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Thursday’s clash between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks might go down as the NFL’s game of the year, and the moment where we truly lost the plot came in the fourth quarter.

Down 30-22 with seven minutes remaining in the game that could decide the top seed in the NFC, the Seahawks scored a quick touchdown with a 31-yard Rashid Shaheed run and a 26-yard pass to AJ Barner. Their 2-point attempt then appeared to fail with a screen pass batted down at the line of scrimmage.

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The play appeared to be settled and both teams started preparing for the Seahawks’ kickoff, but then the officials announced they were taking a closer look at the play. And then the replay showed Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had thrown the ball backward, making it a lateral play and keeping the ball live.

Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet had casually picked up the ball in the end zone. And that ended up being a game-saving play for Seattle, as it cashed the 2-point conversion and tied the game 30-30.

You can see more replays here:

Neither team scored in regulation after that and the game go on to overtime, where the Seahawks won 38-37 on another 2-point conversion.

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The replay decision appeared to be the correct one, which was little consolation for the Rams, who could now finish 13-4 and not host a playoff game with the Seahawks in control of the NFC West.

Rams head coach Sean McVay was animated after the game, requesting a clearer explanation from the league about how the situation played out:

“I’ve never quite seen anything like what happened on the 2-point conversion, where you’re lined up to kick off, then they say it’s a fumble to clear an obvious recovery, now you tack it on, you make it a 30-30 game. Very interesting. Didn’t get a clear explanation of everything that went on just because of some of the timing of it. They were trying to be able to do that, but that’s the thing that I’ve said. I’ve never seen anything or never been a part of anything like that, and I’ve grown up around this game.

“I’m not making excuses. We don’t do that. I don’t believe in that. It doesn’t move us forward, but we do want clarity and an understanding of the things that we can do to minimize that when we rejected the 2-point conversion.”

Rams wide receiver Puka Nakua also wasn’t happy with the officials after the game — and we mean immediately after — but he could have been speaking more broadly.

The view was a bit happier from the Seattle sideline, as Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III put it:

“I didn’t know what was going on until I looked at the review and then Zach picked the ball up and s***, they gave us 2 points. We’ll take them.”

The play was ultimately one part of a full collapse for the Rams, who led 30-14 at one point in the fourth quarter. They outgained the Seahawks 581-415 and committed zero turnovers to Seattle’s three, but sometimes football simply comes down to timing. And picking up the ball in front of you.

When Sam Darnold threw his second interception Thursday night, there was no reason to believe the Seattle Seahawks could come back.

The Los Angeles Rams had clearly been the better team. Darnold was looking shaky again in a big game. Seattle has been in the NFL since 1976 and never had a comeback like the one it needed Thursday night, against a team that had a strong claim as the best in the NFL. Amazon Prime Video pointed out that the Seahawks were 0-172 all time when trailing by 15 or more points in the fourth quarter.

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In the biggest game of the NFL season to date, the Seahawks made it 1-172, thanks in part to a gutsy decision to go for the 2-point conversion and the win in overtime.

In one of the wildest comebacks in franchise history, the Seahawks turned a 30-14 deficit with a little more than eight minutes left into a 38-37 overtime win that could completely reshape the NFL playoff picture.

A punt return for a touchdown helped get the Seahawks back in the game. A crazy 2-point conversion, in which a replay review ruled that what looked like an incomplete pass was actually a fumble recovered by Seattle in the end zone, tied it. A missed field goal by the Rams with a little more than two minutes left kept the Seahawks alive, allowing the game to go to overtime.

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Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua, who each had monster games, hooked up for a 41-yard touchdown in overtime to give the Rams the lead. But the Seahawks kept coming. The Seahawks drove downfield after that, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba scored a touchdown. Seattle decided to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. Darnold threw to Eric Saubert, who hadn’t had a catch in the game, and the Seahawks had a wild walk-off victory in the NFL’s game of the year. That won’t be topped.

The Rams were on the verge many times of taking complete control of the NFC West and the NFC’s No. 1 seed. They might not even know how exactly the Seahawks came back to beat them.

It seemed like an impossible task for the Seahawks, until they pulled it off.

Rams dominate after slow start

The Seahawks got off to a great start. Then the Rams dominated them for most of the rest of the game.

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Seattle got a fourth-and-1 stop on the Rams’ first drive of the game, then a 46-yard screen pass to Kenneth Walker III set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Zach Charbonnet. It was a nearly perfect start.

