NFL Best Bets Week 15: 3 Best NFL Picks & Predictions For Sunday, December 14

Football Sunday is here, and there's a massive slate of games to bet on for NFL week 15! Let's take a look at the best bets.

(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

Sunday will feature several highly-anticipated divisional matchups.  In this article, we will focus on the key 4 p.m. matchups and the Sunday night showdown.

Kicking off at 4:25 p.m. ET, the Green Bay Packers (9-3-1, 4-1-1 away) will face the Denver Broncos (11-2, 6-0 home) on the road. Featuring Jordan Love vs. Bo Nix, the Broncos boast one of the most elite defenses in the NFL—can the Packers break their undefeated win streak at home? 3-2 vs. the Broncos since 2007, the Packers are -120 moneyline favorites on the road! The books are expecting a close matchup, as the Broncos are slim +1.5-point spread underdogs.

Next is the matchup bettors have been waiting for. Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams (10-3, 5-1 home) will host Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions (8-5, 3-3 away) at SoFi Stadium. A battle of two quarterbacks that swapped teams years ago, this is a must-win for the Lions. Just out of playoff contention, Detroit are +205 moneyline underdogs on the road, and have a 5-5 even record against the Rams since 2006.

In a battle of the NFC South, Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers (7-6, 3-4 away) will face the New Orleans Saints (3-10, 1-5 home) on the road.  Slim 2.5-point spread favorites on the road, the Panthers have a small lead in the division after a Buccaneers loss on Thursday. A must-win matchup for Carolina, they are 4-6 against the Saints since 2021.

Sunday Night Football: Vikings or Cowboys?

A do-or-die showdown for the San Francisco 49ers (9-4, 3-2 home), Brock Purdy and company will square off against Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans (2-11, 2-4 away). Eliminated from the NFL playoffs, the Titans are fresh off a surprising victory over Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns. Currently sixth in the NFC, the 49ers will fight to play in the playoff picture, and head into Sunday's matchup as 12.5-point spread favorites.

In the Emerald City, the Seattle Seahawks (10-3, 4-2 home) will host Phillip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts (8-5, 2-4 away). 44-year-old Rivers came out of retirement and is set to start in place of Daniel Jones' injury. Once leaders of the AFC, the Colts remain outside in the playoff bubble, and are +13.5-point spread underdogs on the road! Can Phillips lead in his first game back against an elite Seahawks defense?

Last, the Minnesota Vikings (5-8, 3-4 away) will face Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1, 4-1-1 home) in the Lone Star State. At 6-6, the Cowboys are fighting to stay alive and trail the Eagles in the NFC East. This is a must-win situation for the Cowboys, who are favored by 5.5 points on Sunday night.

In this article, we will look at the Week 15 schedule and the FanDuel betting odds. Let's take a further look at my three best bets, player prop picks, and predictions for the Sunday, Dec. 14 NFL Week 15 matchups! Featuring Matthew Stafford, Javonte Williams, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, I've placed all of my bets within FanDuel Sportsbook.

Week 15 NFL Schedule and FanDuel Odds for December 14 (4 PM + 8 PM Matchups)

Week 15 Best Bets #1: Matthew Stafford (Rams)

• OVER 281.5 Passing Yards (-112 FanDuel)

There's no world I'm not betting on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to light up his former team, the Detroit Lions.

The over/under total is projected for 54.5 points, meaning this game has shoot-out potential, especially in Southern California.

281.5 seems steep; however, we have to look at how well Stafford is performing. The front-runner for NFL MVP, do I really think Stafford and the Rams will run the ball down the Lions' throat? Especially with Kyren Williams' reduced role ahead of the playoffs?

Davante Adams should suit up following a hamstring injury, and Stafford has two of the hottest receivers currently with Adams and Puka Nacua. We are talking about a quarterback who is fresh off 281 passing yards against the Cardinals, and has tallied 270+ passing yards in three of the last five games.

Stafford is a massive reason why the Rams remain an offensive powerhouse, and they rank No.1 in offensive DVOA. And there's one thing to know about this bet: Stafford loves to cook against his former team.

Over the last three head-to-head matchups against Detroit, he's soared over 300+ passing yards, averaging 339.3 passing yards over the last three meetings. As mentioned previously, Detroit is in danger of missing the playoffs, and the secondary is banged up.

