I'd feel a lot better about this game if I knew Michael Pittman (concussion) was going to play, but at the end of a day it's a bet on head coach Arthur Smith's ineptitude, which feels like a winning bet most weeks. I don't think it works quite like that, but I'm not sure you can quantify the difference the locker room must feel with him now fired. I'm perversely curious to see if the Chargers run defense, which has historically been one of the worst over Staley's tenure, will magically look better with him now gone. That being said, I'm not anticipating Keenan Allen (heel) will play and the offense was already woefully thin of game-breaking receivers, making it a difficult leap in logic to assume Los Angeles can get three scores, which is what it'll take to cover the spread. I'm nervous because this is a massive spread for a team that many thought was one of the biggest disappointments of the NFL season just a month ago, and the toxic stench of Brandon Staley is no longer infecting the Chargers. I never would have thought I'd type this sentence out so earnestly in the year 2023, but if Browning is more like Minshew than Levis, the Bengals could be really dangerous in the postseason. We also saw Will Levis look really good to begin his career, only for defenses to sorta figure him out in the last few games.

No Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) is going to be a difficult situation to overcome, but we've seen someone like Gardner Minshew look totally fine even in adverse situations and against tougher defenses. This really is going to be a major test for Jake Browning because I'd be interested in betting on the Bengals to win a playoff game if I could figure out what kind of passer he is. Sure, he'll cut down on turnovers, but I think the opportunity to move the ball down the field also goes to the wayside with the festive new quarterback under center. I'm by no means a fan of Mitch Trubisky, but plugging in Rudolph isn't going to help matters much.

It appears as if Mason Rudolph will get the start for the Steelers. In this article, we also take a look at NFL Week 16 odds and our predictions for each NFL game. NFL Week 16 Betting Picks For Each Game Date

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