NFL Week 16 early picks: Back Panthers and Patriots, fade Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes
CBS Sports NFL expert Will Brinson breaks down all the bets to jump on early for Week 16 of the NFL season

Week 15 brought carnage for a couple of would-be Super Bowl hopefuls and plenty of jockeying for playoff position. We're set up for an absolutely bonkers close to the season and incredible playoff run. This could be one of the weirdest NFL postseasons we've ever had, but for now let's focus on who cares the most about winning in Week 16, where there will be more insanity.
I wouldn't rule out the Colts making a run, wouldn't want to touch that Lions vs. Steelers spread at the moment and don't know what to do with a host of very ugly NFL games involving teams that don't have anything to play for on Sunday.
There's plenty more NFL betting chaos to come this week and through the rest of the season. Let's dive into some early Week 16 plays.
Bet it now: Titans +3.5 vs. Chiefs
We're fading the Chiefs two weeks in a row. This one is a little dicey because the Titans are, um, not good. But the were Chiefs just eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in the loss to the Chargers last week.
It wouldn't be surprising if Andy Reid kind of laid down for the rest of the regular season, primarily in an attempt to avoid injury to anyone who might be really important for next year.
This could be dead wrong and the Chiefs could come out and show they intend to play to the buzzer, but if that happens, I bet it does with a tighter spread at kickoff.
Bet it now: Panthers +3 vs. Buccaneers
The Panthers are the ultimate roller coaster. After losing to the Saints (again!) they head home to play the Buccaneers for a game that will help determine the NFC South.
Maybe Tampa Bay is the better team, but I'm willing to lean into the weekly variance of Carolina, because the Panthers love nothing more than to lay a complete egg as a favorite and then come right back and win a game as underdogs.
Ultimately it looks like this will come down to Panthers vs. Bucs in Week 18, so I'll happily take Carolina to bounce back at home against a Tampa Bay secondary that has been carved up lately, especially with a clearly injured Baker Mayfield on the other side behind a banged-up offensive line.
Bet it now: Texans -14.5 vs. Raiders
This is a monster spread to be throwing out for an early bets column, but the Texans are about to put the Raiders into a blender. The Cardinals scored against Houston but still lost by 20 points.
The Las Vegas offense, especially if Kenny Pickett is starting, isn't nearly as good. Even if Geno Smith plays, I still like the Texans here. They're playing for a postseason berth and will be putting pressure on a bad offense.
Brock Bowers probably gets his, but the Texans will be smothering this offense all day long. The Raiders' team total is a measly 11.5! Houston is better on offense than it was earlier in the year and the Raiders are ... not.
Bet it now: Patriots +3 at Ravens
This is a bit of an early-week principle play, because I'm not sure the Patriots should be 3-point underdogs to anyone. Drake Maye was largely awesome against the Bills in Week 15, but Josh Allen just took over.
Obviously, Lamar Jackson can do the same, but I didn't think the Ravens looked exceptional against Cincinnati -- the Bengals just looked awful on offense.
The Patriots can slow down what the Ravens want to do and keep this close. They should not be 3-point dogs.
