We know the Lions allow the fourth-most passing touchdowns to quarterbacks, and allow the ninth-most passing yards to them as well. Over the last three weeks, bettors have seen Dak Prescott (376 passing yards) and Jameis Winston (366 yards) soar well over this player prop. For me, that's all I need to know.

Final NFL Week 15 Best Bet & Prediction: Matthew Stafford OVER 281.5 Passing Yards (-112 FanDuel)

Stafford has been stellar this season, ranking in the top five in EPA/play (93.5), success percentage (50 %), passing yards (3354), and leads the NFL in passing touchdowns (35). If anyone is going to throw inside their home stadium today, it's Stafford.

• I'm taking Matthew Stafford to record over 281.5 passing yards on Sunday afternoon. This year, he's averaging just north of 282 passing yards at home.

Week 15 Best Bets #2: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks)

• OVER 29.5 Longest Reception (-110 FanDuel)

As my second-best bet for the Sunday afternoon games, I placed one unit on Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to record a longest reception over 29.5 yards.

The overwhelming favorite for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba has emerged as the best receiver in the NFL.  Breaking records left and right, he leads the league with 1,428 receiving yards and has become the clear workhorse and No.1 target for Sam Darnold in the Emerald City.

Not only is Sauce Garner out for Indianapolis, but the Colts also allow the second-most receiving yards to receivers this season.  Now, Smith-Njigba gets a prime matchup, especially since he's averaging a longest reception of 39.3 yards this season.

29.5 isn't an unreasonable line since his longest reception line has been a bit volatile at times. We've already seen JSN haul in a 43, 63, and 30 longest receptions against the Cardinals, Titans, and Falcons.

Final NFL Week 15 Best Bet & Prediction: Jaxson Smith-Njigba OVER 29.5 Longest Reception (-110 FanDuel)

A down-the-field threat, Smith-Njigba has cleared over this player prop line in nine games alone this season! Not to mention, he's targeted nearly 33 % on routes, and hauling in 36 % of team targets! Plus, he's averaging 110.7 air yards per game.

• Top five in YAC (389), I'm taking Jaxon Smith-Njigba to record the longest reception of 30+ yards against a shaky Colts defense. I love this prop, given Brian Thomas Jr. (39), Rashee Rice (47), and Drake London (30) soared well over this line. 

Week 15 Best Bets #3: Javonte Williams (Cowboys)

• OVER 69.5 Rushing Yards (-112 FanDuel)

If there's anyone I'm betting on tonight, it's Cowboys running back Javonte Williams to record over 69.5 rushing yards against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings are all but out of playoff contention, but have surprisingly been decent on the defensive side of the ball (No. 11 defensive DVOA).

While things didn't quite work out in Denver, Williams has been a key part of the offense post-Ezekiel Elliott era. Ranking top seven in rushing yards (1,022), rushing touchdowns (9), and yards after contact (726).

Why Javonte Williams Can Have a massive performance against the Vikings

Now he gets a chance in a must-win matchup against the Vikings, who allow the sixth-most rush yards to running backs. If anything, Williams has been durable and consistent, two factors I look for when making a bet. Soaring over this prop line in three of the last five games, Williams rushed for 70+ yards in eight games alone this season!

I'm not worried about volume, given Williams is the clear workhorse back for Dallas, and played 79 % of snaps last week. In fact, he leads all Cowboys running backs in snaps by a mile.

We've seen Emmanuel Wilson rush for 107 yards, D'Andre Swift for 90, and Derrick Henry for 75. Furthermore, three backs have rushed for 100+ yards against the Vikings.

Final NFL Week 15 Best Bet & Prediction: Javonte Williams OVER 69.5 Rush Yards (-112 FanDuel)

Overall, this is a middle-of-the-road Vikings defense that can be shaky against the run, and I'm expecting a fair amount of carries for Williams here. Recording back-to-back 17 carries, Williams exploded for 93 and 87 yards over the last few weeks against the Raiders and Eagles.

• Now in his fifth NFL season, Williams has notched a career-high in rushing yards and yards per carry (4.8). I'm taking him against a Minnesota team that gives up over 126 rushing yards per game. A fantasy football machine, I'm taking Javonte Williams to record over 69.5 rushing yards.