NFL Playoff Odds 2016: Latest Spreads and Wild-Card Picks Before Week 17

If you'll allow a firm contradiction, the NFL's playoff picture is at the same time clear and entirely up in the air. Of the 12 playoff spots, 10 are filled and another will be clinched by the Houston Texans barring an anomaly of historic proportions this weekend.

At the same time, basically nothing is decided from a seeding perspective. Washington and Houston are going to wind up being their respective conference's No. 4 seed because that's what happens when you win a division when barely reaching .500. Otherwise, everything ranging from home-field advantage in both conferences to multiple division crowns will be on the line Sunday.

The Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers can probably breathe easiest. Regardless of what happens, they will be sitting at home next week comfortably. The Panthers and Patriots can clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with wins against low-level competition, tasks they failed to accomplish in Week 16. 

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady discussed the Week 17 matchup with Westwood One Radio (via Andrew Dowdeswell of Fansided):

"

It’s all hands on deck this week against Miami because we have to win this game. We’ve been fighting all offseason and all season to get home-field advantage and we have an opportunity to get that this week. We just have to put it all on the line and do whatever it takes to feel good and get ready to go down there and play at a place we always have a tough time playing in Miami. I know they are banged up too and this is the last game of their season, so I am sure they are going to put everything they can into it also.

"

New England can only drop to No. 2 in the case of a loss to Miami and Denver win over San Diego. The Broncos have by far the highest variance scenario on the board. They could wind up with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs or drop all the way to the fifth seed. Kansas City can overtake Denver if the Broncos lose thanks to owning both the conference and divisional tiebreakers.

Game	Spread
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants	NYG -3.5
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo	NYJ -3
Washington at Dallas	DAL -3.5
New Orleans at Atlanta	ATL -4
Oakland at Kansas City	KC -7
Pittsburgh at Cleveland	PIT -10
Minnesota at Green Bay	GB -3.5
Baltimore at Cincinnati	CIN -9
Detroit at Chicago	Pickem
Tampa Bay at Carolina	CAR -11
Jacksonville at Houston	HOU -6
Tennessee at Indianapolis	NL
New England at Miami	NE -10
San Diego at Denver	DEN -9
St. Louis at San Francisco	STL -3
Seattle at Arizona	ARI -4.5

In that case, the Bengals would move into the No. 2 seed and receive a first-round bye. As it stands, they're more likely to land in the third slot, where they will play either the Jets or Steelers. New York can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Bills or a Steelers loss to the Browns. Pittsburgh would need to beat Cleveland and have New York fail for a second time against former head coach Rex Ryan.

The latter scenario would be a worst-case for the Bengals, who are without quarterback Andy Dalton. An outside MVP candidate, Dalton is out at least through the Wild Card Round, per Mike Silver of NFL.com. AJ McCarron would continue as the starting quarterback for as long as Dalton is out of the lineup.

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

The loser in the AFC West race will get what appears to be a gimme in going to Houston. The Texans have spent all season battling incompetence on the offensive end, their efforts largely held up by the singularity of DeAndre Hopkins. Running back Arian Foster is out for the season, Brian Hoyer is Brian Hoyer and there isn't much argument about the Texans entering a home playoff game as underdogs.

In the NFC, everything is more or less sorted out. The Cardinals can ascend to the NFC's No. 1 spot with a win and Panthers loss. The four teams that will play next weekend are sorted out, just not who will be going where.

Most of it depends on Sunday's battle for the NFC North.

If the Vikings win, they'll host Seattle regardless of how the Seahawks fare against Arizona because Green Bay holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. If the Packers and Seahawks win, Seattle will head to Washington as the No. 5 seed, while Minnesota kicks it in Green Bay for another week.

Away	Home	Winner
No. 6 NY Jets	No. 3 Cincinnati	Bengals
No. 5 Kansas City	No. 4 Houston	Chiefs
No. 6 Seattle	No. 3 Green Bay	Seahawks
No. 5 Minnesota	No. 4 Washington	Washington

There isn't much complication to be found here. Looking at the spreads for this week's games, the oddsmakers expect things to hold to form. The Jets are actually three-point favorites on the road in Buffalo, which would eliminate Pittsburgh, and the Packers have extended themselves to a 3.5-point favorite against Minnesota.

With Carolina and Arizona both heavy favorites in their respective games, it would appear Minnesota would head to Washington in this case. New England and Denver are both slated to hold onto their first-round byes, with the Patriots clinching home-field advantage.

Odds are, something wacky will throw a monkey wrench into things. As it stands, though, Vegas appears to be favoring inertia this weekend.