NFL Week 17 Picks: Predicting the Winner and Final Scores for All Season Finales

Week 16 did its part to sort out the NFL playoff picture.

The whimpering NFC East and AFC South divisions are now either all (NFC East) or all but (AFC South) wrapped up, and the three-team AFC Wild Card deadlock lost the Pittsburgh Steelers from its ranks.

However, there are still several games in Week 17 that have seeding implications. For example, the Denver Broncos could still finish with the No. 1 or No. 6 seed in the AFC, and most spots in between.

Let's pick all 16 games of the week, then focus on a few of the important matchups in the 2015 season's final slate of contests.

Away	Home	Spread	Prediction
New York Jets (10-5)	Buffalo Bills (7-8)	NYJ -3	Jets, 24-20
New England Patriots (12-3)	Miami Dolphins (5-10)	NE -9	Patriots, 30-20
New Orleans Saints (6-9)	Atlanta Falcons (8-7)	ATL -4	Falcons, 31-24
Baltimore Ravens (5-10)	Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)	CIN -7	Bengals, 24-21
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)	Cleveland Browns (3-12)	PIT -9.5	Steelers, 28-21
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10)	Houston Texans (8-7)	HOU -6.5	Texans, 24-12
Tennessee Titans (3-12)	Indianapolis Colts (7-8)	N/A	Colts, 27-13
Washington Redskins (8-7)	Dallas Cowboys (4-11)	DAL -3.5	Redskins, 17-16
Philadelphia Eagles (6-9)	New York Giants (6-9)	NYG -3	Giants, 28-20
Detroit Lions (6-9)	Chicago Bears (6-9)	CHI -1	Lions, 26-19
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-9)	Carolina Panthers (14-1)	CAR -11	Panthers, 34-7
Oakland Raiders (7-8)	Kansas City Chiefs (10-5)	KC -7	Chiefs, 26-17
San Diego Chargers (4-11)	Denver Broncos (11-4)	DEN -7.5	Broncos, 24-17
Seattle Seahawks (9-6)	Arizona Cardinals (13-2)	ARI -4.5	Cardinals, 31-21
St. Louis Rams (7-8)	San Francisco 49ers (4-11)	STL -3.5	Rams, 19-10
Minnesota Vikings (10-5)	Green Bay Packers (10-5)	GB -3.5	Packers, 26-24

Marquee Matchups

Oakland Raiders (7-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (10-5)

No one could've seen a nine-game winning streak leading to a playoff berth for the Chiefs at the midway point of the season. But here we are.

Even after the Denver Broncos' thrilling 20-17 overtime win against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night, Kansas City has a chance to finish off an amazing comeback to win the AFC West. The Chiefs host the Raiders Sunday and can do their part by taking care of an upstart Oakland squad that is eliminated from the playoffs but possesses the weapons to make the game interesting.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

At the same time, though, Denver has a very wide range of seeding possibilities on the line. If the Broncos win, they will be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. If they lose, they're looking at either No. 3, No. 5 or No. 6. That's obviously significant, as the difference between those two seed groupings is an extra week off.

But to make the race interesting at all, Kansas City must win Sunday. Head coach Andy Reid says his team will play to beat the Raiders "as we sit here right now," per ESPN's Adam Teicher. The Chiefs defense hasn't allowed more than 22 points since Week 4, and I don't see that streak stopping against a dangerous, but inexperienced Raiders offense.

Look for a 26-17 Kansas City win.

Minnesota Vikings (10-5) at Green Bay Packers (10-5)

Both of these squads are in the postseason. That much we know.

But the all-important seeding and pride that comes from winning the NFC North division will both be on the line Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The winner of the contest will grab the No. 3 seed in the conference and have a home playoff game. The loser will be either the No. 5 or 6 seed and go on the road to start the postseason.

It's really hard to bet against the Packers' Aaron Rodgers on his home field. Although he's lost two games there this season (including a Thanksgiving contest to the unimposing Chicago Bears), his track record there is well-documented; he went nearly three years between 2012 and 2015 without throwing a home-field interception, leading his team to a 16-0 record in those games.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

However, the Vikings have done extremely well the past three weeks, winning two blowouts and narrowly losing on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is blossoming before our eyes, Adrian Peterson continues to be the league's premier bell-cow back at age 30 and the defense is above-average at stopping both the run and the pass.

I ultimately trust Rodgers and his veteran supporting cast just a little bit more on their home field, and that's why I have Green Bay winning 26-24.

Seattle Seahawks (9-6) at Arizona Cardinals (13-2)

This other key NFC matchup occurs a few hours earlier Sunday and isn't going to decide a division winner, but it does have some playoff implications.

Seattle currently sits sixth in the playoff seeding (and won't move out of the postseason bracket), but it has a chance at moving up to fifth if it defeats Arizona and the Packers beat the Vikings. That looks like an unlikely scenario, but it's certainly worth playing for. A matchup against the Washington Redskins looks a lot easier than one against Green Bay or Minnesota.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Arizona is the NFC's No. 2 seed right now, but it has a chance to move up if the Carolina Panthers somehow fall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. The games occur at the same time, so both squads must assume the top seed is still up for grabs when they take the field.

All things considered, the Cardinals are the best team in the NFL. Their plus-204 point differential is the top single-season mark since the 2013 Denver Broncos, and Arizona may very well surpass that mark against Seattle. Arizona should take advantage of a weak Seattle offensive line and get to Russell Wilson, although the star quarterback will make some plays.

The Cardinals will win, and a score in the vicinity of 31-21 seems likely.