NFL Staff Picks: Week 15

NFL Staff Picks: Week 15

This article is part of our NFL Staff Picks series.

Dogs dominated last week, and Jeff Erickson, Nick Whalen and Scott Pianowski sniffed them out. Erickson and Whalen each went 10-4-1, while Pianowski finished 9-5-1. Erickson improved to 102-100-6 overall to cut Kevin Payne's season lead to three games. 

Whalen and Pianowski were also the only pickers to nail their best bets (49ers, Bills, respectively). 

Unanimous picks went 1-1-1 while majority picks were 9-5-1. 

This week, just one unanimous pick emerged — the Rams -6.5 vs. the Commanders. One other team, the Bills, received four votes. Whalen and Erickson made the Rams their best bets, while Pianowski went with the Bills. 

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MATCHUPERICKSONPIANOWSKIWHALENPAYNEDEL DON
Chargers +3 at RaidersRaidersChargersRaidersRaidersChargers
Vikings +3.5 at BengalsBengalsVikingsBengalsBengalsVikings
Steelers +2.5 at ColtsColtsSteelersColtsSteelersColts
Broncos +4 at LionsBroncosBroncosLionsLionsBroncos
Falcons -3 at PanthersPanthersFalconsFalconsPanthersFalcons
Bears +3 at BrownsBearsBearsBrownsBrownsBrowns
Buccaneers +3.5 at PackersBuccaneersPackersBuccaneersPackersPackers
Jets +8.5 at DolphinsJetsDolphinsJetsDolphinsJets
Giants +6 at SaintsGiantsGiantsSaintsSaintsGiants
Texans +2.5 at TitansTitansTexansTitansTexansTitans
Chiefs -9.5 at PatriotsPatriotsChiefsChiefsChiefsPatriots
49ers -13.5 at CardinalsCardinalsCardinals49ers49ersCardinals
Commanders +6.5 at RamsRamsRamsRamsRamsRams
Cowboys +2.5 at BillsBillsBillsCowboysBillsBills

Dogs dominated last week, and Jeff Erickson, Nick Whalen and Scott Pianowski sniffed them out. Erickson and Whalen each went 10-4-1, while Pianowski finished 9-5-1. Erickson improved to 102-100-6 overall to cut Kevin Payne's season lead to three games. 

Whalen and Pianowski were also the only pickers to nail their best bets (49ers, Bills, respectively). 

Unanimous picks went 1-1-1 while majority picks were 9-5-1. 

This week, just one unanimous pick emerged — the Rams -6.5 vs. the Commanders. One other team, the Bills, received four votes. Whalen and Erickson made the Rams their best bets, while Pianowski went with the Bills. 

Odds from BetMGM. Use the BetMGM Bonus Code for a risk-free bet up to $1,000.

MATCHUPERICKSONPIANOWSKIWHALENPAYNEDEL DON
Chargers +3 at RaidersRaidersChargersRaidersRaidersChargers
Vikings +3.5 at BengalsBengalsVikingsBengalsBengalsVikings
Steelers +2.5 at ColtsColtsSteelersColtsSteelersColts
Broncos +4 at LionsBroncosBroncosLionsLionsBroncos
Falcons -3 at PanthersPanthersFalconsFalconsPanthersFalcons
Bears +3 at BrownsBearsBearsBrownsBrownsBrowns
Buccaneers +3.5 at PackersBuccaneersPackersBuccaneersPackersPackers
Jets +8.5 at DolphinsJetsDolphinsJetsDolphinsJets
Giants +6 at SaintsGiantsGiantsSaintsSaintsGiants
Texans +2.5 at TitansTitansTexansTitansTexansTitans
Chiefs -9.5 at PatriotsPatriotsChiefsChiefsChiefsPatriots
49ers -13.5 at CardinalsCardinalsCardinals49ers49ersCardinals
Commanders +6.5 at RamsRamsRamsRamsRamsRams
Cowboys +2.5 at BillsBillsBillsCowboysBillsBills
Ravens -3 at JaguarsRavensJaguarsRavensJaguarsJaguars
Eagles -4 at SeahawksEaglesSeahawksEaglesSeahawksSeahawks
Best BetRamsBillsRamsPanthersSeahawks
Last Week Record10-4-19-5-110-4-16-8-16-8-1
2023 Record102-100-698-104-596-106-6105-97-694-108-6
2023 Best Bet Record5-8-17-6-19-57-74-10
2023 Unanimous Pick Record12-14-1    
2023 Majority Pick Record99-103-6    
2022 Record127-136-8149-114-8124-139-8131-132-8133-130-8
2021 Record129-140-3134-135-3N/A145-124-3136-133-3
2020 Record121-127-8128-120-8N/A115-133-8118-130-8
2019 Record126-124-6140-110-6N/A127-123-6134-116-6
2018 Record125-122-9134-113-9N/AN/A120-127-9
2017 Record117-125-14128-114-14N/AN/A98-144-14
2016 Record140-111-5130-121-5N/AN/A132-119-5
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8N/AN/A121-127-8
2014 Record123-128-5140-111-5N/AN/A128-123-5
2013 Record132-114-10118-128-10N/AN/A128-118-10
2012 Record110-140-6125-125-6N/AN/A123-127-6
2011 Record121-128-7134-115-7N/AN/A127-122-7
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5N/AN/A134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3N/AN/A126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10N/AN/A130-116-10
2007 Record127-120118-129N/AN/A130-117
2006 Record118-129N/AN/AN/AN/A
2005 Record121-126N/AN/AN/AN/A
2004 Record124-124N/AN/AN/AN/A
2003 Record121-126118-129N/AN/AN/A
2002 Record113-136123-126N/AN/AN/A
2001 Record124-113117-120N/AN/AN/A
2000 Record123-117134-106N/AN/AN/A
WRITERCOMMENT
EricksonI don't really have a best bet, but at least with the Rams I made the pick pretty quickly. The biggest gap between my line and the actual line is the Colts (2.5-point difference), but I don't trust either team to do what it's supposed to do.
PianowskiA lot of reflexive dogs this week, and not a slate I feel particularly good about. 
WhalenI know the Commanders are coming off of a bye, but they have to make a cross-country trip to L.A. to face a Rams team that continues to get better and better offensively. Meanwhile, Washington has allowed 400-plus yards in three of its last four games. I like this spot for the Rams with the spread sitting just below the key number.
PayneI don't mind Saturday game as long as the they'd staggered. Nineteen teams in the league have records of 5-8, 6-7 or 7-6.
Del DonThe Eagles get another tough matchup in Seattle in primetime against a Seahawks team coming off four consecutive losses but playing well. Take the points. 

The players:

• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior Editor, 2001, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016 Staff Picks champ. Writes the Weekly Rankings. Covers and roots for the Bengals.

• Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to RotoWire. 2009, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022 Staff Picks champ. Roots for the Patriots.

• Nick Whalen: RotoWire Senior Media Analyst. Writes Beating the Book. Roots for the Jaguars.

• Kevin Payne: RotoWire Staff Writer, 2021 Staff Picks champ. Writes our Waiver Wire column. Roots for the Bills.

• Dalton Del Don: Fantasy Expert for Yahoo! Sports, 2007 Staff Picks champ. Roots for the 49ers.

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