But the Rams were ready. Their offense was balanced and dominated whether Stafford was throwing it or one of their backs was running it. Stafford was excellent and Nacua had a phenomenal night with several big plays. Their defense contained Darnold, who rarely even tried to throw downfield. The Rams were clearly the best team for most of the game.

In the third quarter, Darnold made the mistake everyone seemed to be waiting for. The Rams disguised a zone coverage, showing man coverage before the snap, and then Darnold threw it right to Rams cornerback Josh Wallace. He returned it 56 yards to the 1-yard line, and Blake Corum scored on the next play.

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The Rams dominated Darnold in the playoffs last season when he was with the Minnesota Vikings, picked him off four times in the first meeting with the Seahawks this season, and forced him into a big mistake Thursday night. He made another in the fourth quarter with the Rams leading 30-14, as defensive lineman Kobie Turner dropped into coverage near the goal line and Darnold threw it right to him under pressure.

It looked like the game was over at that moment. Hopefully you didn’t turn it off and go to bed, because it turned into one of the wildest games of this or any other NFL season.

Seahawks’ rally started on a punt. They later got the weirdest 2-point conversion you’ll ever see

The Seahawks’ comeback was stunning in its efficiency. In less than two minutes of game action, Seattle went from trailing by 16 points to tying the game.

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Rashid Shaheed had a 58-yard punt return touchdown with 8:03 to go in regulation and the Seahawks got the 2-point conversion to cut the Rams’ lead to 30-22. That gave Seattle some life.

After a quick Rams three-and-out, Darnold hit tight end A.J. Barner for a 26-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion got weird. It looked like a clear incompletion but then there was controversy. The replay showed Darnold threw it backward, and what looked like an incomplete pass was casually picked up in the end zone by Charbonnet.

Because that was actually a fumble on the lateral and a clear recovery, it was a successful conversion and the game was tied with 6:23 to go. It was one of the weirdest 2-point conversions in recent memory.

Rams head coach Sean McVay was perplexed at the call, but managed to keep it together postgame, unlike Nacua.

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“I’ve never seen anything or never been a part of anything like that, and I’ve grown up around this game,” McVay said postgame.

The Rams stayed cool and got into field-goal range after that. But Harrison Mevis, who hadn’t missed a kick this season, pushed a go-ahead field-goal attempt wide right. The Seahawks had two possessions after that in regulation and the Rams had one, but neither team scored so the game went to overtime.

Los Angeles almost made the first mistake in the extra period. Stafford’s pass to Corum went off his hands and it seemed linebacker Ernest Jones IV intercepted it. But a replay showed the ball hit the ground. After that, Stafford hit Nacua on a crossing route and Nacua went into the end zone for the score. Nacua had 12 catches for 225 yards and Stafford had 457 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t enough.

The Seahawks had one more rally left in them. Darnold led the Seahawks inside the Rams’ 5-yard line. Darnold hit Smith-Njigba for a touchdown. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald had a decision and decided to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. Saubert got underneath and wasn’t covered, and Darnold hit him.

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The Seahawks now control the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Midway through the fourth quarter, that seemed unfathomable.

Michael King is going back to the San Diego Padres. How long he stays there is completely up to him.

The standout pitcher has agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract with the Padres in free agency, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The deal reportedly contains a $12 million signing bonus, a 2026 salary of $5 million, a $28 million player option for 2027 (with a $5 million buyout) and a $30 million player option for 2028.

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So this could effectively be a one-year, $22 million contract, a two-year, $45 million contract or a three-year, $75 million deal. The outcome depends on whether King performs well enough to warrant another foray into free agency.

Yahoo Sports had King ranked as this offseason’s No. 19 free agent.

King was on track to sign a contract much bigger than this after the 2024 season, in which he posted a 2.95 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings. The Padres acquired him in the Juan Soto deal and converted him into a full-time starter, with the gambit paying off.

However, 2025 was less kind to King. He went down due to shoulder inflammation in May, then hit the injured list again with a knee injury after his first start back in August. Ultimately, he recorded only 73 1/3 innings in his contract year.

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MLB teams were likely wary of committing long-term money to a pitcher who turns 31 in May and has only one full season as a starting pitcher under his belt, even if it was a very good season.

