Week 16 of the NFL betting lines season brought fans some clarity and new sight of hope, depending on which team they were cheering for. In a rare event, the world’s number one price per head sports league played 14 of their 16 games on Saturday, with the weekly Sunday night game still having yet to be played, and the Monday Night game also needing to be played. For fans whose teams were involved in the 14 Saturday games, there was much to talk about. Today we’ll look at how 14 of the 16 games had an impact on the overall playoff picture for both leagues. In the AFC, thing got a whole lot more confusing, as both the Denver Broncos and New York Jets lost, while the Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals came away with victories. For those unfamiliar with the situation, the Denver Broncos have risen from dead last at one point this season, to a tie with Oakland for the divisional lead in the AFC West. Technically, no bookie software agent saw this coming, as the Broncos were a heavy favorite against the Buffalo Bills, while the Oakland Raiders were underdogs to the Kansas City Chiefs, after the latter’s upset over the Green Bay Packers. Regardless of the victory for Oakland and the loss for Denver, the two teams remain tied entering the final week of the regular season next weekend. On the other hand, the New York Jets suddenly find themselves on the outside looking in on the playoffs, after getting destroyed by stadium rival the New York Giants. Entering week 16, the Jets, led by third year pivot Mark Sanchez, were looking to lock up the final AFC wild card spot. Yet, as luck would have it, the Jets would be facing a Giants team, that was desperate to bounce back, after an underwhelming loss last weekend, put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. As a result of the Jets loss, and the Cincinnati Bengals victory, the Bengals are back in the playoff picture, and must win out to clinch the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. Over in the NFC, the Detroit Lions shocked the world, as they destroyed the San Diego Chargers, officially eliminating them from playoff contention. The victory over the Chargers, also allowed the Lions, to win 10 games for the first time in nearly a decade, as well as clinch their first playoff spot in that same amount of time. Detroit has been a city that many fans and NFL handicappers have faded on the betting line for years. But, this year, the Lions came out of nowhere to finish second in the NFC North, and make the playoffs, as a wild card team. With all of their starters getting healthy again, the Lions could make some real trouble for an opponent disregarding them in the first round of the playoffs.
