NFL odds: Early lines for Week 17's games with playoff implications
For the second year in a row the Packers (9–6) will have an opportunity to win the NFC North in the last game of the regular season.
Last year, the Packers fell short of that goal with a 20–13 loss to the Vikings as three-point home favorites. This year, Green Bay is listed as a 3.5-point road favorite against the Lions (9–6) in the Week 17 Sunday night game at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
It is worth noting that the Packers still got into the playoffs last season as a wild card, something that could happen to the Lions this year even if they lose to their division rivals as long as Washington also loses earlier on Sunday. Detroit is coming off a 42–21 loss to the Cowboys (13–2) as a 6.5-point road underdog on Monday night, which kept the team from clinching a spot in the postseason.
The Lions lost the season’s first meeting 34–27 in Week 3, outscoring the Packers 17–3 in the second half to nearly cover as 6.5-point underdogs. Green Bay has gone 3–1 against the spread in the past four meetings.
The Cowboys did not rest their starters against Detroit on Monday night, but with the NFC’s top seed locked up, they get another opportunity to when they visit the Eagles (6–9) on Sunday afternoon.
The visiting team is 8–2 against the spread in the previous 10 editions of this NFC East rivalry, but Dallas has nothing to play for with home field advantage in the playoffs secured. The Eagles are pegged as 3.5-point home favorites on OddsShark’s NFL point spreads.
The Patriots (13–2) still have work to do to lock up the top spot in the AFC, as they head south to visit the Dolphins (10–5) as 9.5-point road favorites. New England and Miami have both already made the playoffs, with the former clinching the AFC East and the latter earning a wild-card berth.
New England has won 10 of the past 13 meetings and needs a victory or a loss by the Raiders to take the top seed in the AFC. But Miami has gone 9–1 in its last 10 games (and 8-1-1 against the spread, according to the OddsShark NFL Database).
The Raiders (12–3) will need a win over the Broncos (8–7) or a loss by the Chiefs (11–4) to the Chargers (5–10) in order to win the AFC West.
Oakland and Kansas City are both playing on the road, and the Raiders are listed as 2.5-point underdogs in Denver without starting quarterback Derek Carr, who suffered a broken fibula in last week’s 33–25 home victory over the Colts. Oakland has gone 2–8 straight up and 3–7 against the spread in the past 10 meetings with Denver.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are 4.5-point favorites at San Diego and have won the last five head-to-head matchups (3–2 against the spread).