King’s return is a boon for the Padres, who entered this offseason with massive questions in their rotation behind top starter Nick Pivetta. Workhorse Dylan Cease has already left the team for a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Yu Darvish will miss all of 2026 after undergoing elbow surgery. Joe Musgrove will be making his return from Tommy John surgery and might not be able to pitch a full season. Randy Vásquez’s 2025 was solid on the surface, but nearly every peripheral number screams regression to a level San Diego won’t like.

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There aren’t many good options for the Padres after that group. For a team trying to compete with the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, that’s a big problem. The King deal gives the Padres the kind of pitcher they sorely need, even if it might end up being for just one more year.

The College Football Playoff officially begins on Dec. 19 with a matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners. The SEC rivals only just met a few weeks ago during the regular season; the Sooners picked up a 23-21 win against the Crimson Tide back on Nov. 15. While their late season four-game winning streak offers the team some hope, historically they’ve struggled in the playoffs. (The Sooners are 0-4 in College Football Playoff games, holding the dubious honor of being the only program in the country with multiple CFP appearances and no wins.)

The Alabama vs. Oklahoma game airs on ABC and will stream on ESPN Unlimited. Here’s how to watch Friday’s college football playoff game and what to know about how to watch the rest of the NCAA football season.

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How to watch the Alabama vs. Oklahoma game:

Date: Friday, Dec. 19

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV Channel: ABC

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo and more

When is the Alabama vs. Oklahoma game?

You can watch coverage of this week’s Alabama vs. Oklahoma game starting at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 19.

Where to watch the Alabama vs. Oklahoma game without cable

You can tune in to the Alabama vs. Oklahoma game on ABC as part of ESPN on ABC. ABC is available on streaming platforms, including DirecTV and Sling, but for the most comprehensive college football coverage, you can also watch this game and hundreds more on the ESPN app with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.

College football playoff game/bowl schedule this week:

All time Eastern

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Friday, Dec. 19

11 a.m. | Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan | Myrtle Beach Bowl (Conway, S.C.) | ESPN
2:30 p.m. | Memphis vs. NC State | Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa, Fla.) | ESPN
8 p.m. | No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma | College Football Playoff First Round Game | ABC

Saturday, Dec. 20

12 p.m. | No. 10 Miami (Fla.) at No. 7 Texas A&M | College Football Playoff First Round Game | ABC
3:30 p.m. | No. 20 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss | College Football Playoff First Round Game | TNT
7:30 p.m. | No. 24 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon | College Football Playoff First Round Game | TNT

Monday, Dec. 22

2 p.m. | Utah State vs. Washington State | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, Idaho) | ESPN

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Tuesday, Dec. 23

2 p.m. | Louisville vs. Toledo | Boca Raton Bowl (Boca Raton, Fla.) | ESPN
5:30 p.m. | Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss. | New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, La.) | ESPN
9 p.m. | Ohio vs. UNLV | Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas) | ESPN

Wednesday, Dec. 24

8 p.m. | Cal vs. Hawai‘i | Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu, Hawai’i) | ESPN

Friday, Dec. 26

1 p.m. | Northwestern vs. Central Michigan | GameAbove Sports Bowl (Detroit, Mich.) | ESPN
4:30 p.m. | New Mexico vs. Minnesota | Rate Bowl (Phoenix, Ariz.) | ESPN
8 p.m. | UTSA vs. FIU | First Responder Bowl (Dallas, Texas) | ESPN

How to watch college football games in 2025

NCAA football games will air across ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and the college conference networks. If you don’t have cable, it can be challenging to stay up-to-date with your favorite team. Here’s what we recommend to stream NCAA football in 2025.

More ways to watch NCAAF games this season

February 22, 2026

Hello Yahoo! I’m Derek Carty of EV Analytics and the creator of THE BLITZ projection system, which if you have Yahoo+, you’ll notice is available this year to help you manage your teams. Here, I’ll be digging into three players projected to play above their usual level, and three players projected to play below their usual level.

Michael Carter, Cardinals

THE BLITZ Week 16 Projection: 12.2 carries, 2.9 receptions, 72 yards, 0.47 TD

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Week 16 vs. YTD: RB23 vs. RB51

With Bam Knight hitting injured reserve, Carter figures to be the lead back for Arizona down the stretch. Head coach Jonathan Gannon basically confirmed this when asked about his comfort level with Carter as the lead, replying, “Very comfortable. I thought Mike played extremely well in Houston.” (h/t Coachspeak Index Discord)

Emari Demercado will eat into that workload a bit, but Carter figures to get plenty of work on the ground and through the air to make him a very valuable late-season addition for anyone in need of RB help.

