NFL Picks Week 17: Advice on Final Regular-Season Vegas Odds and Spreads

The New York Jets have done a lot of hard work as they have reeled off five straight wins to put themselves in the playoff picture.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, the Jets are no longer dependent on any other teams losing to earn a spot in the postseason. All they have to do to earn that playoff spot is beat the Buffalo Bills.

There's a delicious bit of familiarity between the Jets and the Bills that goes beyond their common affiliation as members of the American Football League during its 1960-1969 run. The Bills are coached By Rex Ryan, who served as the Jets head coach from 2009 through 2014.

Ryan was drummed out of MetLife Stadium because the Jets failed to make the playoffs in any of the last four seasons. They made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game in Ryan's first two seasons, but the team regressed during his tenure.

Ryan promised to bring the best out of the Bills when he was hired last winter, but the Bills have been ordinary and failed to win clutch games this season. Now, the only thing they can do is try to beat the Jets when they have a chance to go to the postseason.

Don't believe that the Bills will be able to sustain a 60-minute effort against the Jets. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been coming through when the Jets need him most, and he should be prepared for this game. Fitzpatrick has completed 60.8 percent of his passes and has a fine 29-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The wide receiver duo of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker has been a huge upgrade for the Jets, and they have been among the best in the NFL. Marshall and Decker have combined for 2,353 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.

Running back Chris Ivory gives the Jets running game some toughness and balance.

The Jets are 1.5-point favorites, according to Odds Shark. We expect the Jets to stay focused in this game and overcome the Rex factor, and win the game by at least a field goal.

The Jets are going to the playoffs.

Game	Line	Over/Under	Prediction
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants	N.Y. Giants -3.5	52	Philadelphia; Under
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo	N.Y. Jets -1.5	43	N.Y. Jets; Over
Washington at Dallas	Dallas -4	--	Washington
New Orleans at Atlanta	Atlanta -1.5	52	Atlanta; Over
Oakland at Kansas City	Kansas City -6.5	43.5	Kansas City; Over
Pittsburgh at Cleveland	Pittsburgh -10	47.5	Cleveland; Under
Minnesota at Green Bay	Green Bay -3	48	Minnesota; Under
Baltimore at Cincinnati	Cincinnati -7	--	Baltimore
Detroit at Chicago	Chicago -1	45	Detroit; Under
Tampa Bay at Carolina	Carolina -11	46.5	Tampa Bay; Under
Jacksonville at Houston	Houston -5.5	--	Houston
Tennessee at Indianapolis	Indianapolis -6	--	Indianapolis
New England at Miami	New England -9	--	Miami
San Diego at Denver	Denver -7.5	--	Denver
St. Louis at San Francisco	St. Louis -3.5	37	St. Louis; Over
Seattle at Arizona	Arizona -4.5	47.5	Arizona; Over

Carolina will turn up the defensive pressure against Bucs

The Carolina Panthers saw their 14-game winning streak come to an end against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.

On the surface, it's not that big a deal because head coach Ron Rivera's focus has been on having his team get ready for the playoffs and a potential Super Bowl opportunity. If the Panthers can get back on track this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they will secure the No. 1 spot in the NFC playoffs.

The Panthers should be able to beat the Bucs, but there's another issue. The Carolina defense is supposed to be the backbone of the team, but it has been hurt badly by the New York Giants and the Falcons in the past two weeks.

Rivera needs his defense to take a step back up this week. If the Panthers are going to win the Super Bowl, the combination of Cam Newton and the defense, led by Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, must lead the way. The defense has to get back to shutdown mode once again.

The total in this game is 46.5 points. Look for the Panthers to reassert themselves on defense and limit the Bucs to 10 points or less. That will make this game an under play for the sharp handicapper.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Cardinals will take it to Seahawks once again

The Arizona Cardinals have not lost a game since they dropped a 25-13 decision at Pittsburgh in Week 6. Since then, the Cardinals have won nine straight games.

One of those victories was a 39-32 triumph at Seattle in Week 10. The Cardinals were a good team before they beat the Seahawks; that key road victory earned them the stamp of greatness.

The Cardinals have a chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. That should ensure their best effort here. Since the Panthers are also playing in the late window on Sunday, neither team will be able to back off knowing that the other has already won or lost.

Look for another stellar game from quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are 4.5-point favorites in this game, and they should get the win and cover in what could be a very important game when it comes to determining home-field advantage in the NFC Championship Game.