The last two Super Bowl champions face each other on Sunday in a crunch game that both teams will be desperate to win. The Denver Broncos, who won the Super Bowl last season after beating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, are in danger of failing to make the playoffs this season. They are third in their division but neck and neck with Miami for the final wildcard spot, so it is imperative they win this. But a win for the Patriots would clinch their division for a record eighth straight season and see them secure home advantage for the playoffs, so this really is the biggest and most exciting game of week 15.
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
The Pats went into last season’s AFC Championship Game as reigning NFL champions, having won the Deflategate Super Bowl the previous year, but were stunned by the Broncos, who went on to win the Super Bowl themselves. The Broncos are a real bogey team for the Patriots. They are the only team star Pats quarterback Tom Brady has a losing record against as he is 6-9 against them in his career, and they have regularly been a thorn in the all-conquering Patriots’ side.
However, New England comes into this game on a four-game winning streak and the best record in the league, vying with the Cowboys for top spot in the NFL power rankings. Brady is in sensational form, as usual, and made a mockery of the Ravens’s status as the NFL’s best defence by leading his team to a 30-23 victory over them last weekend. The Pats will be keen to avenge last season’s defeat here with a win that will leave the Broncos’ chances of reaching the playoffs hanging by a thread. The Broncos lost last time out to the Titans, and their chances of securing a wildcard spot are really in jeopardy. The Broncos’ defence is also very strong, but Brady is on a roll right now and can lead the Pats to victory here, with Sky Bet offering 8/13 on this.
Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins
The Panthers, defeated by the Broncos in last season’s Super Bowl, are struggling badly this season and already out of contention. Teams usually suffer a Super Bowl hangover, as shown by Denver, but the Panthers have taken this to new heights as they are bottom of their division at 5-8. None of the five victories has come against a winning team, and they face an in-form Washington team that is still battling for the playoffs.
The Redskins are still in the hunt for a wildcard spot as only the Giants and the Buccaneers currently have a better record than them out of all the second placed teams in the NFC. They got the better of the Eagles in their last game and can continue the winning run against another team with nothing left to play for. They are just half a game behind the Buccaneers and need a win here to boost their chances, and Kirk Cousins will be leading the charge as he has enjoyed a fantastic season so far. The 10/11 Betfred has on the Redskins to cover a -5 spread looks a great bet.
Detroit Lions at New York Giants
Another massive game as the Lions are top of their division, on a five-game winning streak and can qualify for the playoffs with a win here, while the Giants are trying to keep pressure on the Pats and cling onto their wildcard spot. It should be a tight game and the 20/21 on offer at Paddy Power on the Lions +4 against the spread looks interesting.