James Cook III, Bills

THE BLITZ Week 16 Projection: 21.6 carries, 1.9 receptions, 118 yards, 0.76 TD

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Week 16 vs. ROS: 18.78 PPR points vs. 14.8 PPR points per game

Cook has had some of his best games (and best projections) when Buffalo is leading by a lot. Against a weak Cleveland offense, the Bills are 10-point favorites, setting Cook up for a lot of rushing attempts.

They also have the fifth-highest team total on the slate at 26, creating plenty of potential touchdown equity for Cook. Throw in the sub-freezing temperatures and Cleveland’s fast-paced play, and we have quite a few factors pointing in Cook’s direction this week.

Mason Tipton, Saints

THE BLITZ Week 16 Projection: 5.4 targets, 2.9 receptions, 34 yards, 0.24 TD

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Week 16 vs. YTD: 7.96 PPR points vs. 1.26 PPR points per game

Tipton is a player whom head coach Kellen Moore and his coaching staff have been talking up since the preseason. He hasn’t had much of a chance to show what he’s got yet, but with Devaughn Vele out this week, Tipton figures to be the No. 2 or 3 option in this offense. Granted, it’s the Saints, but this is still a player that coaching thinks is talented who should be out there nearly every play with limited target competition, playing at home in the dome. More of a deep-league consideration, but a guy who could have a sneaky-good week.

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

THE BLITZ Week 16 Projection: 36.1 attempts, 18.6 completions, 219 yards, 1.57 TD

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Week 16 vs. Last 4 Weeks: QB20 vs. QB1

Lawrence has been on a heater of late, and head coach Liam Coen has talked repeatedly about what a high level he’s playing at and all the things he’s doing well. That said, this week sets up as a potential let-down spot for T-Law as he squares off against the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos have an elite defense that also happens to run man coverage shells at the highest rate in the league. This is notable for Lawrence because he has one of the most pronounced man/zone splits of any quarterback, favoring zone defenses.

Audric Estimé (and Evan Hull), Saints

THE BLITZ Week 16 Projection: 9.3 carries, 1.8 receptions, 53 yards, 0.23 TD

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With Devin Neal officially ruled out for this week, those desperate for running back value may be tempted to dip into the New Orleans backfield, but that seems ill-advised. Estimé is the bigger name and the guy people may gravitate towards, but this looks much more like an ugly split-backfield (for a bad offense, no less) than anything else. After Neal went down with injury last week, Estimé took more of the targets while Hull took more of the carries. I far prefer Michael Carter (or even a guy like Kenneth Gainwell) to either of these guys for anyone in need of a running back this week.

Omarion Hampton, Chargers

THE BLITZ Week 16 Projection: 11.2 carries, 1.7 receptions, 62 yards, 0.59 TD

Week 16 vs. ROS: RB29 vs. RB25

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When J.K. Dobbins went down with injury midway through the season, Hampton was primed to be one of the top fantasy options at running back until he himself succumbed to injury.  He’s finally healthy again, but in his absence, Kimani Vidal established himself as a legitimate backfield option, with head coach Jim Harbaugh on multiple occasions referring to him as a “No. 1” running back in the league.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman alluded to a “1-2 punch” when Hampton returned, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen. Hampton has taken just 43% and 54% of the carries in the two weeks he’s been back, and his routes have been more than cut in half from where they were earlier in the season. More recently, Roman has said that the team will play the “hot hand” and that both guys are hot right now, making this a very murky situation and Hampton a much less usable asset than many hoped he’d be.

U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams’ knee injury will sideline him for two-to-three months, curtailing his Bournemouth season and jeopardizing his availability for the last international window before the World Cup squad is selected.

Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola announced Friday that Adams tore an MCL during a challenge in the early moments of the 4-4 draw against Manchester United on Monday. At the time of the injury, the Premier League club suspected an MCL injury but didn’t know the severity.

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“He will definitely be out for some time,” Iraola said. “From our previous experience with MCL injuries, it is normally around two or three months. It’s a big blow because he is an important player for us. Straight away, when you see the mechanism of the injury and the action itself, we felt it could be something serious.”

Beset with injuries the past three years, Adams has rebounded to start 15 of Bournemouth’s 16 league matches this season. His only absence came because of a yellow card suspension this month. He has scored twice and added one assist.

