NFL Week 16 schedule: 5 best bets on favorites

With the NFL Week 16 schedule rolling along, these five favorites are excellent plays to both win and cover their spreads.

5. Dallas Cowboys (-10) vs. Washington Football Team

The Cowboys are big favorites, but Washington is dealing with a litany of COVID cases and had to play last Tuesday, on the road in Philadelphia. Having to take on Dallas with only a few days rest and a bunch of key players still out is a recipe for being blown out. Washington is 6-8 and only a game out of the NFC playoff picture, but this feels like a major task, especially with the Cowboys trying to wrap up the division.

4. Seattle Seahawks (-6.5) vs. Chicago Bears

The Seahawks are playing on a short week, but so are the Bears. Additionally, Chicago is without quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Justin Fields this Sunday, which means we’ll see veteran Nick Foles making his first start of the campaign. While Foles is one of the best third-string quarterbacks in recent memory, he’s still nowhere near the level of Russell Wilson. Both teams are hopelessly out of the playoff chase, but Seattle should win comfortably.

3. Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) at Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota had a chance in this game, but losing Dalvin Cook to the COVID list might spell the end of its dreams on Sunday afternoon. The Rams are also fighting for plenty, trying to win the NFC West as they picked up two games in as many weeks on try struggling Arizona Cardinals. For Los Angeles, this is about getting pressure on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and forcing him into a mistake or two.

2. Atlanta Falcons (-6.5) vs. Detroit Lions

The Falcons weren’t initially going to be on this list, but with word coming down that Detroit won’t have quarterback Jared Goff as he continues to deal with COVID protocols, the decision became obvious to take Atlanta. The Falcons aren’t a good football team, but they’re much healthier than Detroit and at home. While needing to win by seven points isn’t easy, it should happen for the Falcons this weekend.

1. Green Bay Packers (-7.5) vs. Cleveland Browns

Nobody has played better since Week 1 than the Packers, and they get a struggling Browns team coming to Lambeau Field — on short rest — come Christmas afternoon. It seems likely Aaron Rodgers will continue to bolster his MVP credentials, throwing consistently to Davante Adams and the running backs in a convincing win for the home squad.