The playoff picture is starting to take shape in the NFL as we enter what will be a crucial slate of games in Week 17.
Several teams could punch their ticket for the postseason with a win, while those on the fringes of the playoff places can’t afford to slip up if they want to keep their Super Bowl dream alive heading into the last week of the regular season.
Two teams in the thick of the playoff race in the NFC are the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, who square off in a huge clash in Texas. The Cards have come crashing back down to earth after starting the season 7-0, sitting at 10-5 and desperately needing a victory to keep the Los Angeles Rams from wrapping up the NFC West division title.
Cards Enjoying Life on the Road
Dallas secured their playoff spot and NFC East division title with a rout of Washington in Week 16, and their motivation levels might not be as high as the visitors to AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys are favoured by 6.5 points at 50/57 and it looks worth opposing America’s Team on the spread with the Cardinals 50/51 to cover the handicap.
Arizona have enjoyed life on the road this season, winning seven of their eight away games and going 7-1 against the spread. They have claimed the scalps of the Titans, Rams and 49ers on their travels and shouldn’t fear going to Dallas, who have lost two of the last four at home to the Raiders and Broncos.
Arizona ran amok when they visited the Cowboys last season, walking away with a 38-10 victory and they are getting some key players back for this game, including running-back James Conner and centre Rodney Hudson.
The Cardinals are the more desperate team and the line looks to be overvaluing the Cowboys, who have beaten some underwhelming teams recently and have had tier struggles on offence.
Vikings to Cook up Packers
The Cowboys still have an outside chance of being the No.1 seed in the NFC but the Green Bay Packers can effectively shut that door on them by winning Sunday’s late game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Green Bay wrapped up the NFC North title last week and are heavily favoured to improve to 13-3 by beating a Vikings team missing first-choice quarterback Kirk Cousins after he tested positive for Covid.
The Vikings are now 12.5-point underdogs with Sean Mannion set to start at quarterback and it would be a brave man that takes them on to cover that spread at 25/27 against Aaron Rodgers and co.
However, one area where Minnesota could have some joy at Lambeau Field is running the football with the Packers having been terrible at stopping the run in recent weeks.
Green Bay have given up over 130 yards on the ground to their last three opponents, leaving the door open for Vikings running-back Dalvin Cook to have a big night. Cook is 10/11 to rush for over 79.5 yards but there’s more value in the 7/5 on offer for him to score a touchdown at any time as he enters this game having scored five TDs in his last five outings.
Burrow vs Mahomes Showdown Equals Points
In the AFC, the biggest game of the week takes place in Cincinnati where the Bengals can clinch the AFC North title if they can beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won eight straight and are hunting the No.1 seed.
The Chiefs embarrassed the Pittsburgh Steelers last time out to move to 11-4 and could clinch top spot in the AFC with a win and a defeat for the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans face a tough matchup against the in-form Miami Dolphins in another crucial game and are worth opposing at 13/10 with the Fins, while the best way to play the Chiefs matchup could be by taking the 25/28 on there being over 50.5 points.
Kansas City’s defence has been playing well of late but this Bengals offence is stacked with Joe Burrow heading into this game off the back of a career day in the Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow threw for 525 yards and four touchdowns as his receiving core tore into the Ravens, and the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins can hurt the Chiefs, who also don’t play the run well, bringing Bengals running-back Joe Mixon into the picture.
Kansas City put up 36 points against the Steelers without Travis Kelce and with Tyreek Hill at less than 100 per cent. With those two available and in much better shape this week, Patrick Mahomes has enough weapons to hurt a Bengals defence that has allowed an average of over 26 points per game at home this season.
*All odds correct at time of writing.
