teams have been inconsistent this season, but there is a spark that Ridder has shown and a desire he will possess that motivates me to buy in. Count on the Falcons to pull off the upset and pick up the win. Atlanta 23, New Orleans 17.

Detroit Lions (+1) over New York Jets

The Lions will be riding high coming into this one after proving Vegas correct by taking down the Vikings last week to drop them to 10-3 on the season. Detroit holds a record of 6-7 but have won five of their last six. The Jets have shown some signs of life, and their defense continues to shine, but Mike White suffered a rib injury in against the Bills which could lead to Joe Flacco getting the start under center. While New York is no pushover, expect the Lions to carry their momentum and pick up another victory in this one. On the season, they rank 5th in points scored and 4th in yards, and Jared Goff has not thrown an interception since Week 9. Detroit 27, New York 17.

Carolina Panthers (-2.5) over Pittsburgh Steelers

This pair of 5-8 teams will face off in Carolina, with neither team playing overly inspiring football. The Panthers rank 23rd in the league in scoring, while the Steelers are 27th. They also rank 18th and 19th in turnovers per game. It is uncertain who will be under center for Pittsburgh, as Kenny Pickett left the Week 14 matchup against the Ravens with a concussion, which led to Mitch Trubisky to taking over. While Trubisky had some positive moments, he had just one touchdown to his three interceptions. This will not cut it against a Carolina team that has played at a high level since Steve Wilks stepped in as interim head coach. They are riding a two-game win streak and sit just one game out of the NFC South. This will likely be a tight and ugly football game, but expect the Panthers to pick up the win. Carolina 20, Pittsburgh 13.

Dallas Cowboys (-4.5) over Jacksonville Jaguars

The Cowboys narrowly avoided what would have been the biggest upset of the season by securing a 27-23 win over the Texans that required a fourth quarter comeback. They sit at 10-3 on the year and will now face off against the Jaguars, who have been one of the most inconsistent teams across the NFL this season. Jacksonville sits at 5-8 on the season and are coming off a 36-22 win over the Titans. Trevor Lawrence has taken some strides froward to legitimize himself as the starting quarterback but will have a difficult task against a Dallas defense, which is holding teams to the third-fewest points and trail only the Eagles for most sacks this season. The Cowboys survived their scare last week and should be ready to put forth a much more convincing performance in this one. Dallas 28, Jacksonville 17.

Kansas City Chiefs (-14) over Houston Texans

The Texans surprised everyone last week by carrying a lead into the second half against the Cowboys. It took Dallas outscoring them 10-0 in the fourth quarter to get the win in what was one of Houston’s better performances on the year. The Chiefs did not have an ideal performance in Week 14, as Patrick Mahomes threw three interceptions, which paved the way for the Broncos to score the most points they have all season. Regardless, Kansas City managed to come out on top with a 34-28 victory to move to 10-3. While 14 points is a large spread, and the Texans showed signs of life last week, expect the Chiefs to have a more focused effort and showcase the high-powered offense they possess. Kansas City 42, Houston 17.

Denver Broncos (-3) over Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals received a tough break as Kyler Murray suffered what looked to be a serious injury in the opening drive of their Monday Night matchup. They will now turn to Colt McCoy as the starting quarterback in what will almost certainly be the remainder of the season. Arizona sits at 4-9 and has not taken the strides forward it was hoped this season. Murray’s injury will be further reason why the focus will shift to next year. The team will travel to Denver to face off with the Broncos, who have had even more disastrous of a season. Their 3-10 record puts them at the bottom of the AFC West, and they rank dead last across the NFL in scoring on the season. While the 28 points they tallied against the Chiefs last week are the most that has been seen all year, this can be correlated closer to Kansas City’s turnover issues rather than Denver’s success. However, with McCoy under center, and expectations no longer hanging over everyone’s heads, expect the Broncos to get the win. They are too talented of a team to be playing as poorly as they have, and at least they can have a moral victory by getting the win in this one. Broncos 20, Cardinals 13.

New England Patriots (-1) over Las Vegas Raiders

The Patriots are coming off a strong performance on Monday Night football in which they took down the Cardinals 27-13 to move to 7-6 on the season. Their playoff hopes are still alive,- especially with the Dolphins skidding in the way they have in recent weeks. The Raiders have won three of their last four to move to 5-8 but most recently suffered a heartbreaking 17-16 loss to the Rams. Las Vegas has struggled to score the ball this year, ranking 29th in points scored and 31st in yards on the season. The Patriots injury report will be one to monitor as Rhamondre Stevenson left the previous matchup with an injury and Damien Harris has been in and out of the lineup this season. At their best, the New England offense is based heavily in the run, but they will need bodies for this to occur. Regardless, expect New England’s defense to be the driving force of the win and for the Patriots to continue paving their path to the playoffs. Patriots 17, Raiders 10.

Los Angeles Chargers (-3) over Tennessee Titans

Both teams are sitting at 7-6 and with their eyes on the playoffs but seem to be trending in different directions. Tennessee has now lost three straight games, including the previous two games by a combined margin of 71-32. In contrast, the Chargers are coming off an impressive 23-17 victory over the Dolphins in which they tallied 432 total yards of offense. Injuries are piling up for the Titans, and they have a difficult matchup in this one. Expect Los Angeles to take advantage of Tennessee’s secondary, which ranks 31st in pass defense. If the Chargers can jump out to an early lead, the Titans will have difficulty coming back. Expect this to be the case and for the Chargers offensive firepower to be the difference in this one. Los Angeles 34, Tennessee 20.

Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bengals are among the hottest teams in the NFL and enter this matchup having won their last five games and seven of their last eight. They will now face off with the Buccaneers, who sit at 6-7 and most recently lost 35-7 at the hands of Brock Purdy and the 49ers. Tampa Bay just doesn’t look to have the pieces this year, while Cincinnati is peaking at the right time. This will be the first ever matchup between Tom Brady and Joe Burrow, but the supporting cast will make the biggest difference. The Bengals rank 7th in the NFL in scoring and 5th in yards on the season, while the Patriots rank 18th in points scored and 24th in yards tallied. Take Cincinnati to pick up the win and move to 10-4 on the season. Bengals 27, Buccaneers 13.

Sunday Night: New York Giants (+4.5) to cover vs Washington Commanders

The Giants are set to face off with the Commanders for the second time in three weeks. Hopefully it will be more entertaining than the 20-20 tie that occurred in Week 13. Both teams hold a record of 7-5-1 but remain at the bottom of the NFC East. The postseason is still in play for both teams, so each will equally need a win. The Giants did not put forth an inspiring performance last week as they were handled by the Eagles by a score of 48-22, while the Commanders will be coming off their bye week. The Giants have done some damage in the red zone this season and are scoring a touchdown on 61.5% of their red zone trips. Considering how close the previous matchup was, and the traditional magic that divisional matchups bring, expect this to be a close game and for the Giants to cover. Commanders 24, Giants 20.

Monday Night: Green Bay Packers (-7.5) over Los Angeles Rams

The Rams narrowly avoided their seventh straight loss due to a comeback performance led by Baker Mayfield last week. This type of last-minute heroics not only led the team to a win but may very well have saved Mayfield’s career. The Packers are sitting at 5-8 and have not lived up to their standards but are the healthier and more complete team. The Rams have lost their last four matchups played in Green Bay and failed to cover the spread in each of these. While Mayfield will make the matchup more entertaining than it would have been, he still likely will have a limited playbook to work with. Count on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to put forth a convincing victory and begin to put a positive twist on the ending of the season. Packers 31, Rams 17.

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