NFL Week 17 picks, predictions, odds: Dolphins edge Patriots

The NFL Week 17 schedule is packed with playoff-related drama and intrigue. With only two weeks to go in the 2022 NFL season, three-quarters of the league is jockeying for playoff seeding or a playoff berth. That means it’s time to buckle in because these penultimate games are going to be a wild ride. Here is more of our NFL odds series and the Week 17 picks and predictions for every game on the schedule.

Last week, the Washington Commanders and New York Giants hung onto their playoff spots, the Los Angeles Chargers locked in theirs, and the Cleveland Browns joined the ranks of the officially eliminated. Also, the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills set themselves up for a final battle for the AFC bye on Monday night of Week 17.

This week, we’ll see the final Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football games of the season, along with nine early-window Sunday games, four late-window matchups, and the standard Sunday night affair.

Previous NFL Picks & Predictions: Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 |Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8

So, without further ado, here are the NFL picks, predictions, and odds for Week 17.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the NFL odds.

Dallas Cowboys (-13.5) @Tennessee Titans

Full Cowboys-Titans betting preview

A 19-14 loss to the worst team in the league, the Texans, shows exactly how far the Titans have fallen his season. Nothing is working for Mike Vrabel’s crew, and after a 14-of-23, 99-yard, two-interception, zero-touchdown game, it’s obvious rookie QB Malik Willis is not ready for primetime. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will play down to their competition at times, but the team is just too good and playing too well overall to let the Titans hang around on Thursday night, especially with Josh Dobbs starting for Willis at quarterback and Derrick Henry not expected to play. I'm going with the Cowboys in a blowout to kick off these NFL Week 17 picks and predictions.

Prediction: Cowboys 31-14

Update: The Cowboys took care of business with a 27-13 triumph. 

For our full Week 17 preview and predictions, watch below:

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3.5)

Full Panthers-Buccaneers betting preview

The question here is can the 52 other Buccaneers players keep this game close for long enough that Tom Brady can work his magic and win the game at the buzzer? After putting up 320 rushing yards on the Lions last week, the Panthers have figured out a formula for winning right now, and the Bucs will see a lot of ground-and-pound on Sunday. It won’t be pretty, but watch out for Carolina in this one.

Prediction: Panthers 21-20

Cleveland Browns @ Washington Commanders (-1.5)

Full Browns-Commanders betting preview

The Browns have nothing left to play for this season after the Saints crushed their playoff dreams last week. The Commanders are desperately clinging to the final NFC playoff spot and will turn (back) to Carson Wentz this week to try and get it done. The Commanders are at home, and even a 10-week rusty Wentz will look better than a nearly two-year rusty Deshaun Watson. Plus, the Browns will be looking ahead to the offseason when they get a break from their disastrous season.

Prediction: Commanders 24-10

New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles (-5.5)

Full Saints-Eagles betting preview

The Gardner Minshew-led Eagles gave a valiant effort in Week 16 vs. the Cowboys but fell just short. Whether it’s more Minshew Mania on Sunday or if Jalen Hurts comes back from injury (looking doubtful), the Saints are no Cowboys. The Eagles are simply much better and should regain their momentum vs. this below-average NFC South squad, no matter who plays QB. If the Cowboys do win on Thursday, Philly will want to put away the NFC East with a win instead of leaving the door open.

Prediction: Eagles 28-17

Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons (-6.5)

Full Cardinals-Falcons betting preview

So, the thing with this game is — zzzzzzzzz. Sorry. I’m awake! This game is truly terrible, though. The Desmond Ridder vs. Colts McCoy Trace McSorley David Blough matchup is the QB battle that nobody asked for, and even fewer are interested in watching. Ridder has more upside and showed a few more flashes last Sunday, so let’s give this to him and the home team like Vegas is, though no cover.

Prediction: Falcons 19-14

Jacksonville Jaguars (-3.5) @ Houston Texans

Full Jaguars-Texans betting preview

The Jaguars are on a roll, winning four of their last five, and now have a playoff spot over the Titans. No matter what happens with Tennessee on Thursday, the division will come down to the two teams going head-to-head in Week 18. So, this game isn’t crucial to the Jaguars, but they should still win comfortably with the way they’ve played of late. And soon, the Jaguars will complete their miraculous No. 1 pick to playoff team transformation.

Prediction: Jaguars 27-20

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions (-5.5)

Full Bears-Lions betting preview

The Lions’ playoff hopes took a hit last week when the Panthers ran all over them. Now Dan Campbell and company need to win out and get a little help from the Browns or Cowboys (beating the Commanders) and the Jets or Rams (beating the Seahawks) to get in. They should take care of the first part at home, though, taking down the division rival Bears before heading to play the red-hot Packers in the final week of the season.

Prediction: Lions 28-21

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots (-2.5)

Full Dolphins-Patriots betting preview

Teddy Bridgewater is set to start in place of Tua Tagovailoa, who's dealing with another concussion. This is bad in the long term for the Dolphins, but in the short term, the team has enough talent to get it done in Week 17. The team has way more talent than its AFC East rival Patriots in 2022 and — I can’t believe I’m writing this — are way better coached as well. The Dolphins may not have Tua this week, but the Patriots still have Matt Patricia, so I’ll take the ‘Phins in these NFL Week 17 picks and predictions.

Prediction: Dolphins 20-17

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs (-12.5)

Full Broncos-Chiefs betting preview

The Broncos are broken, and Nathaniel Hackett was fired after just 15 games because of that fact. Usually, I’d advocate for the interim coach bump, where a team plays better for at least one week immediately after the coach is fired. However, the offensive line, wide receivers, and defense seems to hate QB Russell Wilson, so much there will be no bump. The Chiefs finally covered a double-digit spread last week vs. the Seahawks, and they’ll do it again this Sunday while crushing the Broncos.

Prediction: Chiefs 31-12

Indianapolis Colts @ New York Giants (-5.5)

Full Colts-Giants betting preview

During the last three games of the season, the Giants need just one more win to clinch their playoff berth. A 61-yard Vikings field goal as time expired stopped them from wrapping up the postseason spot last week. This week, they face a packing-it-in Colts team without a quarterback after the Nick Foles debacle on Monday night. That said, the Colts already have their plane tickets booked for Monday morning after Week 18. That’s why the Giants roll in this one.

Prediction: Giants 23-10

New York Jets (-1.5) @ Seattle Seahawks

Full Jets-Seahawks betting preview

Mike White is back, baby! After giving Zach Wilson one last chance to fail (and the QB fully embracing that opportunity, completing just 9-of-18 passes for 92 yards with a pick and getting benched for the previously unheard-of Chris Streveler), the 2021 No. 2 overall pick is likely done with the Jets. Now it’s Mike White’s turn to try and keep Gang Green’s playoff hopes alive. This is a game between two desperate teams, with the postseason slipping away from both. But one team is traveling six hours to a hostile environment, and one isn’t, so give me the Seahawks.

Prediction: Seahawks 28-27

San Francisco 49ers (-9.5) @ Las Vegas Raiders

Full 49ers-Raiders betting preview

There is a world where the Raiders benching Derek Carr and starting Jarrett Stidham could wake up the team, show everyone that Carr was indeed the problem with the team, and lead to an offensive explosion in Las Vegas. The more likely outcome, though, is that whoever the Raiders start at QB will get his butt kicked by (arguably) the best team in the NFL right now, the 49ers. If I have to bet on one of these two outcomes, I’ll take the latter, which is why the 49ers should continue their incredible hot streak on Sunday.

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Prediction: 49ers 31-16

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers (-3)

Full Vikings-Packers betting preview

Many pundits believe that the Vikings are fraudulent, and Vegas does, too. It isn’t often a 12-3 team is an underdog to a 7-8 team, even within the division and on the road. This spread tells you everything you need to know about how bettors feel about Kirk Cousins and company. Personally, I feel a little more bullish on the Purple People Eaters than most, and would probably pick the Vikings to win but not cover if they were favored. In Week 17, though, I like them outright getting points in these NFL Week 17 picks and predictions.

Prediction: Vikings 24-23

Los Angeles Rams @ Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5)

Full Rams-Chargers betting preview

The Chargers have been winning lately — and are now officially in the playoffs — but aren’t doing it in a convincing manner. Throwing out last week, where Nick Foles and the Colts' offense were a complete disaster, their previous seven wins were by an average of just under five points. As bad as the Rams are this season, the Chargers just don’t put teams away, so this looks like a perfect win-but-don't-cover scenario.

Prediction: Chargers 23-20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (-2.5)

Full Steelers-Ravens betting preview

Lamar Jackson still isn’t playing in Week 17, so it will be the Tyler Huntley show once again. The situation around the Ravens QB is getting weird, and with his contract situation, there may be more going on than meets the eye. As for the Steelers, it looked like they were heading for Mike Tomlin’s first-ever losing season, but somehow a winning record is still on the table. That’s why I’ll take Tomlin over Harbaugh (and Greg Roman) and Kenny Pickett over Huntley on Sunday night.

Prediction: Steelers 17-16

Buffalo Bills (-1.5) @ Cincinnati Bengals

The inaugural Josh Allen vs. Joe Burrow showdown should be a good one. Both have beaten Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs this season, and this game should be just as exciting as those two thrillers. This matchup should also determine who gets the first-round bye in the AFC this season. If the Bills win, they will almost certainly get to sit out Wild Card Weekend. If the Bengals win, that pretty much gifts the bye to the Chiefs. This is an incredible game to cap the 2022 Monday Night Football season, and I like the Bills winning the game and, by extension, the conference to wrap up these NFL Week 17 picks and predictions.

Prediction: Bills 34-31

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