NFL Week 15 Parlay Picks and Predictions

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

10 minute read

Betting expert Michael Crosson provides his top parlay selections for Week 15 of the NFL season. Odds provided by DraftKings.

ATS Parlay Best Bet

• Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 (-110) @ TB
• Dallas Cowboys -4.5 (-110) @ JAX

Payout: +264

Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 @ TB

Tampa Bay’s ineptitude on the offensive side of the ball has been absolutely stunning this season, as Tom Brady and co. currently rank 28th in the league in scoring and 26th in yardage per play with averages of 17.2 PPG and 5.1 YPP on the year. 

However, despite their shortcomings, the Buccaneers still pace the NFC South with an underwhelming record of 6-7, with the majority of Tampa’s limited success thus far stemming from the dominance of their ninth-ranked scoring defense (19.5 PPG).

While on the other hand, the Bengals stumbled out to a frustrating 2-3 start to the season, which was an incredibly out of character stretch for this squad, as Cincy’s defense surrendered just 17.8 PPG and forced eight turnovers in their first five matchups, but it never led to much success due to their offense averaging just 21.6 PPG across that window.

However, the Bengals have completely flipped the script since their opening skid, as Joe Burrow and co. bounced back with wins in seven of their next eight games, while racking up a lofty average of 28.4 PPG across their latest stretch. And it’s not like they’ve totally avoided the injury bug either, as Ja’Marr Chase missed half of those affairs with a hip injury. 

Personally, I thought the Bucs were getting too much love as 3.5-point underdogs against San Francisco this past Sunday, which ultimately, proved to be the case in the Niners’ triumphant 35-7 rout of Tampa. And I think we’re looking at a similar situation this week with the oddsmakers still not quite ready to write off Brady. 

Betting against Brady can be a dangerous game, however, it’s certainly been a game worth playing this season. I’m not quite ready to say Brady is done or washed. I, actually, don’t think he’s the issue at all. But the fact of the matter is, the Bucs’ offense has been terrible all year. They’ve scored 21 PTS or less in 11 of their 13 matchups, and they’re averaging just 15.6 PPG across their last five.

Sure, a miraculous turnaround is always on the table with Brady under center. But as long as their struggles persist, I’ll continue to dial them up for the occasional fade until I get burned a few times, especially in matchups against high-powered offensive units like Bengals.

Dallas Cowboys -4.5 @ JAX

Isn’t it funny how fast general perception can change? The oddsmakers appeared to be 100% sold on Dallas heading into last week, as the Cowboys hosted Houston as massive 17.5-point favorites this past Sunday. But after escaping their latest affair with a narrow four-point victory, the Cowboys now travel to Jacksonville as relatively short 4.5-point favorites over the Jaguars in Week 15.

Assuming that roughly three points are awarded on the spread for homefield advantage, Dallas would’ve hypothetically laid 14 points on a neutral field against Houston last week, which has fallen to seven points this Sunday against Jacksonville. And personally, I think that’s an overreaction.

The Cowboys had a good ole’ fashioned bad game against Houston last week, and there’s no getting around it. However, as painful as it was, they still scored 27 points on 404 yards of total offense in the contest. Which certainly doesn’t make up for the fact they turned the ball over three times. But I’d argue this offense certainly hasn’t lost its touch, and their defense continues to dominate.

It seems like people are slowly starting to warm up to Jacksonville, and rightfully so, as the Jags have followed up a bumpy 2-6 start to the season with wins in three of their last five games, which includes a tough trio of victories over the Titans, Ravens, and Raiders. 

However, I expect their defense to get exposed against a Dallas squad that racked up 28+ points in five straight contests prior to last week. And I doubt Trevor Lawrence and co. will be able trade punches standing opposite of the Cowboys’ elite defensive unit. So, I’ll back Dallas to cover here.

ML Parlay Best Bet

• Tennessee Titans ML (+130) @ LAC
• Detroit Lions ML (-110) @ NYJ

Payout: +339

Tennessee Titans ML @ LAC

Prior to Week 12, Tennessee appeared to be coasting towards an NFC South title virtually unhindered, as the Titans followed up an ugly 0-2 start to the season with wins in seven of their next eight games, in turn, lifting Mike Vrabel’s squad to a solid record of 7-3 in a division with no other teams stationed above the .500-mark.

However, their division lead isn’t quite as safe anymore, as the Titans now enter Week 15 following consecutive losses to the Bengals, Eagles, and Jags, with two of those defeats coming by wide gaps of 14+ points.

But if Tennessee is going to get back on track with a big win before the playoffs, I think this week’s matchup against the Chargers is their best chance to make a statement. 

