There are just two weeks left in the NFL regular season, and there are some big games with playoff implications on this week’s slate. When I looked at the lines for this weekend, I couldn’t help but notice the underdogs. There are a few dogs that will be barking this weekend in the NFL.
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Here are three NFL dogs that will cover the spread this weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans Preview
Best Bet: Bengals +8
The Cincinnati Bengals stunned the football world last week when they took down the Steelers. The Bengals dealt the Steelers their third straight loss.
Cincinnati will be on the road this week in Houston to battle the Texans. Houston has had an extremely disappointing season in 2020.
The team is 4-10 on the year, which puts it in third place in the AFC North. The Texans have been in close games, but they haven’t found a way to consistently win in the second half.
I believe the Bengals will cover because of the momentum they’re riding from last week. The offense didn’t do anything special, but they played mistake-free football.
The Bengals’ defense was phenomenal, and that’s why they were able to upset the Steelers.
The Bengals can’t expect quarterback Ryan Finley to carry the load in Houston on Sunday. They need to utilize the same strategy that they did against Pittsburgh to cover.
The Bengals defense held the Steelers to 244 total yards and only 86 yards rushing. The Bengals offense supported its defense by controlling the time of possession.
If Cincinnati can keep Deshaun Watson on the sidelines, the Bengals will win ATS.
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Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
Best Bet: Steelers +1.5
The Steelers now have their backs against the wall. After three straight losses to Washington, Buffalo, and Cincinnati, Pittsburgh only has a one-game lead in the division.
The Steelers will enter Sunday as a 1.5-point dog. Pittsburgh is 6-1 at home this season, and it is 2-1 as underdogs ATS in 2020.
If the Steelers don’t want to have the slide of the century, they’ll need to win on Sunday. They had the division title with ease, but this is no longer the case with Cleveland sitting at 10-4.
The key to this game will be holding onto the football. The Steelers turned the ball over three times last week in Cincinnati.
You can’t win football games in December when you lose the turnover margin 3-0.
Last week was Pittsburgh’s worst game of the season. I think head coach Mike Tomlin finds a way to rally the troops and pull off a home win on Sunday.
The defense will need to be flawless in the secondary and not give Philip Rivers anything. This will be done with a ruthless pass rush and a strong effort in the back end.
NFL Week 16 Betting Lines
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Best Bet: Patriots +7
Buffalo just took home the AFC East Division championship after its blowout victory over Denver last week. New England has been uncharacteristic all season long.
Some weeks the Patriots show up and play tough football. Other weeks, they look like a high school team amongst professional franchises.
Stephon Gilmore went on injured reserve after a non-contact injury last week. This will hurt the Patriots in the secondary. Gilmore was selected to the Pro Bowl, so he will be missed.
However, I’m not worried about the Patriots on defense, even against Josh Allen. They will need to be tougher against the run this week, but Cam Newton is the key for New England.
Newton will need to take care of the football and not miss open receivers. I think Sony Michel will be big for the Patriots on Monday night, but Newton needs to lead.
The Patriots almost beat the Bills in Buffalo earlier this season. Newton fumbled as the Patriots were driving in for the win.
As dogs, the Patriots are 4-3 ATS. I think they surprise some people on Monday night with Buffalo already having won the AFC East.
Bet on these underdogs at the best price with America’s Bookie.
