NFL Betting Predictions: Week 15 Opening Line Report and Picks

by Jason Radowitz - 12/14/2020

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce

On Sunday, the Eagles started Jalen Hurts over Carson Wentz. It was a move that had to be done. The Eagles needed some kind of spark for their offense after having just three wins going into Week 14.

The Eagles might have their quarterback. Hurts committed to Alabama and started there until Tua Tagovailoa took over. Then he moved onto Oklahoma, where he was a Heisman finalist. He’s had doubters throughout his career, but the Eagles gave him a chance when they drafted him 53rd overall.

Most said that was too high. Some were extremely shocked. But it was no secret that Hurts had the “it factor”.

Against a solid defense like the Saints, Hurts became the first player to throw for 150 yards and rush for 100 yards in his first rookie start.

Hurts is a natural leader and showed plenty of confidence when his name was called.

Hurts has now been named the starter for next week’s game. Many question what’s next for Carson Wentz, who has been sacked the most in the NFL this season along with the most thrown interceptions.

Hurts, like most quarterbacks in the NFL, gave the Eagles speed. They ran much more designed quarterback run concepts, allowing Hurts to escape pressure and gain yardage. The quarterback position is turning into players that have speed and mobility along with a strong arm.

Wentz only has a strong arm and wasn’t making quick decisions with the football.

Sometimes, when you have new life on offense, the defense shows up too. The pass rush of the Eagles played extremely well to help the Eagles get a 24-21 win over the Saints.

You’re right if you think the Eagles success isn’t sustainable. We’ve seen plenty of running quarterbacks struggle to win consistently. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals were on a four-game losing streak before last night. The Ravens have looked average in Lamar Jackson’s second year under center for the Ravens.

Hurts will need to become a better passing quarterback. And if he can develop that part of his game, then it’ll all be sustainable.

Eagles vs Cardinals (-6.5, 48): Despite the Eagles effort on Sunday against the Saints, they still find themselves as nearly a touchdown underdog. The Cardinals looked fantastic against the Giants with some incredible pressure on Daniel Jones, getting an easy victory. We’ll likely see both pass rushes on both teams ignite and create turnovers. It’s also interesting as both of these quarterbacks were absolutely monsters in their time at Oklahoma. For any Oklahoma fan, this is a must watch game. But it looks like the Cardinals have rebounded after last week’s victory. At home, I’d ride the more promising prospect in Kyler Murray. Pick: Cardinals

Chiefs vs Saints (-3.5, 51.5): The Chiefs are 5-0 in their last five games but are also 0-5 against the spread in their last five games. But this spread seems a bit low for the Chiefs against the Saints. The Saints secondary can break down at times. If that’s the case, the Chiefs wide outs can absolutely destroy in this game. Saints starter Drew Brees is still out with an injury, and there’s no timetable for his return. He’s capable of playing, but the Saints don’t want to rush him. Until Brees is back, they won’t be able to get enough offense to defeat the Chiefs. Pick: Chiefs

Patriots vs Dolphins (-2, 41.5): The Dolphins are getting a lot of love recently. They stuck around with the Chiefs last week, even though they found themselves down 28-10 at one point. The defense is a turnover machine, and we know just how much Cam Newton likes to give the ball to the other team. The Patriots record is pretty fascinating when looking at their roster. This team just doesn’t have much talent, and the Dolphins have really built something special with their squad. However, we’ve seen how successful former assistants under New England Head Coach Bill Belichick have done against him. Those assistants don’t have the best of records, but the reality is that the talent gap is completely different in this game. Pick: Dolphins

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Start:	December 15, 2024 @ 12:00 PM
Expert:	Tony George
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NFL Betting Predictions: Week 15 Opening Line Report and Picks

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