Eagles (9-4) @ Giants (9-4), 1:00PM ET
This game right here, is what the NFL is about. While the participants in the NFC West continue to play, “Who sucks less?” a legitimate grudge match will take place at the New Meadowlands this Sunday. The Eagles seemingly hold an advantage because they weren’t the ones who had to stay in an airport for two days only to have their game moved to an entirely different city on Monday night. But that won’t be an excuse for the Giants. This is the NFC East and these are the Philadelphia Eagles – a team the Giants should be more than familiar with by now. It’s gut-check time for Eli Manning, who leads the league in interceptions with 19. With how good the Giants’ defense and running game has been of late, there are excuses for Eli starting this weekend. He must play better. On the other side, what is Andy Reid doing to ensure that Michael Vick doesn’t take a pounding courtesy of the Giants’ nasty front seven? You know they’ll be coming after him. Buckle your chinstraps – we’ve got a war in the NFC East this Sunday.
CURRENT ODDS: GIANTS –2.5
Jaguars (8-5) @ Colts (7-6), 1:00PM ET
It doesn’t get any easier for the Colts: If they lose this Sunday, they’re out of the playoffs. If they win their remaining three games, they’re in. See? Easy. The Jaguars currently own a one-game lead over the Colts in the AFC South and have already beaten Indy once this season (a wild 31-28 nail biter in Week 4). A win this weekend would mean an unexpected AFC South crown but that won’t be easy. Peyton Manning threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions last week in a win over the Titans. Prior to that game, he had thrown 11 interceptions in a three-game span but by the looks of things last week, he’s starting to figure things out. With the Jaguars’ currently sitting at 28th in the league in passing yards allowed (258.3), you know Manning will go after the Jacksonville secondary early and often. On the other side, can the Colts’ soft defense slow Maurice Jones-Drew?
CURRENT ODDS: COLTS –4.5
Saints (10-3) @ Ravens (9-4), 1:00PM ET
John Harbaugh can’t feel too great about the way the Ravens’ won in Houston on Monday night. His team had a 28-7 lead early in the third quarter and then went into a coma before waking up in overtime. With Drew Brees and a red-hot Saints team coming to town, now isn’t the time for the vaunted Baltimore defense to be giving up scoring drives of 90-plus yards. If Harbaugh can’t figure out where the leaks are coming from, Brees and Sean Payton will pick them apart. The Ravens can ill-afford to suffer another loss in a tight AFC playoff race and if they have any hope of winning the AFC North, then they can’t lose this weekend. The Steelers will likely get a free win against the hapless Jets and Pittsburgh owns a one-game lead and the tiebreaker based on winning percentage in the division. Time to see what Harbaugh’s squad is made of.
CURRENT ODDS: RAVENS –1
Packers (8-5) @ Patriots (11-2), 8:20PM ET
The Packers dug themselves a hole by losing to the Lions last weekend in Detroit and could be without Aaron Rodgers (concussion) this Sunday night in New England. Matt Flynn can’t beat the Patriots on his own and Tom Brady and Co. look like an unstoppable force. The odds are definitely stacked against Green Bay, which is why they need to hope the Bears lose to the Vikings on Monday night. Even if Chicago wins though, the Packers’ playoff hopes would still be alive (however slim). If the Lions can beat the Bucs (one of the teams the Packers are battling with for a Wild Card spot) earlier in the day, maybe it’ll inspire Flynn to turn in the performance of a lifetime. That seems highly unlikely at this point but hey, crazier things have happened.
NFL Week 15 Odds:
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