NFL Week 17 Betting Picks: Giants, Bears, Cardinals as Regular Season Ends

A few teams are still fighting for the remaining NFL playoff spots in Week 17, while many more will simply be riding out the rest of the regular season with eyes already set on next year.

The key to betting Week 17 games is picking which teams are the most motivated to finish out the season with a victory and which ones couldn't care less.

The most obvious team in a state of flux is the Philadelphia Eagles (6-9) after management fired head coach Chip Kelly on Tuesday. The Eagles visit the New York Giants (6-9) as three-point betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark and have won 12 of the past 15 meetings both straight up and against the spread.

However, you can essentially throw those trends out the window and back the Giants, who may be playing for the last time with their head coach, Tom Coughlin, on the sidelines.

Coughlin has led the team to two Super Bowl wins and might be the next to go, so his players will want to make sure he goes out a winner. Look for New York to take care of business with a win and cover against Philadelphia.

The Chicago Bears (6-9) and Detroit Lions (6-9) are fighting to stay out of the NFC North cellar, with the former out for revenge from a 37-34 overtime loss in the first meeting as 3.5-point road underdogs.

The Bears will be without wide receiver Alshon Jeffery due to a hamstring injury, but that did not matter when they upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26-21, last week as three-point road dogs. Chicago’s coaching staff has a lot to play for here, with offensive coordinator Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio possibly heading elsewhere if new opportunities open up.

Meanwhile, the jury is still out on Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell, who may or may not be back. The Lions have won the past five meetings with the Bears, but the visiting team is just 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 games between them, according to the Odds Shark NFL database. Ride with Chicago here.

The Arizona Cardinals (13-2) have already clinched a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs, but they also have a shot at the top seed with a win over the Seattle Seahawks (9-6) and a loss by the Carolina Panthers (14-1) to the Buccaneers (6-9).

The Seahawks don't have much to play for in this spot with a playoff berth already clinched and will likely rest key players, so check the latest NFL odds at the sportsbooks and jump on Arizona before the line gets too high.

The Cardinals are the play, riding a nine-game winning streak and closing out regular seasons strong historically with a 9-3 ATS mark in Week 17 over the last 12 years.