NFL Week 16 Odds: Building the Best Parlay for Sunday's Games
Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season began Thursday night, when the Los Angeles Rams held on for a 30-22 home win over the New Orleans Saints. There's a bunch more action to come throughout the upcoming holiday weekend.
Two games are set to take place on Saturday, followed by 10 more on Christmas Eve on Sunday and another three on Christmas Day on Monday. With the contests more spaced out, it gives bettors an opportunity to spread their wagers across multiple days.
Sunday's slate may have only 10 games, but there are still some intriguing matchups. So let's break down a three-leg parlay to consider, with all odds/lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Texans (+3) over Browns (-118)
The Texans could be without rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud again this week, as the 22-year-old remains in concussion protocol. But his absence wasn't an issue for Houston in Week 15, when it went on the road and notched a 19-16 victory over the AFC South rival Titans.
Another winnable matchup for the Texans comes Sunday, when they'll be hosting the Browns. It should be a battle of veteran quarterbacks, with 35-year-old Case Keenum likely starting for Houston and 38-year-old Joe Flacco under center for Cleveland.
Both teams are in the thick of the AFC wild-card hunt, so the stakes are high for this contest. Because of that, it shouldn't turn into a blowout in either direction.
Whether the Texans pull out a win or not, they'll at least be competitive with the Browns, who are coming off back-to-back wins. If Houston loses, it shouldn't be by much.
Over 40.5 Points in Jaguars-Buccaneers (-112)
A battle of division leaders is set to occur Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, where the NFC South-leading Buccaneers will host the AFC South-leading Jaguars. And the over/under points total for this matchup seems to have been set a bit low.
Tampa Bay is surging at the right time, having won three straight games to improve to 7-7. The Bucs have scored more than 20 points in each of those contests, and they're coming off a 34-point performance vs. the Packers that marked their second-highest scoring output of the season thus far.
On the other side, Jacksonville has lost three straight games to fall to 8-6. Its offense is in need of a bounce-back showing after a 23-7 loss to Baltimore last week. The Jags have shown they're better than that, though, so they may have just had an off week against one of the NFL's top teams.
Expect the Buccaneers and Jaguars to combine for at least 41 points. They may clear that number by a wide margin, too, considering it should be a competitive matchup.
Bears (-4) over Cardinals (-118)
It's highly unlikely the Bears (5-9) will somehow find a way into the playoffs this season. However, they could finish strong the next three weeks, as the team has been playing better of late and has shown some encouraging signs of improvement.
Chicago has won three of its past five games, and its two losses during that span came against teams currently in postseason positions (Detroit and Cleveland). The Bears nearly pulled off a road upset against the Browns last week, before falling short in a 20-17 defeat.
This week, Chicago is set to host Arizona, which has not been playing particularly well of late. The Cardinals (3-11) have dropped three of their past four games and are coming off a home loss to the 49ers.
The Bears appear to be the better of these two teams. So they should win at home, and they are likely to do so by five points or more.
3-Leg Parlay (+546)
By combining these three bets into a parlay, the odds become +546 (bet $10 to win $54.60).
To make it a safer wager, you could sub in the Bears moneyline for the spread, but the winnings won't be as much. Also, if you're feeling confident in the Texans, it could be profitable to sub in the Houston moneyline for that leg.
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