The week 15 slate is filled with good matchups as we get into the thick of postseason positioning and divisional races. The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers play for the state championship, while the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions matchup is a potential Super Bowl preview and many more good matchups.
Here are three underdogs to consider in our week 15 NFL predictions.
Underdogs to Consider for NFL Sunday
Buffalo Bills (Buffalo at Detroit -2.5)
The Bills being an underdog on the road against the Lions isn’t surprising, with the Lions currently being the top seed in the NFC. Buffalo just came off a shootout 44-42 road loss against the LA Rams in which Josh Allen accounted for six total touchdowns.
The Super Bowl contending Bills are still vying for the top seed in the AFC, and a loss to the Lions would put them three games behind the Chiefs. Allen is the best quarterback in this matchup and is the current betting favorite for the 2024 MVP. In their last 25 games against the NFC, the Bills are 20-5 and have yet to lose back-to-back games this season.
Buffalo could find success attacking a Lions defense through the air, which ranks 23rd in passing defense. Also, Detroit has been decimated by injuries on the defensive side, resulting in a combined six points in their last two wins. Detroit is in the midst of an 11-game winning streak, and though it won’t be easy, Buffalo is more than capable of leaving Detroit Sunday with a win.
Seattle Seahawks (Seattle vs Green Bay -2.5)
The Seattle Seahawks will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football and are 2.5-point underdogs for the game. Seattle comes into the game as the hottest team between the two, as they are in the midst of a four-game winning streak while the Packers are coming off of a loss to the Lions.
With Seattle being 8-5 and GB being 9-4, this game will undoubtedly have major playoff implications. Currently, Seattle is the current leader of the NFC West, while the Packers own the sixth seed. A win for Seattle keeps them at the division’s top spot and will give them the tiebreaker over Green Bay if Seattle ultimately makes the playoffs as a wild card and not as a division leader.
In the last five weeks, the Seahawks have the number one pass defense; they’ve allowed 15.5 points per game and have forced five interceptions. It has been a struggle for opposing offenses to get going against the Seahawks, and that defense is more than capable of being the key reason Seattle could win a home win over the Packers.
Pittsburgh Steelers (Pittsburgh at Philadelphia -5.0)
The Steelers will travel to Philadelphia to play for the Pennsylvania’s “state championship” on Sunday as a 5.5-point underdog. Pittsburgh will always be dangerous as an underdog because Mike Tomlin is one of the best coaches in NFL history as an underdog.
Just this season, Mike Tomlin is 5-0 straight up as an underdog and against the spread and has won seven straight games outright as an underdog. In his career, he is 64-35-4 against the spread. Simply put, anytime the Steelers are an underdog, it brings out the best in Tomlin. The Steelers are 6-2 in their last eight games, while the Eagles are riding a nine-game win streak. The vibes around the Eagles aren’t looking good.
Earlier in the week, the Eagles drama between its quarterback and star wide receiver, even though the team made clear there were no issues that could play into the Steeler’s hands on Sunday.
The Eagles present a tough matchup for the Steelers with a mobile quarterback and big-time running game; however, the Steelers have already faced similar opposition in the Baltimore Ravens, who present the same things.
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