Teams will try to make their last pitch at the playoffs in NFL betting action this week, as we expect to see a gigantic field trying to get into the playoffs weeded out fairly quickly. Bet the NFL at BookMaker Sportsbook.
We'll start with the biggest game of the week, which also happens to be the last game of the week on ESPN's Monday Night Football. After two dog games in a row on MNF, we've got a great one in the first battle of two 10+ win teams this year. The Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers will duke it out in arguably the biggest game that both teams have left this year. The winner is likely to ultimately run the table and finish 13-3, while the loser is going to be in a heck of a lot of trouble in relation to their playoff spot. Pittsburgh will almost certainly finish second in the AFC North and have to go on the road for the postseason as a result, and one more San Fran slip like sends it to the No. 3 seed and a first round date with a hungry Wild Card team.
The Niners are currently off the board in this game, though we do expect them to open up as short favorites if QB Ben Roethlisberger can't play with his ankle injury that has had him in a walking boot all week long.
On Sunday Night Football, we have another fantastic game as well. It's do or die time for the San Diego Chargers, who probably need a victory to be able to get back in the playoff picture, and they could be mathematically eliminated with a defeat and the wrong result of games. They take on the Baltimore Ravens, another team that is fighting atop the AFC standings. Baltimore can win out and guarantee itself the top seed in the conference with some help, but it knows that it will have at least a first round bye if it can finish at 13-3. Anything less, and it could be back on the road for the first round of the playoffs. Baltimore gets the nod by a point and a half at Qualcomm Stadium in the final home game for Head Coach Norv Turner (barring the Chargers win the AFC West).
Of course, we have to talk about the Denver Broncos, who can virtually lock up the AFC West with a win and some help on Sunday. They have run into a ton of teams that have been flawed in a row, but now, they take on a New England Patriots squad who is the second favorite on the Super Bowl odds this year. If the Brady Bunch comes to town and gets a win, the team should finish 13-3 and have its shot at the top seed in the conference as well. Denver is catching six points in this one, a sign that the oddsmakers just don't trust that it can beat the truly elite teams in the AFC.
Notice all of the 10-3 teams that are playing on the road this week? The one that isn't is the one that is quietly laying in the weeds, the Houston Texans. Houston has clinched the AFC South and a playoff berth for the first time in team history, and it is going to have a shot, if enough other results go in its favor this week, to claim the top seed in the AFC. The Texans take on the Carolina Panthers this week at home as 6.5 point favorites, and it is probably the most difficult game left of the season.
Elsewhere in the AFC of note, the Indianapolis Colts continue in search of their first win of the season when they take on the Tennessee Titans in the second to last game of the year at Lucas Oil Field. Tennessee, which is coming off of that brutal loss to the Saints at home last week, is favored by 6.5 to get back on the horse and back in the win column. The New York Jets are three point underdogs at the Philadelphia Eagles. Win that game, and New York could be on its way to the playoffs with some help. The Cincinnati Bengals, one of the other teams chasing the Jets, are 6.5 point favorites at the hapless St. Louis Rams.
We'll start right at the top in the NFC, where the Green Bay Packers are simply coasting to a 16-0 record in the regular season. They hit the road for the last time this year at the Kansas City Chiefs, who are going to be coached by Romeo Crennel, who takes over for the fired Todd Haley. Green Bay is favored by 13.5.
The New Orleans Saints have what should be another easy game against the Minnesota Vikings, though we know that they have to be looking forward to that game against the Atlanta Falcons next week. Atlanta is in the same type of boat on Thursday Night Football when it takes on a Jacksonville Jaguars team that it really should beat. New Orleans is favored by a TD, while Atlanta gets the nod by a dozen.
Assuming that the Falcons win, there is a ton of pressure on the rest of the teams in the Wild Card chase. The Detroit Lions go on the road to the Oakland Raiders this week. Oakland knows that it needs this game to likely stay alive in the AFC playoff picture. It won't be totally crippling to the Lions if they lose, but a win would go a long way towards giving them the breathing room that they probably need going into Week 17's road game at the presumably perfect Packers. This game is too close to call, thus it is lined at a pick 'em.
The Chicago Bears are feeling the pressure right now on offense, as QB Caleb Hanie just can't get anything going. They run into the Seattle Seahawks, who are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive as well. The Hawks need to win out and get some help, but if they can pull it off, they could be a very improbable team in the postseason. Chicago is favored by four.
Also in the fringes of the Wild Card race, the Arizona Cardinals are trying to get back to .500, and they should have no problems doing so against the Cleveland Browns as seven point favorites.
The NFC East race is going to be an interesting one for the rest of the season. The pressure remains on the New York Giants. They know that they are either going to need to win these next two and hope that the Dallas Cowboys lose the next two, or they are going to have to beat the boys from Big D in Week 17 at MetLife Stadium. Dallas knows that it can win that Week 17 showdown and get one victory elsewhere to get into the playoffs as the divisional champs as well. New York is laying 6.5 against the visiting Washington Redskins, while the Cowboys are giving seven to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in the first Saturday Night Football betting battle of the year.