“Tyler is very valuable for us and very unique in what he does,” Iraola said. “We do have options [in defensive midfield], but it’s true that Tyler is difficult to replace.”

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The 2022 U.S. World Cup captain has not played for the national team since the September friendlies against South Korea and Japan. He missed the October window to remain in England with his pregnant wife and withdrew from last month’s window because of a concussion suffered in the last Bournemouth match before he was scheduled to report to U.S. camp.

This knee injury could force Adams to miss the friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in late March in Atlanta — the final camp before Mauricio Pochettino names his World Cup squad in late May.

Such an absence certainly would not disqualify him from the World Cup. Even if he’s out until late March, he would have more than six weeks to reclaim his place in Bournemouth’s lineup. If healthy and in form, he would seem almost certain to be part of Pochettino’s 26-man World Cup roster.

In Adams’ absence this fall, Pochettino’s partnerships in defensive midfield featured Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris, Cristian Roldan, James Sands and Sebastian Berhalter.

The San Diego Padres and Sung-mun Song have reportedly agreed on a contract, according to Fansided’s Robert Murray.

Terms of the deal have not been released.

The 29-year-old Korean infielder was posted last month and had until Sunday to sign with an MLB team before having to return to the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League.

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Song, primarily a third baseman, has played the past six seasons with Kiwoom and recorded 80 home runs, 454 RBI and a .283 batting average in 2,889 plate appearances. His past two seasons have seen career-high production, with 194 total RBI, 45 home runs and a .328 batting average.

In August, Song signed a six-year contract extension with Kiwoom worth $8.7 million in guaranteed money, the largest multiyear deal given to a non-free-agent position player in the league’s history, according to the Korea Times.

Despite the contract, Kiwoom said they would support Song if he chose to be posted.

“The team has been really supportive,” Song said. “They are aware of my plan [to be posted].”

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Song will be the sixth Kiwoom player to sign with an MLB team, joining Atlanta Braves infielder Ha-Seong Kim, San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim.

As with any signing of a player who has been posted, the posting fee is 20% for the first $25 million, 17.5% for the next $25 million and an additional 15% on every dollar above $50 million.

News of Song’s signing comes a day after the Padres brought back starter Michael King on a three-year, $75 million contract.

A prime-time battle for first place in the NFC North. Followed by another clash between rivals tied atop the NFC South.

Plus a showdown between two red-hot AFC division leaders, and a Sunday Night Football contest in which a .500 AFC North squad is favored over the 11-win leader of the AFC East.

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Needless to say, NFL schedule-makers hit the jackpot in Week 16. Now let’s see if we can help you hit the jackpot by breaking down a slew of current and historical NFL betting trends related to all four of these highly intriguing matchups.

All listed odds are via BetMGM and subject to change.

Green Bay Packers (-1, 46.5) at Chicago Bears

Kickoff: Saturday, 8:20 p.m. ET

Moneyline: Packers -115/Bears +105

• The NFC North’s top two teams hook up for the second time in three weeks, this time in the Windy City.

Back in Week 14, the Packers welcomed Chicago to Lambeau Field and held on 28-21, barely cashing as 6.5-point home favorites.

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From there, Green Bay took its season-best four-game SU and three-game ATS winning streaks to Denver and saw both go up in flames in a 34-26 loss as 1.5-point road chalk.

Conversely, the Bears rebounded from the disappointing defeat in Wisconsin by blasting Cleveland 31-3 in Week 15, easily covering as 7.5-point favorites.

• When it comes to impressive NFL betting trends, it’s difficult to top Green Bay’s utter dominance of the Bears that dates back nearly two decades.

The Packers have won 29 of 35 head-to-head meetings since 2008 (going 26-9 ATS), including 12 of 13 since 2019 (11-2 ATS).

What’s more, Green Bay has made Soldier Field a second home for the past 17 years, going 15-2 SU and 13-4 ATS. That includes an ongoing six-game winning streak in Chicago (5-1 ATS).

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• The Packers are 4-2-1 SU  on the road but just 2-5 ATS.

On the other hand, Chicago is 10-2 since Week 3 (8-3-1 ATS), including an active five-game home winning streak (3-1-1 ATS).

• Green Bay has cleared the closing total in three straight games overall and four of the last five. The over is also 6-0 in the Packers’ last six as a visitor.

