NFL Week 17 Predictions: Projections for the Early Lines, Spreads and Odds

The final week of the season will feature a few games with playoff implications. For the most part, we know which teams are in the playoffs, we just don't know what the seeds will be. Obviously, there are some meaningless games on tap, but most eyes will be focused on the contests that determine postseason placement and inclusion.

Here's the full schedule, with odds information per Odds Shark and my predictions. Just beneath the table is a closer look at the four biggest games on the schedule.

Sunday, Dec. 28	Odds	Prediction
Carolina at Atlanta	Atlanta, minus-3.5	Carolina
Cleveland at Baltimore	Baltimore, minus-9.5	Baltimore
Dallas at Washington	N/A	Dallas
Indianapolis at Tennessee	Indy, minus-7.5	Indianapolis
Detroit at Green Bay	Green Bay, minus-8	Green Bay
Jacksonville at Houston	Houston, minus-10.5	Houston
San Diego at Kansas City	Kansas City, minus-2.5	San Diego
NY Jets at Miami	Miami, minus-4.5	Miami
Chicago at Minnesota	Minnesota, minus-7.5	Chicago
Buffalo at New England	New England, minus-11	New England
Philadelphia at NY Giants	NY Giants, minus-2.5	Philadelphia
New Orleans at Tampa Bay	New Orleans, minus-3.5	Tampa Bay
Oakland at Denver	N/A	Denver
Arizona at San Francisco	N/A	San Francisco
St. Louis at Seattle	N/A	Seattle
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh	N/A	Pittsburgh

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The NFC North crown is on the line in the season finale at Lambeau Field. The winner could also lock up a first-round bye and at least one home game in the playoffs.

Earlier in the season, the Lions stifled the Packers and beat them 19-7 in Week 3. That was a different Packers team, and the game was in Detroit. Green Bay has been unbeatable at home this season.

It is 7-0, and Aaron Rodgers has torched teams there all year. He hasn't thrown one pick at home, and the Packers are undoubtedly confident heading into the season finale. How good has Rodgers been at Lambeau? Kari Van Horn of NFL Network gives us some numbers.

The key to the game for Detroit will be getting pressure from the front four. If the Lions have to blitz to disrupt Rodgers, he'll eat them alive. In the first meeting, he was sacked twice and hit three times. He needs to get better protection this time around.

As much success as the Lions had in Week 3, we shouldn't expect that to carry over to Week 17. The Packers will consistently try to maintain balance with the run game. The Lions have the best run defense in the NFL, but the Chicago Bears proved in Week 16 that if you can continue to chip away, a team can have success.

Matt Forte had 19 rushes for 55 yards. It wasn't a magical performance, but it was enough to keep Detroit honest. The Bears still lost 20-14 thanks to a bevy of dropped passes, but Chicago also doesn't have Rodgers.

The Packers star will find a way to make enough plays, and the position-roaming Clay Matthews will cause enough disruption to derail the Lions offense.

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Is there a more sentimental favorite right now in the NFL than Cam Newton? Just weeks removed from a scary car crash that could have left him severely injured or worse, he quarterbacked his team to a crucial Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns to set up a battle for the NFC South title in Hotlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons put the New Orleans Saints out of their misery in Week 16, and they hope to win the woeful division.

The most important aspect of this game for the Panthers is to control time of possession. The Panthers don't have the weapons to win a shootout.

However, they can take advantage of a terrible Falcons defense that has just 21 sacks this season. That includes the five the Falcons had on Drew Brees Saturday.

If you think about it, 16 sacks in 14 games is pretty awful. That explains why the team came into Week 16 ranked last in passing yards allowed per game. Look for Carolina to establish the run game early and for Cam to hit a few big play-action passes to Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen. 

Carolina will win the NFC South with a clutch win on the road.

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

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Whether the Bengals lose to the Denver Broncos or not on Monday night, they will be playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the season with the AFC North title on the line.

Andy Dalton has been terrible in prime-time games. I see two more less-than-stellar performances coming from him to close the season. Mike Loyko of NEPatriotsdraft.com lays down the cruel reality for Dalton and Bengals fans.

In Week 14, the Steelers went into Paul Brown Stadium and defeated the Bengals 42-21. Dalton wasn't bad in that game. He threw for 302 yards and two scores, but the Steelers offense did whatever it wanted against the Bengals defense.

Le'Veon Bell ran for 185 yards and two scores. Ben Roethlisberger threw 350 yards, three scores and no interceptions. Can Cincy turn things around against Pittsburgh at Heinz Field? No.

Coming off a Monday night loss to the Broncos, Dalton's confidence will be shaken, and he'll be forced into a  few mistakes. Also, the Steelers run game will pick up where it left off in the Week 14 meeting.

The Steelers will win the division, and the Bengals will need to have gotten help from teams earlier in the day to get the wild card.