<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - The Bengals, Bears, and 49ers are locks for Week 16"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Excited for the holidays? Got the winter blues? Panicked about shopping?</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Whatever the case, the NFL is trying to do its part to augment, distract or supplement "the most wonderful time of the year." And that means a <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/summary/2553683" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Thursday matchup</a> between the <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/teams/new-orleans-saints/350" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">New Orleans Saints</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/teams/los-angeles-rams/343" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Los Angeles Rams</a> with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/12/17/nfl-playoff-picture-cowboys-nfc-eagles-bills-afc/71953006007/" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">massive ramifications for the wild-card portion of the NFC playoff field</a> … and possibly the NFC South. Saturday serves up two more games (<a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/summary/2553692" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Cincinnati Bengals-Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/summary/2553723" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Chargers</a>), the former another affair sure to impact postseason seeding and the latter featuring the Bills – arguably the AFC's hottest team despite technically residing in ninth place overall in the conference.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">A Christmas Eve Sunday is loaded with stocking stuffers, most notably the <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/teams/dallas-cowboys/331" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Dallas Cowboys'</a> visit to the <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/teams/miami-dolphins/345" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Miami Dolphins</a>, each club trying to lock down its division and possibly home-field advantage … amid whispers they're paper reindeer. Christmas Day itself will arrive with three sizable presents under the tree – <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/summary/2553548" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Las Vegas Raiders-Kansas City Chiefs</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/summary/2553533" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/summary/2553726" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Baltimore Ravens-San Francisco 49ers</a> in prime time in what legitimately could be a Super Bowl 58 preview.</p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">So see the fam, finish up that wrapping, then grab some eggnog and settle in for kickoff. Happy holidays. (And this is how our experts see the weekend unfolding …)</p><h2 class="gnt_ar_b_h2">NFL Week 16 game picks</h2><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em_hf" data-g-r="lazy" data-gl-type="method" data-gl-method="loadHb64" aria-label="NFL Week 16 picks tally" data-t-cel="hb64" data-gl-hb64="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"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">(<a target="_blank" href="https://gtly.to/MpDzEutbm" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">Odds provided by BetMGM</a>. Access more BetMGM odds <a target="_blank" href="https://sports.betmgm.com/en/sports/football-11" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">here</a>.)</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>NFL STATS CENTRAL:</strong> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":body nav (scores)|e|auto spike click:8|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/football/nfl/scores">The latest NFL scores,...</a></p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl-picks/2023/12/21/nfl-picks-predictions-spread-cowboys-dolphins-ravens-niners-week-16/71997168007/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
