Week 16 is upon us, and Thursday Night Football will kick off soon!
Who is playing on Thursday Night Football? Which team stacks up better on paper? What are the playoff implications of the matchup?
Keep reading to discover who plays on Thursday Night Football in Week 16 of 2023 and who is expected to win.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Who Plays on Thursday Night Football in Week 16?
The New Orleans Saints travel to SoFi stadium to square off against NFC opponent Los Angeles Rams. The game is being shown on Prime Video and will start at 8:15 PM ET.
Both teams have had their ebbs and flows this season and will enter this matchup with a 7-7 record. The Rams are running a little hotter as of late, winning four out of their last five games to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Saints have also stayed afloat, winning their last two games after a three-game slide.
Who Will Win on Thursday Night Football in Week 16?
The Rams are set as 4.5-point favorites ahead of this TNF matchup. On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams have an edge over New Orleans. The Rams currently have the better scoring, passing, and rushing offense between the two squads.
The defensive edge likely goes to New Orleans in this one. The Saints have the better scoring defense and pass defense, while Los Angeles has the better run defense of the two. The pass defense makes for the biggest discrepancy between the clubs, as the Saints account for the league’s sixth-best pass defense whereas the Rams have a bottom-12 defense through the air.
What Are the Playoff Implications of Thursday Night Football in Week 16?
Both teams come into this matchup with essentially a do-or-die mentality regarding their playoff hopes. The Saints will need to win this game to keep their NFC South title hopes alive, and the Rams need a win to hold onto the seventh seed in the NFC, the spot they currently fill.
According to the NFL’s Nex Gen Stats, the Saints have a 71% chance to make the playoffs with a win, and that shrinks to just 24% with a loss.
On the flip side, the Rams have a 74% chance to make the playoffs with a win, and just a 15% chance to make it with a loss.
Huge playoff implications for this matchup, as the loser will most likely be on the outside looking in for the 2023-24 postseason.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!