Survivor pools still have a good amount of contestants left due to the lack of big upsets this season. I keep waiting and waiting for a heavy favorite to go down, but it's not happening.

Just like last week I will be picking all 16 games, in descending order of picks I would make. Also note, most of the games this week will be played on SATURDAY and NOT Sunday due to Christmas. The Steelers will play the Ravens and Chiefs will host the Broncos on Christmas Sunday. The rest of the games are on Saturday.

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Survivor Picks - Rankings for Week 16

Patriots -16.5 vs. Jets

I thought the last time the Jets were this large of an underdog was Super Bowl III when the Colts were 18-point favorites over the Jets, but upon closer inspection that's not true. In 2007, the Jets were 20.5 point underdogs to the Patriots in Foxborough. That was the year the Patriots went 18-1. This is also the largest point spread in three years.

 

Packers -7 vs. Vikings

These teams are going in opposite directions. The Packers have won four in a row and control their own destiny, while the Vikings, who once were the darlings of the league at 5-0, are now 7-7 and have the slimmest of chances at making the playoffs. I think the Vikings defense will play well after getting embarrassed last week, but unless they hold Aaron Rodgers and company to 10 points, the game is lost. The Vikings offense is incapable of playing like a regular offense and will not be able to score enough to keep pace.

 

Titans -4.5 @ Jaguars

How are the Titans not favorites by a touchdown in this one? The Titans are 8-6 and control their own destiny. They went to freezing cold Kansas City and trailed 14-0 in the first quarter. They could have rolled over and thrown their gameplan away, but instead stuck to their philosophy and won. They ran for 148 yards and averaged five yards per rush.

They are playing the Jaguars who just fired head coach Gus Bradley and have nothing to play for. Furthermore, they continually find ways to blow games in the fourth quarters. It should come as no surprise that the Jags allowed Tom Savage to mount a comeback Sunday. This is why the line makes no sense.

 

Redskins -3.5 @ Bears

The Redskins are 1-16 on Monday Night Football after their debacle against the Panthers. This is a must-win game for Washington and they will beat the Bears. Chicago gave it their all on Sunday against rival Green Bay falling just short. I don't think the Bears will wake up for this game.

 

Bills -4 vs. Dolphins

Both quarterbacks on the Dolphins don't seem to like the cold too much. Matt Moore is from California and Ryan Tannehill is from Texas. We saw how the entire Miami team rolled over in the cold in Baltimore two weeks ago losing 38-6. It was cold this past Saturday night in New York, but the Jets aren't a professional football team. Buffalo is a different kind of cold and the Bills defense will pounce on whoever is the quarterback for the Dolphins Sunday.

The Bills will beat the Dolphins at home for the fifth year in a row, prolonging Rex Ryan's firing for one more week.

 

Raiders -4 vs. Colts

This is a really tricky game. The Raiders control their own destiny for a bye, while the Colts need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. This line is a bit too low, partly because of short-term bias. The public saw the Colts destroy the Vikings on Sunday and the Raiders squeak out a win. If you don't recall, two weeks ago the Colts lost to the then Brock Osweiler-led Texans at home. I don't know what to make of this Colts team. If not for Andrew Luck, the Colts would be 2-12. The Colts' offensive line isn't good and I have no idea how they're going to block Khalil Mack, who pressured Phillip Rivers eight times on Sunday, or Bruce Irvin, five sacks in the last five games.

The Raiders secondary scares me, ranking just 27th against the pass, but I think their offense, sixth in passing and rushing, will score enough points against Indy's weak defense. The Colts are ranked just 28th this year against the pass. The difference in this game will come down to takeaways. The Raiders are number one in turnover differential, +15, and the Colts are 21st, -2.

Vegas pegged the over/under at 53, so expect a shootout. Derek Carr will lead his team to a win in a high-scoring affair, while the Colts make one too many mistakes.

 

Seahawks -9 vs. Cardinals

Everyone loves saying how Seattle is dominant at home, but the Cardinals never received that memo. They have won two of the past three in Seattle, but will be unable to win Sunday. The Cardinals' season is over and they will play like it's over this Saturday.

 

Cowboys -7 vs. Lions

The Cowboys will win this game. Their offense can score a lot of points and control the game, while Matt Stafford struggles to score if it's not in the last two minutes of either half.

 

Chiefs -4.5 vs. Broncos

The Broncos team seems to be divided between the offense and defense. Their season has fallen apart and I don't see the Chiefs losing two in a row at home. Their defense will stifle the Broncos' lackluster offense and Alex Smith won't make the mistakes he made against the Titans.

 

Falcons -4 @ Panthers

Wouldn't it be so classic for the Falcons to lose on Sunday, thus blowing their playoff chances?

 

Saints -3 vs. Bucs

I had to do a double take on this line. Either the Bucs aren't as good as their record is, or the Saints are actually a good team with a bad record. I can't imagine the Superdome having an effect on the spread because the Saints are 3-4 at home this year. I'm not sure which Bucs team shows up, the one that trailed 17-6 at halftime against the Cowboys or the team that clawed its way back in the second half. Either way, this game has too many question marks for me.

 

Steelers -5 vs. Ravens

This game will be a brutal bloodbath for the division crown. Watch this one as a fan.

 

Giants -3 @ Eagles 

This line seems a little strange. The Giants have won eight of their last nine and are only three-point road favorites to a team that lost five in a row and seven of their last nine. How does that line make any sense?

The Giants average 19 points per game while the Eagles average three more. Let's also not forget this, in their last eight wins, the incredible Giants defense has beaten Joe Flacco, Case Keenum, Carson Wentz, Andy Dalton (primetime version), Jay Cutler, Josh McCown, Dak Prescott, and an injured Matt Stafford. When you break that down it's not so impressive. With Vegas making this line a point or two too short I'd stay away.

 

Texans -2 vs. Bengals

There's nothing I want to say regarding this awful, awful matchup. If you bet this game or choose one of these teams in survivor, have fun watching Andy Dalton battle Tom Savage on Christmas Eve.

 

Rams -4 vs. 49ers

I love how Vegas is giving the Rams an extra point in this game. If you have no other viable options in your survivor pool and need to pick this game, flip a coin.

 

Chargers -6.5 @ Browns

This is finally the week the Browns win a game. I know I say that every week, but this feels different. The Chargers gave it their all on Sunday, barely losing to the Raiders. Who knows if the Chargers will even care to play in this game? They're a warm weather team traveling east for a 1 pm Eastern game in the brutal cold. The Browns do not want to go winless, and I expect them to give it their all on Sunday. This is the last chance for the Browns to win a game, next week they play in Pittsburgh, and the players will know this. If the Browns lose on Saturday, then 0-16 is a guarantee.