NFL betting, odds: First look at Week 15 lines, including the Patriots as an underdog
The New England Patriots are being praised as perhaps the NFL's best team after a seven-game winning streak.
Yet, they're not even favored to win this week at a 7-6 Indianapolis Colts team. Seeing the Patriots as an underdog at the Colts is a surprise, though the Colts are probably better than their record. They're a well-coached team that is good on both sides of the ball, like the Patriots.
Here's a first look at the Week 15 lines in the NFL, with the spreads from BetMGM:
Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5) at Los Angeles Chargers
Week 15 starts Thursday with a game that is huge in the AFC West. The 8-5 Chargers won the first meeting and can clinch the tiebreaker over the 9-4 Chiefs. A Chiefs win probably puts a division title out of reach for the Chargers. The line was Chiefs -3 on Sunday night and moved toward them.
Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns (-6.5)
The Raiders decided to get hyped up on the Chiefs' midfield logo, then got blasted 48-9. Not great. The Browns got a big win, hanging on against the Ravens.
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts (-2)
This is the second of two Saturday games, and it might be one of the more surprising lines of the season. This line will be debated all week. It has even moved toward the Colts from the opener of -1.5 on Sunday night.
Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills (-11.5)
The Panthers are falling apart. Cam Newton was benched yet again in Sunday's loss. The Bills lost too, but that was an overtime loss at Tampa Bay. The Bills need to start winning if they want to make the playoffs.
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-8.5)
The Dolphins were hot going into their bye. Normally you'd be worried about losing some momentum, but the Jets shouldn't cause much of a problem.
Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles (-4)
It's a little surprising this line is above a field goal, but Washington has injury questions with quarterback Taylor Heinicke and receiver Terry McLaurin. The Eagles are coming off a bye and presumably quarterback Jalen Hurts will be ready. He missed Philadelphia's game before the bye with an ankle injury.
Arizona Cardinals (-13.5) at Detroit Lions
The Cardinals play on Monday night. They're in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and should roll against a Lions team that was severely shorthanded in a loss to the Broncos.
Dallas Cowboys (-10.5) at New York Giants
The Cowboys looked good for most of their win over Washington, and they have a tight grip on first place in the NFC East. The Giants won't know if Daniel Jones will play despite a neck injury, but it seems more likely he'll be shut down soon.
Tennessee Titans (-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Titans got an easy win over a bad Jaguars team. They're still offensively challenged, but the good news is the Steelers defense has struggled a bit lately.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)
The same Jaguars team that lost 20-0 at Tennessee on Sunday, is as poorly coached as any in recent NFL history and has seemingly lost any of the fight it had is favored by a field goal. How bad are the Texans?
Green Bay Packers (-6.5) at Baltimore Ravens
The Packers kept rolling with a win over the Bears on Sunday night. We'll see if Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who left last week's game with an ankle/foot injury, can play.
Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos (-1.5)
This is an interesting game in the AFC wild-card race. The Bengals have been the better team but they're maddeningly inconsistent. They're coming off an overtime loss to San Francisco while the Broncos cruised by the Lions.
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers (-7.5)
The 49ers suddenly look pretty good in the NFC wild-card race, after beating the Bengals in overtime. The Falcons beat the Panthers on Sunday, whatever that's worth these days.
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams (-7)
Russell Wilson has looked better lately, and so do the Seahawks. It's still a tough test going on the road to face the Rams, who play at Arizona on Monday night.
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-11.5)
The Saints won the first meeting somehow. That was the game in which Jameis Winston tore his ACL, and that started a losing streak for the Saints. New Orleans snapped that losing streak by beating the Jets, though a win over the Jets isn't too impressive.
Minnesota Vikings (-4.5) at Chicago Bears
The Vikings are still alive in the playoff race and need to keep winning in this Monday night matchup against the Bears, who hit some big plays against the Packers and still lost by 15.