The nature of Tennessee's one-dimensional offense spearheaded by Derrick Henry has caused some concern the last few weeks, highlighted by the Titans averaging just 16 PPG across their latest three-game losing streak. 

However, a steady dose of King Henry might be just what the doctor ordered this week, with the Titans set to take a crack at an L. A. defensive front that currently ranks 28th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game and dead-last in yards allowed per carry.

Every game is critical for both of these squads teetering on the edge of playoff contention late in the season. But I would argue that Sunday’s matchup carries even more weight for the Titans staring down the barrel of a fourth straight loss.

So, I’ll back Tennessee to pull off an upset in what should be a nightmare matchup for the Bolts’ bottom-ranked rush defense, in theory.

Detroit Lions ML @ NYJ

The Lions have been on quite the rollercoaster so far this season, as Detroit’s offense averaged a modest 25 PPG across a frustrating 1-6 start to the year, with the majority of those struggles stemming from their defense surrendering a lofty average of 32 PPG during that span.

However, the Lions are finally beginning to come around on the defensive side of the ball, and their minor improvements have already paid enormous dividends, considering Detroit followed up a 1-6 skid with wins in five of their next six games. Which has surprisingly catapulted them into playoff contention with just four games left to play.

While on the other hand, the Jets appear to be trending in the opposite direction, as Robert Saleh’s squad opened the year with a solid 5-2 run, but losses in four of their last six games has pulled them down to a relatively pedestrian record of 7-6 on the season.

The future of this Jets’ offense remains ambiguous, especially at the quarterback position, considering they originally decided to start Joe Flacco in their first three contests while Zach Wilson recovered from injury. But after going 5-2 in their seven matchups quarterbacked by Wilson, they abruptly handed the keys to Mike White in Week 12, resulting in losses in two-of-three games since that point.

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of Wilson. But the fact of the matter is, the Jets have now scored 20 PTS or less in five of their last seven games, and they’ve averaged just 21 PPG to go along with four turnovers since switching gears to White. So, one must ask, is New York’s quarterback play actually the issue? I’m thinking there’s more to the puzzle than what meets the eye here. I’ll back Detroit on the moneyline.

Six-Point Teaser

• Philadelphia Eagles -3 (-9) @ CHI
• Cardinals-Broncos Under 42.5 (OU 36.5)

Payout: -120

Philadelphia Eagles -3 @ CHI

It’s been a tale of two very different halves of the year for Chicago thus far, however, both stretches have equated to a similar overall result, as the Bears opened the season with a bumpy 2-5 skid, while generating just 13 PPG on the offensive side of the ball in their first seven contests.

However, Chicago’s offense has played surprisingly well recently. But it still hasn’t made much of a difference in the win column, as the Bears have now scored 24+ points in five of their last seven games, resulting in a lackluster 1-6 mark across their latest stretch. Which is primarily due to their defense surrendering a lofty average of 31 PPG on the other side of the ball during that timeframe.

I’ll back Philly here, as the Birds appear to be building momentum each week. Jalen Hurts and co. have now scored 35+ points in three straight outings against a relatively tough group of defenses, resulting in wins in all three of those affairs (TEN, GB, NYG). So, I’m expecting them to have a field day against a Chicago defensive unit that’s surrendered 27+ points in six straight contests.

Cardinals-Broncos Under 42.5

The Broncos have been an abomination on the offensive side of the ball this year. Russell Wilson and co. enter Week 15 ranked dead-last in the league in scoring at 14.9 PPG and 25th in yards per play at 5.1 YPP, in turn, resulting in a disappointing record of 3-10 on the season thus far.

However, the Broncos’ defense certainly doesn’t bear any of the blame for their shortcomings, as Denver ranks Top 5 in the league in both points allowed and yardage per play on the defensive side of the script (17.6 PPG, 4.8 YPP). Which is quite the feat considering their horrendous offensive numbers.

While on the other hand, Arizona’s playoff chances were already slim prior to last week, as the Cardinals entered their previous affair with a lackluster record of 4-8, in turn, giving them very little to play for down the stretch.

However, in the aftermath of the Kyler Murray’s season-ending injury, I think it’s safe to say that the fat lady has officially sung for Arizona, as the Cardinals still need to make up a decent amount of ground in order to contend for the final NFC Wild Card spot, and they’ve now scored 21 PTS or less in three of their last five contests. Which certainly doesn’t bode well following the loss of Murray.

I’ll take an adjusted under here, as I doubt the Cardinals will gain much traction with a backup QB standing opposite of Denver’s elite defense this Sunday. But I’m also not expecting much from the Broncos’ offense in this matchup either, because…well, they’ve been the worst offense in the league all season.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson