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For the final time this regular season, the Baltimore Beatdown staff is again picking the winners for the Week 17 slate of contests. Readers can participate by voting in the polls for each game below.
Join in on the fun and chime in with your thoughts on this week’s matchups!
Updated Standings:
- BB readers (165-75)
- Vasilis (162-78)
- Spencer, Dustin (157-83)
- Kyle (156-84)
- Frank, Adrian (155-85)
- Peter (154-86)
- Jakob (151-89)
Consensus Selections —
Our writers were in agreement on the following games in Week 17:
- Vikings > Lions (MIN -6.5)
- Buccaneers > Falcons (TB -7)
- Ravens > Bengals (BAL -12.5)
- Seahawks > 49ers (SEA -6)
- Colts > Jaguars (IND -14)
- Packers > Bears (GB -5.5)
- Saints > Panthers (NO -6.5)
Even without the services of star RB Dalvin Cook, the Vikings are favored by nearly a touchdown against the Lions and are a popular pick with our staff. Neither Minnesota nor Detroit is within grasp of a playoff spot. Nor are the Falcons, who none of our writers picked up upset the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay can clinch the No. 5 seed in the NFC with a victory.
Two teams in the thick of the AFC wild card race, the Ravens and Colts, are both favored by double digits in Week 17. Across the board, they were picked to emerge victorious against the Bengals and Jaguars, respectively. Baltimore would secure a playoff berth by winning but the Colts would need help to get in even with a victory.
The Seahawks were also a popular pick to win this week against the 49ers. Seattle is locked in as the division winner in the NFC West but is still playing for seeding, as they can finish anywhere between No. 3 and No. 1 in the conference. They are favored by six points. Like Seattle, the Saints are also fighting for playoff positioning heading into the regular season finale. Their tasked with defeating the Panthers as a 6.5-point favorite, which all of our writers see them doing.
One of the biggest games of the week is in Chicago, where the Bears are looking to punch their ticket to the postseason by upsetting the Packers as a 5.5-point underdog. On the flip side, the Packers can lock up the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC and clinch home-field advantage with a victory — the consensus prediction amongst our writers.
Lone Wolf Selections —
The following writers were by themselves with these predictions for Week 17:
- Dustin sees the Giants defeating the Cowboys in an NFC East battle (NYG +1.5)
- Adrian believes the Broncos will topple the Raiders in Denver (DEN +2.5)
- Jakob is alone in taking the Texans over the Titans in an AFC South upset (HOU +7.5)
With a division title potentially on the line, all of our writers picked the Cowboys to defeat the Giants — except for Dustin. Dallas has won three straight games and New York has lost three games in a row, but Dustin is favoring the latter as a 1.5-point underdog.
Another game with playoff implications is the Texans vs. Titans, where the Titans can clinch a playoff berth and division title with a victory. Houston can play spoiler as a 7.5-point underdog, which Jakob sees happening. The rest of the crew likes Tennessee to take care of business in a big spot.
Last but not least is Adrian, who is rolling with the Broncos over the Raiders (DEN +2.5). Both of these teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention, but the Raiders are evidently still the popular pick to win and finish with a record of 8-8.