NFL Week 17 Predictions: Early Lines, Spreads, Odds, Season Finale Projections

Picking games in Week 17 often comes down to figuring out which teams are trying to win and which are just coasting.

With a lot of seeds already locked up for the playoffs, several squads will rest their key players for at least part of their Week 17 games to avoid any potentially devastating injuries. Meanwhile, those at the bottom of the standings might want to just end the season as quickly as possible rather than fight for an extra win.

Five of the 16 games feature no playoff teams, while many more feature only one. With this in mind, here's a look at the latest predictions heading into the final week of the regular season.

Away	Predicted Score	Home	ATS Pick
New Orleans Saints	28-38	Atlanta Falcons	ATL -6.5
Baltimore Ravens	16-14	Cincinnati Bengals	N/A
New York Giants	21-24	Washington Redskins	NYG +7.5
Houston Texans	13-10	Tennessee Titans	HOU +3
Carolina Panthers	17-24	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB -4
Jacksonville Jaguars	20-28	Indianapolis Colts	IND -6
New England Patriots	24-14	Miami Dolphins	NE -7
Chicago Bears	13-17	Minnesota Vikings	CHI +6
Buffalo Bills	23-10	New York Jets	BUF -6
Dallas Cowboys	20-21	Philadelphia Eagles	N/A
Cleveland Browns	14-27	Pittsburgh Steelers	N/A
Arizona Cardinals	30-13	Los Angeles Rams	ARI -7
Oakland Raiders	19-9	Denver Broncos	N/A
Kansas City Chiefs	24-16	San Diego Chargers	N/A
Seattle Seahawks	20-17	San Francisco 49ers	SF +9
Green Bay Packers	31-27	Detroit Lions	N/A

Top Games to Watch

New York Giants at Washington Redskins

David Banks/Getty Images

The New York Giants have clinched a playoff berth and can't win their division, which makes this game relatively meaningless. On the other hand, the Washington Redskins have a chance to play their way into the postseason with a win.

However, this doesn't necessarily mean it will be an easy victory for Washington.

Even if the Giants use Week 17 to rest some injured players, they still have a lot of defensive talent capable of keeping the Redskins offense in check. The coaching staff is also still preparing for the game like usual.

"When we turn on the tape, we've got to look better than we looked last night," head coach Ben McAdoo said after the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, per James Kratch of NJ.com. "Washington's a good team, they're a physical team, they have a ton of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, and we need to go down there and play good football."

Washington has a strong offensive line but could struggle against the Giants' pass-rushers, who could put pressure on Kirk Cousins all game long. If Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. even play the first half, they should be able to put up some points against Washington's questionable secondary.

The Redskins will have the urgency needed to win with their season on the line, but it might not be as easy as they believe.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Both teams are safely in the playoffs, but there is still a lot to play for when it comes to seeding.

The New England Patriots were almost in the exact same situation last season, sitting in the No. 1 spot going into Week 17 without clinching the seed. They lost to the Miami Dolphins, allowing the Denver Broncos to take over the top spot in the AFC.

A few weeks later, the Patriots narrowly lost on the road to those same Broncos, who went on to win the Super Bowl.

It's hard to imagine New England will be making the same mistake this time around. Look for the Patriots to keep their starters in for as long as necessary, ensuring they come away with home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

At the same time, the Dolphins are still getting used to Matt Moore filling in at quarterback for the injured Ryan Tannehill. While the veteran has performed well, it will be a challenge to score against a quality Patriots defense.

While this is the only Week 17 game with two 10-win teams, New England will make sure it isn't as close as expected.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions still have a game to play in Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys, but the real battle will take place next Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.

In a week full of divisional battles, this is the only one where the winner will take home the title no matter what else happens.

The Lions have had an excellent season, and their defense hasn't allowed more than 20 points in the last eight games. Matthew Stafford is also playing as efficiently as he has in his career, throwing only eight interceptions through 14 games. He is doing everything he can to win.

However, it doesn't seem like anyone can stop the Packers based on the way they've played lately. They have won five games in a row, scoring 38 points in their wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, two of the top defenses in football.

Aaron Rodgers has been on fire during the winning streak, with 11 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. He scored five total touchdowns in Saturday's win over Minnesota, and Packers coach Mike McCarthy praised his performance via the team's Twitter account:

The Lions secondary could face its toughest test to date in Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams, and Rodgers will take advantage of any mistakes.

Detroit has been in first place in the NFC North for a good portion of the season, but it might need help to make the playoffs. 

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