Ratings predictions: Cowboys-Eagles & more

The Cowboys and Eagles have been two of the NFL’s most disappointing teams this season, entering their Week 16 matchup with identical .500 records. In a halfway-decent division, neither would be in the playoff race. As it is, Sunday’s clash is a battle for the division lead and a home playoff game. Combine that with the usual appeal of this high-profile, big-market rivalry and the ratings should be quite strong.

Any rating above 13.4 would be the highest in Week 16 since 2015. Given the stakes, ratings should easily clear that bar. Prediction: 14.6.

The Bears’ subpar season has turned what should have been a marquee matchup into a relative dud. Chicago is out of playoff contention, meaning the only stakes Sunday night involve Kansas City’s seeding in the AFC. There may be some appeal to seeing Patrick Mahomes take on one of the NFL’s most-storied franchises for the first time, but not enough to keep ratings afloat. Last year’s comparable Chiefs-Seahawks game had a 10.9. Prediction: 10.0.

The NFL has scheduled a Saturday tripleheader for the first time in 14 years, with all three games carrying playoff implications, and the latter two involving marquee teams New England and San Francisco. Expect strong numbers, at least by the standards of an NFL Network exclusive. In the last four years, ratings for the network’s Saturday games have ranged between a 2.9 and 4.6. Predictions: 2.7, 4.5 and 4.7.

For the first time since it last aired the national championship, ABC airs a primetime bowl game. The Las Vegas Bowl has long been a solid draw, and this year’s matchup pits a pair of familiar teams. While the NFL competition will not help, ratings should be the highest since 2012 — the last time the game aired in primetime (2.9). Prediction: 2.5.

With the Las Vegas Bowl moving to primetime, the Boca Raton Bowl slides into ABC’s vacant mid-afternoon window. Ratings will assuredly increase over last year’s 0.8 on ESPN, though that is not saying much. Will the game score its highest rating ever? The current mark is a 1.4 for the inaugural edition five years ago. Prediction: 1.3.

They are two of college basketball’s best-known programs, but neither UCLA nor North Carolina are currently ranked — and the latter is on a four-game losing streak. That should sap much of the anticipation from Saturday’s game, if there was much anticipation for December college basketball in the first place. Still, it would not take much for ratings to top Ohio State-UCLA in the same window last year (1.0). Prediction: 1.1.