NFL Week 17 Picks: Latest Predictions and over-Under Odds

Week 17 may provide as much drama as any week, with 16 games jam-packed into a single Sunday, but it's also arguably the most frustrating week for bettors.  Trying to predict how much starters will play is a frustrating and usually fruitless exercise that typically leads to exasperation.

Thus, to stay ahead of the curve, keeping attuned to each team's potential plans is vital.  Lines shift drastically on the final Sunday—for example, after opening as 10-point favorites against the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots are now favored by just five after clinching home-field advantage via the Denver Broncos' Monday night loss. 

Games like that seem untouchable, especially when one attempts to decipher a Bill Belichick press conference transcript.  Examining the ever-changing over-under odds via Odds Shark, here's advice on how to keep up and exploit some of the most currently favorable lines.

Game	O/U	O/U Pick
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans	46.5	Under
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons	47.5	Over
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens	42.5	Under
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins	49	Over
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers	48	Over
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans	40.5	Over
San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs	42	Over
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins	42	Under
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings	44	Under
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots	44	Over
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants	52	Under
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	46.5	Over
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos	47.5	Under
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers	36.5	Under
St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks	41	Under
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers	47.5	Over

Browns vs. Ravens (Under 42.5)

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One of the lowest lines of the week, taking the under here largely reflects how hopeless the Cleveland Browns offense has become.  During their four-game losing streak, the Browns have averaged a league-low 11.8 points per game, while their 4.2 yards per play is the third-lowest mark during that span.

Regardless of whether a battered Brian Hoyer or undrafted rookie Connor Shaw starts on Sunday, it's difficult to envision the Browns even reaching double digits against a stout Ravens defense in desperate need of a win to keep their postseason hopes alive.  For now, reports suggest that Shaw is the likelier candidate, given that he'll take nearly all the first-team reps in practice:

That would put the burden on the Ravens to push this line to the overs.  While Joe Flacco is unlikely to replicate his 4-of-22 start from last Sunday, Baltimore's offense is also quite battered.  Starting tackles Eugene Monroe and Ricky Wagner are likely out (Wagner is already on IR), and the clock is quickly striking midnight on Justin Forsett's Cinderella season.

Even though injuries have thinned out the front seven and taken away top ball hawk Tashaun Gipson, the Browns have still yet to allow more than 30 points in a game this season.  The Ravens look like an unlikely candidate to eclipse that mark, making this a safe bet for the unders.

Saints vs. Buccaneers (Over 46.5)

Even though neither team has anything left to play for, it's puzzling to see this line so low.  In a game featuring two poor defenses—Tampa Bay ranks 20th in Football Outsiders' opponent-adjusted DVOA metric, while New Orleans ranks 31st—it would hardly be surprising to see the combined score reach the 50s.

In particular, the Saints' combination of a disintegrating defense and a still-efficient offense make them over-under darlings.  According to Pro-Football-Reference, New Orleans has hit the over in six of their past seven weeks.  On the season as a whole, the Saints have hit the over in 10 of 15 games.

Of course, Tampa's wretched offense provides reason for pause.  The Bucs offense, which ranks dead last in DVOA, has scored over 17 points just once in their past 10 games.  However, Tampa's best offensive output of the season happened to come at the Superdome, when they posted 31 points in a tough overtime defeat.

The Saints secondary has regressed from its already lousy levels since then, which should allow Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson to feast downfield.  While New Orleans is a fairly safe bet to continue putting up points, look for Tampa to chip in its part to push this to the overs.

Bengals vs. Steelers (Over 47.5)

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The regular-season finale pits two teams with significant defensive holes, even if the recent results haven't revealed them.  When Cincinnati and Pittsburgh met three weeks ago, the teams combined for 62 points, as the quality of skill position talent on both offenses overwhelmed several overmatched defensive starters.

Those defensive lineups haven't changed in that time, so stars like A.J. Green and Le'Veon Bell will still get to exploit the likes of William Gay and Rey Maualuga.  The Steelers offense, which ranks first in weighted DVOA, has been on a serious roll of late:

Similarly, the Bengals have averaged 25.2 points per game since their Week 10 Thursday night debacle against Cleveland, the 10th-best mark in the league over that span.  This line is likely a bit lower because of the frigid conditions at Heinz Field.  Over the last five seasons, eight out of 12 December games at Pittsburgh have gone to the unders, per PFR, including last week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Still, Cincy overcame its prime-time stage fright last week, while the Steelers offense is nothing to doubt.  Even in adverse conditions, the recent trends suggest that the combined total should go over the current line.