NFL Betting: Week 15 Recap and Wagering News

Week 15 is in the books and the highlight of the week will surely be the Dallas Cowboys epic collapse but they weren’t the only ones blowing a quality opportunity to improve their playoff chances.

Favorites Missed Opportunities

The theme of Week 15 is likely to be about a number of favorites missing opportunities.

Starting on Thursday night, the Denver Broncos had a chance to protect their No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. They were a 10-point favorite on the NFL betting odds but played what was arguably their worst game of the year and lost at home to San Diego. The loss meant New England had a chance to seize the top spot in the conference and even though they were favored in Miami, they fell just short with a 24-20 loss. With that loss, it meant the Cincinnati Bengals could overtake the Patriots for the No. 2 seed in the conference but they were destroyed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While the jockeying for positions in the AFC left much to be desired for those betting the favorites, so was the play of the two teams trying to win the NFC East.

Laying the points with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles was among many people’s NFL betting tips this week as both teams were in favorable situations. The Eagles were a 7-point favorite in Minnesota this week as the Vikings were without running back Adrian Peterson, backup Toby Gerhart and quarterback Christian Ponder. On top of that, the Vikings were just 3-9-1 entering the day and had nothing to play for while the Eagles needed the win to protect first place in the NFC East. As for the Cowboys, they were facing the Green Bay Packers, who were forced to use Matt Flynn as their starting quarterback with Aaron Rodgers still out. The Packers entered the game having won just once in their last six games and holding a road record of 2-4.

Regardless, those who bet on the NFL saw the Eagles get absolutely flattened 48-30. They were never even close to covering the touchdown spread. As for Dallas, they suffered one of the worst collapses in franchise history and blew a game that most people turned off at halftime when the Cowboys had a 26-3 lead.

It’s a stark reminder that “must win” doesn’t always mean “will win”. Some of these teams will look back on Week 15 and regret their performances.

Totals Betting: Over We Go…Again

Those betting on the NFL totals saw another prolific day for the overs as the Sunday games cashed in at a 9-4 clip heading into the Sunday nighter. Overs continue to be a very profitable bet this season and hopefully you’ve been cashing in.

Significant Injuries to Note

Victor Cruz, New York Giants

NFL football betting cappers can’t imagine the Giants season getting much worse but seeing Cruz getting helped off the field won’t help. The early reports are that he suffered a concussion and a knee sprain.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

It’s been a while since the Cardinals were playing meaningful football in December and they can’t afford to play for very long without Fitzgerald. He left Sunday’s game with a concussion and will now go through the standard protocol before he can get back on the field.

Stinging NFL Point Spread Loss of the Week…

The Dallas Cowboys. They were playing at home in dire need of a win to stay in the playoff race. NFL online betting handicappers saw them climb out to a 26-3 halftime lead over the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers, so surely they’d be able to cover the 6-point spread, right? They were dominating in every facet of the game. Instead, the Cowboys experienced the ultimate collapse and Green Bay registered their biggest comeback in franchise history with a 37-36 win. If you had the Cowboys in your NFL betting picks this week, no amount of Pepto Bismol will get that sick feeling out of your stomach.