Logo

Commercial Content 21+

Dave Blezow makes his NFL Week 15 picks for Sunday’s games.All lines courtesy of BetMGM.

When I saw Mike White take those brutal hits from the Bills on Sunday, my first thought was that the Jets needed to send Sandra Bullock into the huddle to talk to the offensive linemen. “Mike, here’s your quarterback. When you look at him, you think of me, how you have my back, how you have his.”

Now it’s too late for that.

For all of the professed love and admiration the players have for White, for all of the “Mike F’N White” T-shirt solidarity, the best way to show that would have been to have kept the quarterback off the ground and out of the hospital. That’s was a disgraceful element of that game, though the narrow loss to one of the NFL’s best teams showed again that these Jets can play with anyone.

That’s also Job 1 (and 2 and 3) for Mike LaFleur and the offensive coaches Sunday when the Lions come to MetLife Stadium. However, the quarterback to protect will be none other than Zach Wilson, who gets his job back at least for one week as the doctors declined to clear White for contact.

Get a $50 Bonus Bet + up to $1K Back in Bonus Bets! with code NPBONUS50
21+. New customers only. AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. Tu0026amp;C apply

Caesars Sportsbook Logo Square
First bet up To $1,250 On Caesars
New players only, 21+. Available in AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, NJ, NY, TN, VA, WV only. Full T&C apply.

Get a No Sweat First Bet up to $1000!
New users only, 21 or older. Available in AZ, CT, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. Full T&C apply.

Wilson is far better at escaping the initial pass rush than are White and Joe Flacco, but when Wilson was under siege on a bad weather day in Foxborough in his last start, the results were many mistakes and very few yards (OK, inches) gained. If the Jets offensive line can keep Wilson clean, he’ll be able to attack a Detroit defense that ranks 31st in the NFL in both yardage and points allowed.

Detroit’s offense has a lot of playmakers — from RBs D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams to WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown, D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams. But its offensive line is banged up, so the Jets should be able to put some heat on Jared Goff, even without Quinnen Williams’ consistent charge up the middle. It won’t be too cold, but between the less-than-perfect conditions and a few key receivers getting “Lost in the Sauce,” this is a home “W” the Jets should be able to secure.

The betting world doesn’t have any confidence in Wilson, and the point spread quickly flipped three points on the White news. But I’m locked in to my Friday Bettor’s Guide selection at that day’s odds, so I’m hoping Wilson and the OL can get it together.

The pick:Jets -1. 


  Zach Wilson will start for the Jets on Sunday against the Lions. Bill Kostroun Zach Wilson will start for the Jets on Sunday against the Lions. Bill Kostroun

SUNDAY 

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (+4) over Dallas Cowboys

Dallas is just 2-3 ATS in its past five, and as mentioned, even the romp over the Colts was dicey through three quarters. Jaguars showed they are more than just a finesse squad with their two-touchdown victory over the Titans. 

HOUSTON TEXANS (+14) over Kansas City Chiefs

Did you catch the part in last week’s picks where I pointed out that the Chiefs don’t cover spreads? They had a 27-0 lead against the Broncos and still failed to cover and are now an ungodly 3-9-1 against the number. The Texans gave the Cowboys a scare last week on the road at an even higher number. 

CHICAGO BEARS (+9) over Philadelphia Eagles

At some point, the Eagles are going to switch from blowout mode to “just win.” Presuming Justin Fields (illness) will be fine, figuring the Bears will be spry enough off a bye to match scores with Philly and maybe even come in through the back door. 


  Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles Getty Images Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles Getty Images

CAROLINA PANTHERS (-2.5) over Pittsburgh Steelers

Kudos to Sam Darnold for bringing home a win from the 12th Man out in Seattle. I didn’t expect that. Willing to give the ex-Jet a shot against a Steelers team that is uncertain at quarterback at midweek. 

Atlanta Falcons (+4) over NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

I’m OK with backing the Falcons with Desmond Ridder as the new starting quarterback. The move could provide a jump-start for the likes of Cordarrelle Patterson and Drake London. The Saints are 2-4 at home, and I don’t want to buy them as favorites of more than a field goal. 

DENVER BRONCOS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals

The injury to Kyler Murray seemingly left the Cardinals a broken team. Colt McCoy certainly had no shot against the Patriots’ pass rush and now has to face Denver’s tough defense. Russell Wilson and the Broncos’ offense actually showed some life last week as well. The line dipped 1.5 points after Wilson was declared out so now I have to hope Brett Rypien can get this done.

New England Patriots (+1) over LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Josh McDaniels has lost to a coach who was on the couch the previous weekend (Jeff Saturday) and a quarterback who was signed two days before the game (Baker Mayfield). Raiders have the talent, but it’s hard for me to believe they will find a way to beat a Bill Belichick team that is trying to hold on to a playoff seed. 


  Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders shake hands Getty Images Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders shake hands Getty Images

Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) over TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

I’m a little surprised the line is so small, considering the opposite trajectories of the teams. Bengals have won five in a row as Ja’Marr Chase has gotten reincorporated into the offense. The Bucs are a Tom Brady miracle away from a three-game losing streak. 

Tennessee Titans (+2.5) over LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

OK, so the blowout loss to the Jaguars was bad, but the other two losses in Tennessee’s skid were to the Eagles and Bengals. This is still a first-place team that, before this, had won seven of eight with the only loss by three points in OT at Kansas City. Expecting Mike Vrabel to rediscover that team at some point and Derrick Henry to wear down a Chargers run defense that ranks 28th. 

Betting on the NFL?

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (-4.5) over New York Giants

Interesting scheduling setup here as the Commanders play back-to-back games against the Giants around a bye. That means not only do they get a late-season rest, they’ve been able to maintain a singular focus on Big Blue. The Giants, meanwhile, had a blowout loss to the Eagles in between. Commanders are 6-1-1 in their past eight games, and it’s not quite true that every margin is razor close as their past three wins have come by 11, 13 and six points. 


  Daniel Jones Getty Images Daniel Jones Getty Images

MONDAY 

GREEN BAY PACKERS (-7) over Los Angeles Rams

Mayfield gave the Rams some out-of-nowhere magic with the comeback victory over the inept Raiders last Thursday. This line likely would have been quite a bit higher had the Rams been entering Lambeau Field on a seven-game losing streak. Nighttime temps of around 8 degrees with a little snow should sap whatever enthusiasm the Rams got from that victory rather quickly. 

BEST BETS: Broncos, Patriots, Titans. 

LOCK OF THE WEEK: Broncos (Locks 7-7 in 2022). 

LAST WEEK: 6-7 overall, 1-2 Best Bets. 

THURSDAY: Seahawks.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy