NFL betting preview: Week 16 lines, totals

After digging up some tips and giving our five best plays for the weekend, let's go over some of the line and total moves for Sunday's slate.

Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles

Opening odds: HOU -1.5 / 45

Current odds: PHI -2.5 / 46.5

Bettors are apparently buying Nick Foles when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Houston Texans with playoff implications on the line. The backup quarterback kept the season alive last weekend, guiding the offense to 30 points in a road win over the Los Angeles Rams. This line crossed zero throughout the week, with oddsmakers now listing the Eagles as marginal favorites. The total caught some traction on Saturday by moving from 46 to 47 in most shops. The Texans will be without running back Lamar Miller and rookie receiver Keke Coutee.

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

Open: CLE -6.5 / 46.5

Current: CLE -10 / 45

The Cleveland Browns caught more early steam than any side during the week, being pushed up from -6.5 all the way to -10. They took care of the Cincinnati Bengals with ease back in Week 11 with a 35-20 win and now face a a banged-up offense that recently added wide receiver Tyler Boyd to the injury report.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins

Open: MIA -4 / 39.5

Current: MIA -3.5 / 38

Sunday's game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins doesn't figure to be all that aesthetically pleasing. The Jags under backup quarterback Cody Kessler have scored just 28 combined points over the last three games, while the Dolphins lost another offensive player to injury last weekend in running back Frank Gore. It's not a surprise the total saw a slight dip during the week from 39.5 to 38.

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers

Open: CAR -3.5 / 48

Current: ATL -3 / 44.5

Originally opening as the favorite, the Carolina Panthers unsurprisingly moved to the underdog role following word that starting quarterback Cam Newton was to sit with an ailing shoulder injury. With Taylor Heinicke getting the nod, the total dropped all the way to 43.5 before the market came back and pushed the number up to 44.5.

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

Open: NE -10.5 / 45

Current: NE -13.5 / 44.5

Bettors are expecting the New England Patriots to bounce back against the Buffalo Bills following consecutive losses, but this spread has seen some odd movement. The Patriots jumped from -10.5 to -13 and back down to -12.5 early in the week, but shortly after it emerged that star wide receiver Josh Gordon was suspended, the line actually jumped back up to -13.5. The Patriots have been lethal as a double-digit favorite recently, covering in 11 of the previous 12 situations.

New York Giants at Indianapolis Colts

Open: IND -9.5 / 47

Current: IND -10 / 48

The New York Giants find themselves facing the largest spread of their season as they travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts. There's a stark contrast to how these two teams played in Week 15 - the Giants were shut out at home by the Tennessee Titans, while the Colts blanked the Dallas Cowboys, 23-0. For a third straight week, the Giants will be without star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who's still hampered by a quad injury.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys

Open: DAL -7 / 46

Current: DAL -7 / 48

The Dallas Cowboys attracted a ton of action for Sunday's game, garnering five times as many tickets as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MGM resorts as of Saturday night. The Cowboys might be in a good spot to clinch the NFC East, catching the Bucs on back-to-back road games.

Green Bay Packers at New York Jets

Open: GB -3 / 45

Current: GB -2.5 / 46.5

Oddsmakers were put in a difficult spot with the Green Bay Packers-New York Jets matchup. First, they set the Packers as three-point favorites but moved the line through zero and made New York a favorite with the status of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers up in the air. After it was confirmed that Rodgers was a go, the line swung back and reinstalled the Packers as favorites. Green Bay is clearly the better team, but motivation becomes an intriguing narrative as the Packers were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend. They'll be without wide receiver Randall Cobb, though the Jets will also be down a pass catcher in Quincy Enunwa.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

Open: MIN -4 / 42.5

Current: MIN -6 / 43

The Minnesota Vikings caught lightning in a bottle last week, ripping off 44 points days after firing their offensive coordinator. Bettors were quick to hit the Vikings leading up to Sunday and it's clear why: they're still in the playoff mix and now meet the Detroit Lions, who have scored fewer than 20 points in each of the previous five games. Minnesota, like Dallas, was getting five times as many tickets at MGM resorts.

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals

Open: LAR -13.5 / 47.5

Current: LAR -14 / 44

It's rare to see a Los Angeles Rams total open below the 50-point mark, let alone drop as much as it did over the week. As the number dipped from 47.5 to 44 throughout the week, it was obvious that bettors don't have much faith in the Arizona Cardinals offense. A unit that ranks last in the league in total offense and points per game hasn't gone over the team total at home once this season in seven tries, averaging fewer than 13 points per contest in those situations.

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers

Open: CHI -3.5 / 43

Current: CHI -4.5 / 44

Bettors might want to err on the side of caution - or at least be aware of the circumstances - should they choose to play on the Chicago Bears, who fall into a weird spot on Sunday. Coming off a huge home win over the Packers that clinched the NFC North, the Bears are on the West Coast to play a scrappy San Francisco 49ers club. Chicago was the most bet team at MGM resorts over the week, attracting seven times as many tickets as the Niners.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints

Open: NO -6.5 / 56

Current: NO -6.5 / 53

The New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers can score in bunches, but it hasn't trended that way for either team as of late. The Saints are on a 5-0 run to the under while the Steelers have gone under the total in four of the previous five. Steelers star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster injured his groin in practice during the week but will give it a go, much to the delight of fantasy owners.

Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.

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