NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 16: Opening Line Report

Most in my Survivor Pool had Atlanta still available to them last week, and the Falcons rolled to an easy victory over the hapless 49ers. I had already used Atlanta and had to go with the Baltimore Ravens for my Week 15 NFL Survivor Pool pick. I had to sweat that one out as the Eagles scored at the end of the game and went for the two-point conversion to win it. Luckily they failed, and I am still alive in Week 16.

I have been saying this for the past several weeks: this season Survivor Pools should have an extraordinary amount of players that will survive through Week 17. There are some really bad teams this season, namely the Browns, Rams, Jags, Bears and Niners, and you can probably comfortably fade any of those teams the last two weeks to finish out the Survivor Pool season. If I survive the season I really didn’t plan on sharing the prize with seven other people, but it is what it is.

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Each week of the NFL season I will go over the opening lines in order to formulate my NFL Survivor Pool picks for the week. In this spot I will give my thoughts on the teams I am looking to use and also the ones I plan to stay away from. Remember that most games this week are on Saturday instead of Sunday because of the Christmas holiday.

NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 16 Opening Line Report

New York Giants -2.5 at Philadelphia (Thursday): I have the Giants available, and with the slim pickings that are left from the teams I can choose from they will be a consideration. I just wish they were at home as that would be a much easier pick. The Giants are 10-4 and they need to keep winning (and hope for Dallas to falter) in order to win the division. I will probably pass on this matchup although New York is a slight consideration this week and I think they will win.

Washington -3.5 at Chicago: Most of the teams I have available are on the road, and that is tough. The Redskins are coming in on a short week as they played on Monday Night Football and this game is on Saturday. So this is essentially the same as a Thursday night game for them during a regular week of the season. They looked pretty bad on MNF against the Panthers but should be able to bounce back here with a win. Once again I wish this team was at home. They will be a consideration.

Buffalo -3.5 vs. Miami: No thanks. These teams are pretty even. Matt Moore looked pretty good last week stepping in for the injured Ryan Tannehill in Miami. Bills coach Rex Ryan is going to be fired next week, and you just don’t know how either team will perform here.

New Orleans -3 vs. Tampa Bay: I have already used the Saints, but this game is a coin flip in my opinion, and I think the Bucs have a very good chance to win here.

Green Bay -6.5 vs. Minnesota: Two teams trending in opposite directions. Would love to take the Pack here if they were still available. This is a very strong play if you still have Green Bay in your arsenal.

New England -16.5 vs. New York Jets: This is the highest spread of the season and one of the easiest picks of the season for Survivor Pools. But nobody has the Patriots available, so it’s a moot point.

Tennessee -4.5 at Jacksonville: Gus Bradley was fired in Jacksonville last week after their loss to the Texans. I wonder if he was the problem with this team, although the players seemed to like him. But maybe they will play better than they have here. Tennessee is coming off a big win in Kansas City and this team is playing well. They will be a strong consideration for me this week.

San Diego -6 at Cleveland: I have been saying each week that I think the Browns will win a game this season. And every week they make me look dumb by losing badly. This is their last home game and probably last chance for a win, so I will be staying away just because I get a bad feeling about this one. I’m sure the Chargers will roll, however.

Oakland -3.5 vs. Indianapolis: This Raiders squad is probably another strong consideration for me this week. They are the strongest team I still have available. Sometimes you just have to go with that even when there are some more desirable matchups on the board. The Colts have two road blowouts in the last three weeks, and they are playing with confidence right now. But Oakland needs to win out as that will likely be the difference between the No. 2 and No. 5 seed in the AFC Playoffs.

Los Angeles -3.5 vs. San Francisco: The Rams are the better team here, but neither of these teams cares about this game, and I wouldn’t want to risk my entire Survivor Pool season on a game that even the players don’t care about.

Seattle -8 vs. Arizona: This is a very strong play for Week 16 NFL Survivor Pool picks. But everyone in my pool has used Seattle, and they are probably unavailable in most pools by this point in the season.

Pittsburgh -4.5 vs. Baltimore: The Steelers are the better team and should win this game. There are other picks I like more than this, but if you have the Steelers available (I don’t) then you have to seriously consider them for Week 16. The Ravens have won four straight in the series.

Kansas City -3.5 vs. Denver: It seems Denver’s playoff aspirations are now gone after the loss to New England, and maybe they play out the string in their last two games. The Chiefs need to keep winning and they have a chance to sweep the AFC West with a win here and in San Diego next week, and they also have the motivation of trying to steal the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye back from the Raiders.

Dallas -7 vs. Detroit (Monday): Everyone has used Dallas already. If for some reason you have been saving them, now is your time to shine!