Opening NFL Week 15 betting lines, odds and spreads in Early Birds with Jared Smith

Week 15 of the NFL season is approaching, so it’s time to look ahead to the opening betting lines, odds and spreads. Our lead betting analyst Jared Smith and Twinspires Director of Retail Sports Zachary Lucas offer insights into the lines and early betting takeaways for this week’s games.

Buy Low: Titans vs Chargers

The Titans have hit the skids losing 3 in a row, the last 2 in blowout fashion allowing 36 points to the Jaguars and 35 to the Eagles. At their core Tennessee is still a well-coached football team and I expect Mike Vrabel to get things turned around in time to win another division title.

This line moved towards Chargers -3 after their outright win as an underdog on Sunday night against the Dolphins. I already noticed some buyback on Tennessee +3 early Monday morning, so I don’t expect this line to push through that key number barring some unforeseen injury news.

Zachary’s prediction: I like the Titans to bounce back. Chargers barely won vs a team that had a QB who could barely throw the ball. Chargers are allowing 151 rush yards a game, 4^th worst in the NFL. Titans should be able to control the clock with their run game, which will open up that chargers secondary that can easily be tested. Game script favors the Titans here.

Sell High: 49ers vs Seahawks

What a week  for Brock Purdy, who looked very relevant in the Niners’ blowout win over the Bucs on Sunday. That performance was a big reason for this week’s line to move off the key number of 3, with San Francisco now installed as a solid 3.5-point road favorite on Thursday night against its division rival. Keep an eye on the injury report, as it was reported Monday that Purdy will get an MRI on his oblique — which is not a good thing to be dealing with on a short week. 

The Seahawks’ playoff hopes have taken a hit over the last month, losing 3 times and allowing 28.5 points per game in the process. Geno Smith is still playing at a high level, but he has looked a little more ordinary during this recent stretch while the defense has completely taken a nose dive. I think the number is what really matters here, now that it’s north of 3, I would not be surprised to see some buyback on Seattle before Thursday and do not expect this to reach 4.

Zachary’s prediction: Feels like a major letdown spot for the 49ers. Winners of 6 straight, owning their opponents the last 4 weeks and laying just 3.5 on the road vs a desperate Seahawks team in need of a win. I’m grabbing Seattle +3.5 or better.

Sell High: Rams vs Packers

The Baker Mayfield show rolls into Lambeau Field. After a miraculous win last Thursday over the Raiders, Mayfield’s encore performance will also be in the national spotlight against the Packers on Monday night. We have plenty of time for this market to settle, but I already noticed movement towards the Rams from +9.5 on the lookahead last week to +7.5 at reopening on Sunday.

I’m curious to see how Green Bay comes out after their bye week considering their playoff hopes are all but dashed. But that being said, it’s hard to take what we saw from the Rams last week at face value considering how inconsistent Baker has been throughout his career.

I wouldn’t expect to get back to the key number of 7, but considering it’s a Monday night game, the public could have their say in the closing line depending on Sunday’s results.

Zachary’s prediction: It’s going to be 20 degrees on Monday in Lambeau. If Mayfield starts I’ll be all over GB -7.5. Every time I’ve seen Mayfield play in frigid conditions he has struggled. Factor in the Rams coming off a miracle upset win vs LV, which they are probably still celebrating I can see. The Rams may come out flat and look to just get out of there unscathed.

Zachary’s Early Birds:

Seahawks +3.5
Titans +3
Packers -7.5