FOX Weather Kickoff: Week 15 FOX NFL picks based on weather forecasts
In our matchups this week, the theme: cold and windy.
(FOX Weather)
Heading into Week 15 of the NFL season, the playoff race in the NFC and AFC is heating up.
In our matchups this week, the theme: cold and windy.
The Buffalo Bills will look to get back on track against the Carolina Panthers. NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys head to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to take on the New York Giants and America's Game of the Week features the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Green Bay Packers.
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On Fridays throughout the season, we pick FOX NFL games based on how teams have historically performed in certain weather conditions using data from SportsWeather.
SportsWeather.com season record: 33-15-1
SportsWeather has its own metrics system that compiles historical game-time weather data and meshes it against both NFL teams and player historical performance.
SportsWeather doesn’t compile data for games that are played in domes and all data is from the last 14 seasons.
MORE: SportsWeather: Predicting NFL games based on historical weather performances
GAME 1: Carolina Panthers (5-8) at Buffalo Bills (7-6) - 1 p.m. Eastern on FOX
It's going to be a cold one in Buffalo for this matchup on Sunday. It's forecast to be 23 degrees (Records - Panthers: 7-8; Bills: 17-17) at game time, with winds blowing at 11 mph (Records - Panthers: 19-22; Bills: 40-42).
In the last three seasons, however, in these same conditions, the Panthers have performed poorly with a record of 1-6 when the temperature was at 23 degrees and 2-9 when the wind was blowing at 11 mph. While the Bills have gone 10-3 and 13-10, respectively, in the same conditions over the last three seasons.
No snow is forecast on Sunday in Buffalo as there's a 0% chance of precipitation (Records - Panthers: 87-81-1; Bills: 81-86).
PICK: SportsWeather.com gives the edge to the Bills and predicts them to beat the Panthers.
GAME 2: Dallas Cowboys (9-4) at New York Giants (4-9) - 1 p.m. Eastern on FOX
This may be one of those games where both teams struggle to throw the ball due to the weather conditions. It's forecast to be 30 degrees (Records - Cowboys: 7-7; Giants: 12-16) at the start of the game.
Winds will be blowing at 21 mph where the Giants hold a 2-1 record, while the Cowboys have not played in a game where the winds reached 21 mph in the last 14 seasons.
Luckily, no inclement weather is forecast as there's a 0% chance of precipitation (Records - Cowboys: 62-50; Giants: 75-86)
PICK: SportsWeather.com gives the edge to the Cowboys and predicts them to beat the Giants.
GAME 3: Green Bay Packers (10-3) at Baltimore Ravens (8-5) - 4:25 p.m. Eastern on FOX
In America's Game of the Week, the forecast looks to be cold and windy, but these two teams are used to playing in those conditions, so it should be fun to watch.
It's forecast to be 36 degrees (Records - Ravens: 30-7; Packers: 23-7), winds blowing at 18 mph (Records - Ravens: 35-21; Packers: 34-17-1) and a 0% chance of precipitation (Records - Ravens: 117-73; Packers: 105-57-2).
PICK: SportsWeather.com gives a slight edge to the Packers and predicts them to beat the Ravens.
Make sure to check out SportsWeather.com just prior to the game for any late-breaking conditions that could impact the outcome as weather (wind forecasted weather) oftentimes rapidly change.