NFL Power Rankings with 3 weeks to go, plus ATS picks for every Week 15 game with Saints, Ravens, and Seahawks best bets…

THE NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE IS COMING INTO FOCUS NOW WITH JUST THREE REGULAR SEASON WEEKS LEFT. The Baltimore Ravens stand alone atop the AFC and already crushed the New York Jets on Monday night. The San Francisco 49ers lead a tight NFC race after a Game of the Year win over the New Orleans Saints last week. With only three weeks to go, almost every game going forward is vital.

We're coming off a huge 10–4–1 week, our best since Week 9. Let's take a look at the Week 15 Power Rankings, where the Saints and Chiefs make a big move into the top five, the Titans rise higher than ever, and the Patriots sink all the way… to #5. Rankings below plus Week 15 picks for every game!

WEEK 15 POWER RANKINGS

TIER I — THE FAVORITES

1. Baltimore Ravens 11–2 (Last week: 1)

TIER II — WE ARE THE DANGER

2. San Francisco 49ers 11–2 (2) 3. New Orleans Saints 10–3 (6) 4. Kansas City Chiefs 9–4 (5)

TIER III — A FATAL FLAW

5. New England Patriots 10–3 (4) 6. Seattle Seahawks 10–3 (3) 7. Minnesota Vikings 9–4 (7) 8. Green Bay Packers 10–3 (8)

TIER IV — THE FRISKY WILDCARDS

9. Tennessee Titans 8–5 (9) 10. Buffalo Bills 9–4 (10) 11. Los Angeles Rams 8–5 (12) 12. Houston Texans 8–5 (9) 13. Pittsburgh Steelers 8–5 (15)

TIER V — THE SOGGY YUCKY NASTY MIDDLE

14. Dallas Cowboys 6–7 (13) 15. Indianapolis Colts 6–7 (14) 16. Chicago Bears 7–6 (16) 17. Philadelphia Eagles 6–7 (17) 18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6–7 (21) 19. Oakland Raiders 6–7 (17) 20. Cleveland Browns 6–7 (20)

TIER VI — COULD RUIN SOMEONE'S DECEMBER

21. Los Angeles Chargers 5–8 (19) 22. Atlanta Falcons 4–9 (25) 23. Denver Broncos 5–8 (22) 24. Arizona Cardinals 3–9–1 (24)

TIER VII — SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

25. Carolina Panthers 5–8 (23) 26. Jacksonville Jaguars 4–9 (26) 27. New York Jets 5–8 (32) 28. Miami Dolphins 3–10 (29) 29. Detroit Lions 3–9–1 (27)

TIER VIII— THE FISH TANK

30. Washington Haskins 3–10 (28) 31. Cincinnati Bengals 1–12 (31) 32. New York Giants 2–10 (30)

THE STAY AWAYS

Tampa Bay -3.5 at Detroit

Yuck rhymes with Buc. Tampa has apparently won four of their last five games, which is hilariously irrelevant. The Lions have only beaten the Giants since Week 3. If you had to pick one quarterback for a game with your life on the line, would you pick Jameis Winston or David Blough? Makes you think.

Cleveland -2.5 at Arizona

The Browns have also won four of five, and this game is a chance to get back to .500 for the first time since, you know, before the season began. This should be a fun battle between the last two #1 picks. Instead it's mostly just another reminder of why they were picking at the top of the draft.

Miami +3.5 at New York Giants

Eli Manning gets one final home start in front of the Giants crowd. Manning is now officially a career loser, one game below .500. And while it's fun to imagine Eli winning one last game to heroically return to .500, it's even more fitting for him to lose his final start to a team literally trying to lose every game. The Giants have lost nine in a row since September and are somehow favored in this game. That can't possibly have happened before.

Oakland -6 vs Jacksonville

I was in on both of these teams at some point this season, but things have turned sour in a hurry. Oakland has lost three games in a row. The Jags have lost five in a row by a total of 113 points, and all eight combined losses were also losses against the spread. But hey, someone has to win this week!

THE DIVISION RIVALRIES

Washington +6 vs Philadelphia

The Eagles have won the last five meetings, four of them by double digits, but this Philly team is tepid and running on fumes. Add Alshon Jeffery to the walking dead injury report, now out for the year. Philadelphia is 4–9 against the spread and 0–4 over the last month while Washington has covered three straight. If even Dwayne Haskins can throw on this secondary, they might put the Eagles out of their misery for good.