The total has alternated in the Bears’ last four contests, with Sunday’s game against the Browns staying low. In fact, the under has hit in four of the last five at Soldier Field.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3, 45.5) at Carolina Panthers

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

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Moneyline: Buccaneers -155/Panthers +130

• In another Week 16 division rivalry matchup involving playoff contenders, the slumping Buccaneers visit Carolina. Although both NFC South squads are just 7-7, they are tied atop the division.

Tampa Bay is mired in a 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS slump, the latest setback being a 29-28 loss to the Falcons as a 6-point home favorite in the Week 15 Thursday Night Football game.

Three days later, the Panthers dropped a 20-17 decision to the lowly Saints as 2.5-point road chalk. Carolina has now alternated SU and ATS wins and losses in its last eight games.

• Although it endured 0-6-1 ATS slides in 2022, 2017 and 2006, the Buccaneers have never experienced an 0-7 ATS drought in franchise history.

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Also, since starting the season 3-0 SU and ATS on the road, Tampa has dropped three of four as a visitor both on the field and at the betting window.

Then again, Carolina has lost two of three at home both SU and ATS. However, the one victory was a biggie: a 31-28 Week 14 upset of the Rams as a 10-point underdog.

• For the season, the Panthers are 7-5 SU and 8-4 ATS as an underdog, including 4-1 SU and ATS as a home underdog.

Taking this NFL betting trend a step further, the underdog is 9-5 SU and 10-4 ATS in Carolina games in 2025.

• The Bucs swept the season series from the Panthers in 2024, winning 26-23 in overtime at home and 48-14 on the road.

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Tampa Bay has won five in a row in this rivalry. That’s part of an ongoing 11-2 SU run, in which the Bucs have also gone 9-1 as a favorite and 5-1 in Charlotte.

Over this 13-game span, the Bucs are 9-4 ATS overall against the Panthers and 7-3 ATS as a favorite, but just 4-3 ATS in Carolina.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos (-3, 46.5)

Kickoff: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

Moneyline: Jaguars +135/Broncos -160

• Jacksonville (-13.5) closed as the biggest favorite in Week 15 and had no trouble covering in a 48-20 wipeout of the Jets.

The Jaguars, who sit alone in the AFC South penthouse, have won and covered five in a row for the first time since Weeks 4-8 of 2023.

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Two NFL betting trends to keep an eye on in this one: Jacksonville hasn’t had a six-game SU winning streak since an 11-game run in 1999 and hasn’t cashed in six straight games since 2010.

• Denver overcame a 23-14 second-half deficit in Week 15 and upset the Packers 34-26 as a 1.5-point home underdog.

The Broncos are riding an NFL-best 11-game winning streak. It’s the longest such run since the 1998 squad started 14-0.

Despite the recent on-field success, Denver is just 6-8 ATS for the season (6-5 ATS during its winning streak).

• Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw a career-high five touchdown passes in last week’s drubbing of the Jets.

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Lawrence now has multiple scoring passes in four straight games for the first time in his career (12 TDs in all). He also hasn’t thrown an interception in three straight contests.

This week, Lawrence faces a Broncos defense that has yielded just 14 passing TDs (tied for third-fewest in the NFL) but corralled only nine interceptions.

Lawrence’s odds to throw two-plus TDs on Sunday: from +118 to +135, depending on the sportsbook. His odds to throw a pick: from -120 to -160.

• Jacksonville has scored at least 25 points in 11 of 14 games, including the last seven in a row. During this seven-game stretch, the Jags are averaging 32.9 points.

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So it’s no surprise that the over is 7-4 in Jacksonville’s last 11 games. Also, five of the team’s six true road contests have hurdled the total.

Meanwhile, eight of the Broncos’ first 11 games fell short of the total, but the over has cashed in their last three.

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens (-3, 48)

Kickoff: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

Moneyline: Patriots +125/Ravens -150

• The Patriots’ 10-game winning streak came to an end in stunning fashion in Week 15, as they blew a 21-0 lead at home to Buffalo and lost 35-31 as 2.5-point underdogs.

The good news for New England heading into this Sunday Night Football contest in Buffalo: It hasn’t lost or failed to cover in consecutive games all season.

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Not only that, but the Patriots possess the NFL’s only unbeaten road record at 6-0. They covered the spread in five of those contests, part of an overall 9-5 ATS mark that’s tied with Jacksonville and San Francisco for third-best in the league.

