Saturday brings us two NFL games with potential playoff implications for all four of the teams involved. The Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Chargers will all be desperate for a win in Week 16, but which two teams will come out on top?
Our NFL betting experts give their Saturday Week 16 predictions and picks against the spread for these two important matchups.
NFL Week 16 Predictions (Saturday Games): Can the Bengals and Bills Make Playoff Statements?
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Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Predictions
- Spread
Bengals -3 - Moneyline
Bengals -155, Steelers +135 - Total
38.5
Ben Rolfe: The Bengals made tough work of the Minnesota Vikings last week, and we know the Steelers’ defense can give opposing teams problems. But without most of their first-choice or backup safeties, that could change.
I believe the Bengals eventually win out because backup QB Jake Browning has shown more in his short career than Pittsburgh QB Mason Rudolph has at any point in his. I don’t love laying the points with Browning, so I took the Bengals’ ML at -130 earlier this week.
If -150 is beyond the point you want to do that, then Cincinnati -3 would be my pick. But I would hold on in the hope it can get back to -2.5.
The other option would be to take the total from 38.5 to 44.5 and include it in a six-point teaser with another game this weekend.
Pick: Bengals ML or Bengals ATS up to a maximum of -3
David Bearman: This line is a bit confusing to me. Yes, the Steelers won the first matchup two weeks ago, 16-10. But that was also the last win Pittsburgh has had — losing the last three.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
They’re not playing good football right now, while the Bengals, even with Browning, have won three straight to get back into the playoff picture. I see no reason why the Steelers will all of a sudden figure it out. They weren’t playing good football even when they were winning.
Pick: Bengals -2.5
Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers Predictions
- Spread
Bills -12.5 - Moneyline
Bills -800, Chargers +550 - Total
43.5
Rolfe: This game would cause me all sorts of angst if I was a Bills fan. From their perspective, this screams a let-down game after two huge wins back-to-back.
Then you add on top of the Chargers firing their head coach and the potential on-the-field boost that sometimes brings, and it just becomes a huge upset spot. That isn’t even considering the extra days of rest that Los Angeles has had coming off Thursday Night Football.
I was not comfortable laying 10.5 points earlier this week, so I’m certainly not comfortable laying 12.5. My advice on Thursday was to tease it down to 4.5 and take the total down below 40 to play the over. But at 12.5, I don’t love that either.
A part of me really wants to take the chaos scenario of the Chargers winning at +550, but they just lost by 42 points to the Las Vegas Raiders.
This is a game where I’m more likely to look at player props and anytime touchdown plays than anything else. If you really want some action on the spread and/or total, then the Bills -6.5 and over 37.5 teaser is as good as I can get here.
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