Denver +11 at Kansas City

The Chiefs have won eight in a row against the Broncos and just won by 24 in Denver in October, but five of the previous six meetings were one-score affairs. Denver usually seems to hang around in this rivalry, and their defense has enough weapons to keep Patrick Mahomes in check.

Green Bay -4.5 vs Chicago

Aaron Rodgers is 16–5 lifetime against the Bears with 46 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That includes 9–1 at Lambeau. Seems good. Considering this is supposed to be the NFL's oldest rivalry, you'd think the Bears would win more often than three of the last 19 times, but you'd be wrong. Chicago needs a win to keep any faint playoff hopes alive. They also need a quarterback.

Tennessee -3 vs Houston

It only took 14 weeks, but I think I've finally figured these teams out. Houston is inconsistent with no offensive line or defense, while the Titans continue to be the hottest team outside of Baltimore with a power run game and killer playaction passing attack. Tennessee has won and covered six of their last seven games. This is low-key the most important game of Week 15 as these teams are tied for the division (and the second wildcard) and play twice in the final weeks. These teams split each of the last three years with the home team winning all six games. Everything here points to a big Tennessee win. Which is why Houston will probably win 31–10 or something.

PUSHING FOR THAT BYE WEEK

Atlanta +11 at San Francisco

The 49ers are flying high after that awesome win in New Orleans, but this smells like a trap game with the Ravens and Saints in the rear view mirror and the Rams and Seahawks up next. San Francisco has been favored by 6+ five times this season and has yet to cover. Apparently I've picked against the 49ers five times in a row, despite putting them at #2 in my Power Rankings. Let's make it six.

New England -9.5 at Cincinnati

Listen, we know how this game goes. The Bengals released tape accusing Bill Belichick of cheating. The last time that happened, New England went 16–0*. The Patriots have lost two in a row and are ticked off about Spygate II against a hapless Cincinnati team you don't exactly have to cheat to get the best of.

New Orleans -8 vs Indianapolis (Monday)

You ready for some crazy numbers? In his last 12 Monday Night Football games, Brees has 39 TDs, 6 picks, and 4194 yards. That's basically a full MVP season in 12 primetime games against mostly good opponents. The Colts are mostly good, but the season has gotten away from them and they don't have the horses to keep up in a shootout, despite their team name. Never bet against Drew Brees at home on Monday night.

THREE COIN FLIPS

Minnesota -1 at Los Angeles Chargers

This is a little trappy with the Packers and Bears up next and a West coast road trip, but the Chargers have no home field advantage and Minnesota is 8–1 this season as the betting favorite. I'm a bit nervous about this game as a Vikings fan, but I'll count on Kirk Cousins to find a way. *gulp*

Los Angeles Rams +3 at Dallas

One of these teams is in desperate need of a win to stay in the NFC playoff race. The other one is somehow the 6–7 Dallas Cowboys on a three-game losing streak, who can lose this game by 400 and still control their destiny by winning their last two, securing a home playoff game. What a world. The Rams finally look like the team we expected all season. The Cowboys look terrible, have no home field advantage, and don't need this game at all. So.

Buffalo +2 at Pittsburgh (Sunday night)

I refuse to watch this game out of principle since the NFL flexed my Vikings off the Sunday night schedule for Duck Hodges and Josh Allen. Feel free to join my boycott of two teams that might boycott touchdowns in this game. The Bills and Steelers have hit the under a combined nine straight times and 20 out of 26 games this season. Expect lots of defense, plenty of running, and questionable quarterback play.

WEEK 15 BEST BETS

New Orleans -8 vs Indianapolis (Monday) Baltimore -14.5 vs New York Jets (Thursday)

I set the line for our final Thursday game at Baltimore -20.5, and the Ravens coasted to a 21-point victory. RIP Thursday night games, where I somehow went 12–2 on the season. Baltimore is a best bet until they lose.

Seattle -5 at Carolina

This line feels like an overreaction to one terrible Seattle game. The Panthers are terrible. They've lost five in a row and weren't even competitive in three of them, and this team fired Ron Rivera and is already making offseason travel plans. Seattle needs to win out to keep hopes of a first-round bye alive. Russell Wilson is the real MVP, and he will find a way like usual. ■

Last week: 10–4–1 Season total: 111–93–1 Best bets: 22–20–1

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