• Baltimore went to Cincinnati as a 3-point favorite in Week 15 and emerged with a 24-0 win, its first shutout since Week 6 of the 2018 season.

With the blowout victory, the Ravens halted a four-game ATS slide. Still, they bring several negative NFL betting trends into this contest: 5-9 overall, 2-6 at home and 2-4 as a home chalk.

• After throwing for at least 259 yards in six straight games, New England quarterback Drake Maye was held to a season-low 155 yards against the Bills.

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Then again, Buffalo has the No. 2-ranked pass defense in the NFL. Baltimore ranks 26th.

Maye has faced three secondaries positioned right below the Ravens: Pittsburgh (27th), Cincinnati (28th) and Tampa Bay (29th). His respective passing totals in those three contests: 268, 294 and 270.

Maye is projected for 236.5 passing yards Sunday night.

• Since the franchise was founded in 1996, the Ravens are 3-9 SU and 3-8-1 ATS against New England in the regular season.

However, Baltimore has won two of three meetings with quarterback Lamar Jackson leading the offense.

• The over is 6-2 in New England’s last eight contests. Also, all five Patriots-Ravens battles in Baltimore have soared past the closing number, with combined point totals of 84, 51, 61, 48 and 57.

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That being said, only four Patriots’ games this season have cleared 48 total points.

Similarly, Baltimore and its opponents have eclipsed 48 total points just once in the last nine contests — and that was the Ravens’ 27-22 loss to Pittsburgh in Week 14.

Not only did we get one of the best games of the season to start Week 16 but fantasy football managers who were lucky enough to roster one or more of the top players from Rams-Seahawks were rewarded handsomely. Seattle would go on to top L.A. in a wild OT thriller, 38-37.

Let’s recap the action and how it impacted your fantasy playoff matchup.

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Rams star Puka Nacua posted the highest fantasy output by a wide receiver all season, finishing with 12 catches for 225 yards and two TDs (40.5 fantasy points), one of those scores a 41-yard catch-and-run to nearly give the Rams the win in overtime. Over the past three weeks, Nacua has 28 catches for 573 yards and four touchdowns, a one-man wrecking crew that has likely helped you take care of opponents on your way to and through the fantasy playoffs. His best game came with teammate Davante Adams (hamstring) sidelined.

Throwing Nacua the ball must be fun for Matthew Stafford, who was pretty close to putting a stamp on booking his first NFL MVP award (though he still may take it home, even though the Rams lost). Stafford finished the shootout with a season-high 457 passing yards and three touchdowns, good for 30.88 fantasy points in the loss. That was Stafford’s highest output of the season as he continues to lead the NFL in touchdown passes (40) and now passing yards (4,179).

If you had both players in half-PPR, starting your fantasy football semifinal matchup off with 70+ points is a decent way to begin Week 16.

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You know who else may be doing the snoopy dance this morning? Kenneth Walker III managers.

Finally. Walker came through in the biggest spot of the season (hopefully you didn’t decide to bench him on TNF). The Seahawks RB finished Thursday night with 164 yards on 14 touches with a touchdown, good for a season-high 23.9 fantasy points. A lot of his production came on chunk plays of 46 and 55 yards but we had been waiting for those types of explosives all season. If you didn’t completely lose faith and bench Walker, he came through with a Christmas miracle.

What’s great about both the Rams and Seahawks players if you end up advancing to your championship game is we shouldn’t see either team take the foot off the gas. Seattle controls its destiny but needs to win in Week 17 to maintain the No. 1 seed in the NFC. L.A. is still alive for the 1-seed as well if the Seahawks falter. Plus, both teams have plus-matchups next week; Seattle faces Carolina and L.A. gets Atlanta. The good times should keep rolling into X-Mas week.

Let’s hit a few other players real quick …

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-Jaxon Smith-Njigba made due with the OT TD to help the Seahawks come back and win. He finished with a solid 8-96-1 line (19.6 FPTS) that will have him in the top-12 WR conversation for Week 16.

-Colby Parkinson had scored at least 8.4 fantasy points in five of the past six games, finding the end zone six times in that span. He was the third-highest scoring TE on the Rams on Thursday, finishing with two catches for 21 yards, behind both Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson.

-Kyren Williams outtouched Blake Corum 26-15 but it was Corum who found the end zone again. That gave him five TDs over the past four games, which is frustrating for Williams managers. Though, the Rams’ lead back had 85 total yards and three catches to get to 10 fantasy points. Not a complete bust.