NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 15: Advice and Predictions

by Spencer Toth - 12/11/2025

NFL survivor pool picks Week 15 Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars

We survived the first 14 weeks of the season, but we are now officially dead after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the New Orleans Saints last week. Staying alive for all 18 weeks of the season was never going to be easy. However, with second-chance brackets combined with the legitimate chance that you will have been the last remaining entry in smaller survivor pools, this has still been a very successful season. The goal will not change, as Doc’s Sports will break down and rank each matchup from most to least confident for the final four weeks of the year. The Buccaneers and Browns were two of the most popular selections from Week 14, so if you are still alive, you now have a real shot at taking home the ultimate crown. Without further ado, here are the Week 15 survivor pool picks ranked from most to least confident.

Doc’s Sports offers NFL expert picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-13.5) Over New York Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be our official selection this week. They are the joint-biggest favorite of Week 15, we haven’t used them yet, and they’re riding high on a four-game win streak. The Jaguars do have a home game against Tennessee in Week 18, but saving good teams until then is a risky move. The Jaguars are better on both sides of the ball and have control of their own destiny at the top of the AFC South. New York used to be a threat thanks to a strong defense, but even that has fallen apart, making them an easy fade this week.

Seattle Seahawks (-13.5) Over Indianapolis Colts

The Seahawks have been steamrolling bad teams this season, and the Indianapolis Colts are firmly in that category. Philip Rivers is not the answer for the Colts, whose 8-2 start feels like a distant memory. Seattle has a truly electric offense that will almost certainly put up 30+ points, and there is no way the Colts will match that output. Don’t let their similar record dissuade you, as this is the last time the Seahawks will be a big favorite this season. If you have already used the Jaguars, the Seahawks are the way to go.

Houston Texans (-9.5) Over Arizona Cardinals

The Houston defense is a real problem for Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals. Arizona has been struggling on the offensive side of the ball this season, and going on the road against the best defense in the league is not a recipe to get back on track. Houston is playing complementary football and has a real shot at running the AFC if they can close out the season strong. While this is a confident pick, the Texans do have the Raiders next week and a home date against the Colts in Week 18, making them a potential save candidate.

Philadelphia Eagles (-11.5) Over Las Vegas Raiders

The Eagles have looked far from impressive, but they will get a feel-good win over the Raiders this week. Their defense is strong enough to contain a struggling Geno Smith, while their physical offense will be able to run through the Raiders. However, Philadelphia still has to play the Commanders twice this season, meaning we may want to see one go through the hoop before we risk our survivor pool life at this stage of the season.

Chicago Bears (-7.5) Over Cleveland Browns

The Bears still control their own destiny in the NFC North, and this is nothing short of a must-win game for Chicago. The Cleveland defense has looked vulnerable in recent weeks, and Shedeur Sanders has serious ball security issues. Chicago knows how to control the game on the ground, and avoiding the pass rush of Myles Garrett will be crucial. Chicago doesn’t have any true layups left after this week, making them a strategic pick if you want to avoid the double-digit spreads.

San Francisco 49ers (-12.5) Over Tennessee Titans

The Titans got an upset win over Cleveland last week, but it is not the time to pretend this team has any upset potential in this one. San Francisco is still in the thick of the Wild Card race, while the Titans genuinely want to lose to help improve their draft stock. The 49ers have looked better in previous seasons, but there is simply too much talent on this roster to expect them to stumble at this crucial stage of the year.

New York Giants (-2.5) Over Washington Commanders

It is hard to have too much faith in either of these teams, as they have lost a combined 15 straight games. However, the Giants are at home, the healthier squad, and are coming off their bye week. Jayden Daniels will be out again, the Commanders got even more banged up when Zach Ertz had a season-ending injury, and their problems on defense are just getting worse. If you are looking to mix it up, or if you find yourself having already used the top teams, New York is a great pick and will be the official contrarian selection of the week.

Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) Over Cincinnati Bengals

Don’t let this short spread deter you; the Ravens are likely the final safe pick this week of the column. Baltimore has let little things derail their season, but the reality is, they are still better than the Bengals in so many categories. Cincinnati’s defense fell apart again last week, and it will struggle to contain the ground game from the Ravens. The AFC is wide open, but if the Ravens lose here, they will need a lot of help to make the postseason. Desperation is a crazy incentive, but you can feel confident in using Baltimore this week.

Kansas City Chiefs (-5) Over Los Angeles Chargers

Kansas City is clinging to hopes of a postseason berth, and it starts with a win over the Chargers in Week 15. That isn’t enough to rank them very high on the list, but it is enough to tail them in a truly desperate situation. The offensive line injuries for Los Angeles will allow the Kansas City defense to pull off a statement win.

Carolina Panthers (-2.5) Over New Orleans Saints

Road favorites in divisional matchups are primed for upsets, but I don’t expect the Saints to pull off another miracle. The Panthers' run game is too strong to slow down, they are coming off their bye week and will completely dominate New Orleans in the trenches. They don’t have many easy games left, making them a decent contrarian option in Week 15.

Los Angeles Rams (-5.5) Over Detroit Lions

The Rams have been truly dominant, but the Lions haven’t been far behind. A few missed fourth-down calls have changed how the public sees Detroit, but the reality is that they are still a great football team. Matthew Stafford’s MVP campaign will hinge on his ability to close out games down the stretch, and while I do expect the Rams to win, there is no reason to burn a top team like Los Angeles in a matchup like this.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4.5) Over Atlanta Falcons

These divisional games can cause upsets, so it is probably best to stay away from this Thursday night affair. Both sides are coming off embarrassing losses, and with no tank incentive for Atlanta, they will go all out to play spoiler in Tampa Bay. The edge does go to the Buccaneers, but not by much.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5) Over Miami Dolphins

The Steelers have a bit of upside here, but fading the red-hot Dolphins is not something we want to do. Even though Miami has been unconvincing in cold weather, four straight wins have them back in the playoff race.

Green Bay Packers (-2.5) Over Denver Broncos

These are two Super Bowl favorites duking it out, and that is not what you want to target in survivor pools. This will come down to the turnover battle, and there is no justification for taking either of these teams under any circumstances.

New England Patriots (PK) Over Buffalo Bills

These AFC East contenders face off, and neither should be touched. Both have easy schedules, both are very dangerous, and the pick ‘em line makes it clear that this one could go either way.

Official Pick of the Week: Jacksonville Jaguars Over New York Jets

Contrarian Survivor Pool Pick of the Week: New York Giants Over Washington Commanders

Teams Used: Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Status: Dead (Week 14)

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Start:	December 12, 2025 @ 11:00 PM
Expert:	Griffin Murphy
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NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 15: Advice and Predictions

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