NFL Predictions Week 17: Odds, Picks and Projections for Final Schedule
Clear your schedule on Jan. 1 because the final week of NFL action features all 16 matchups of Week 17 taking place on Sunday.
That's a lot of football, but is there any better way to spend a lazy day recovering from New Year's Eve?
The final week of the NFL season also means it's your final chance to bet on point spreads for regular-season matchups; as we know, all bets are off in the playoffs, when teams essentially go back to 0-0. And this slate features a lot of juicy divisional contests, as well as some opportunities for teams to clinch their divisions and knock other teams out of the playoffs.
Let's break down the schedule for Week 17, review each game's odds and make some projections ahead of all the action.
| Sunday | BAL | CIN | CIN (-2.5) | Bengals |
| Sunday | HOU | TEN | TEN (-3) | Texans |
| Sunday | CAR | TB | TB (-3.5) | Buccaneers |
| Sunday | CLE | PIT | PIT (-11) | Steelers |
| Sunday | DAL | PHI | PHI (-6) | Cowboys |
| Sunday | BUF | NYJ | BUF (-5) | Bills |
| Sunday | CHI | MIN | MIN (-6.5) | Vikings |
| Sunday | JAC | IND | IND (-7) | Colts |
| Sunday | NE | MIA | NE (-6) | Patriots |
| Sunday | KC | SD | KC (-4.5) | Chiefs |
| Sunday | ARI | LA | ARI (-7.5) | Cardinals |
| Sunday | OAK | DEN | DEN (-3.5) | Broncos |
| Sunday | NYG | WAS | WAS (-5) | Giants |
| Sunday | SEA | SF | SEA (-9) | Seahawks |
| Sunday | NO | ATL | ATL (-6.5) | Falcons |
| Sunday | GB | DET | GB (-3) | Packers |
Safe Bet: New England Patriots (-6) vs. Miami Dolphins
Both the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins are in the middle of long winning streaks; the Pats have won six in a row, and the Dolphins have won three.
However, it's clear who the victor will be in this AFC East showdown. Even without elite tight end Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots are scoring an average of 27.1 points per game, which is the fourth-highest in the NFL.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots defense is making sure opponents don't have a chance to answer back. New England's scoring defense comes in at No. 1 in the league heading into Week 17, allowing just 15.7 points per game on average.
Miami's offense has been a balanced one, averaging 219.7 passing yards per game and 116.6 rushing yards behind Jay Ajayi.
But the Dolphins struggle to post points on the board, ranking 17th in the league in scoring with 23.3 points per week.
Both the Patriots and the Dolphins have already locked down AFC playoff berths; determining seeds is all that's left for these AFC East rivals. And as ESPN.com's Mike Reiss suggested on Twitter, having already secured a postseason bid could mean that Miami begins looking ahead and manages the workload of its top players.
As you make your Week 17 bets, taking the Patriots both straight up over the Dolphins and against the spread seems like a sure thing.
Big Gamble: Philadelphia Eagles (-6) vs. Dallas Cowboys
With this strange point spread, Vegas is hoping bettors feel a close game is possible when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17.
That would be the only logical explanation for this spread, which has the Eagles favored by six points. And since it's not likely that Philadelphia beats Dallas by a touchdown or more, Vegas is hoping bettors are intrigued by the possibility of the Cowboys resting their starters.
However, that seems risky.
Yes, Dallas had its struggles on Monday night against the Detroit Lions. But overall on the season, the Cowboys have been one of the safest bets from week to week.
Dallas is sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 26.1 points per game. And it has one of the most high-octane offenses in the league both through the air and on the ground. Thanks to rookie Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys average 154.5 rushing yards per game, the second-most in the league.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have been good but not great under rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and behind their committee of running backs. Philadelphia is 25th in the league in passing yards per game and 10th in rushing.
Philadelphia could hope that its defense will be able to do what so many have not this season: slow down the Cowboys offense. The Eagles are 13th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 21.2 points per game.
However, this point spread is beyond risky. Just enjoy this game for what it is—a chance for the Cowboys to achieve a 14-win season.
NFL odds via OddsShark and current as of Dec. 26.
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