Jump to a matchupMiami Dolphins (6–7) at Houston Texans (8–5)Buffalo Bills (10–3) at Detroit Lions (11–2)Pittsburgh Steelers (10–3) at Philadelphia Eagles (11–2)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7–6) at Los Angeles Chargers (8–5)Green Bay Packers (9–4) at Seattle Seahawks (8–5)
This could be a week to remember if the handful of intriguing games in Week 15 deliver.
But no game will be bigger than the potential Super Bowl preview between the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills. Both teams need this game to secure the top seed in their respective conferences. The Lions are only one game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles. The Bills are two games behind the Kansas City Chiefs, but they control the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are also in the mix for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but they’re going to need an upset in Philadelphia to stay within striking distance of the Chiefs. The Steelers could be without dynamic wide receiver George Pickens because of a lingering hamstring injury. But the Eagles have their own issues, with the highly publicized rift between Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown.
The matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks could provide us with an early postseason preview. The Seahawks, the leaders in the NFC West, and Packers, the NFC’s sixth seed, are currently slated to face each other in a wild-card matchup with four games left in the regular season.
We’ll also keep a close eye on the matchups between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers, and the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. Here’s everything you need to know about the five best games of the week, including Gilberto Manzano’s key matchups, Matt Verderame’s key stats, Michael Fabiano’s fantasy football advice, Iain MacMillan’s best bets and Conor Orr’s prediction for each game.
Start ’em/Sit ’em | NFL Betting Picks | Staff Picks
SUNDAYMiami Dolphins (6–7) at Houston Texans (8–5)
When/TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Spread: Texans -2.5 (over/under: 46.5)
Matchup to watch: Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith vs. Texans’ LBs. Miami has added versatility to its offense with the emergence of Smith, who recorded the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the New York Jets last week. Smith could have another prolific performance Sunday against a thin group of linebackers without the suspended Azeez Al-Shaair. Linebacker Devin White, the former standout of the Buccaneers, could be asked to play more snaps this week. Smith has 61 catches for 692 yards and five touchdowns this season. —
Key stat: The Texans have allowed 42 sacks this season, sixth-most in the NFL. However, only the Atlanta Falcons have fewer sacks than the Dolphins’ 24. Whoever wins this battle will likely win the game. —
Start ’em/sit ’em: C.J. Stroud has been one of the biggest fantasy duds of the season, failing to score more than 16 points in seven consecutive games. Heck, he had just 14.4 points against a bad Jacksonville Jaguars defense before the bye. Next up is a bad matchup on paper against the Dolphins, whose defense has surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. —
Best bet: Dolphins +130. There are a lot of red flags surrounding the Texans heading into Week 15. Their offense has been downright bad this season, ranking 22nd in EPA per play and 30th in success rate. Now, they host a Dolphins offense that is far superior and will be making one final push toward a potential postseason berth. This game isn’t outdoors in a cold climate, so we can feel comfortable taking a shot on the Dolphins to pull the upset. —
SI’s pick:I like the Dolphins. I suppose the Texans could have fixed what ails them during the bye but Miami is a classic end-of-season powder keg playing the best football I’ve seen them exhibit all year. The momentum of this team in overtime against the Jets last week was contagious. —
