GAME OF THE WEEK
Cowboys (7-7) at Eagles (7-7),
4:25 p.m.
Spread: Cowboys by 11/2
Outlook: With both teams teed up for near-certain wins in Week 17, this is pretty much winner-take-all for the NFC East title and playoffs. Is Philly a gift as home dog? Is Dak Prescott’s “minor” index finger injury on his throwing hand maybe not so minor? The Cowboys should win. That’s miles from will win, as Jerry Jones’ll tell you. But they should.
Prediction: Cowboys, 23-21
UPSET OF THE WEEK
Packers (11-3) at Vikings (10-4),
8:15 p.m. Monday (ESPN)
Spread: Vikings by 51/2
Outlook: The Packers are playoff-clinched but would secure the AFC North with a win. The Vikings are in with a win or Rams loss. Admittedly this is risky pick. But star RB Dalvin Cook won’t play for the Vikings, and Aaron Rodgers is better than Kirk Cousins. One is 7-14 in prime time. The other is Rodgers, who on his past five Monday nights has thrown for 1,683 yards, 14 TDs and one pick.
Prediction: Packers, 24-20
OTHER GAMES
• At Dolphins (3-11 +1) over Bengals (1-13), 27-20: Miami is at home and better than Cincinnati. Granted, that’s like saying Spam is tastier than tripe. Still. The one-win Bengals have the No. 1 draft pick in pocket at the moment. Why would they want to jeopardize that? Did I mention Cincy is 0-7 on the road?
• At Falcons (5-9, -7 1/2) over Jaguars (5-9), 31-16: Atlanta is finishing on an upswing, while Jacksonville was finishing like a team trying to get Coach Doug Marrone fired – at least until last week’s upset win at Oakland. Matt Ryan at home, thank you.
• Ravens (12-2, -10) over At Browns (6-8), 37-13: Incredibly, Baltimore lost at home to Cleveland, 40-25, in Week 4. The Ravens haven’t lost since, while the Browns have gone from full of hype to out of the playoffs. Again. Baltimore clinches home-field throughout the AFC playoffs with a win, which shouldn’t be a problem as the Ravens and MVP-headed Lamar Jackson emphatically remind Cleveland who’s boss.
• Saints (11-3, -3) over At Titans (8-6), 30-23: This Game of the Week-quality duel has large stakes, as New Orleans stills can lock down a first-round bye in the NFC and Tennessee is seeking a wild card in the AFC. Home-dog Titans are on a 5-1 series run and have a sizable upset shot. But the Saints have won five in a row and 10 of the last 12 on the road. Oh, and there’s that Drew Brees-Michael Thomas combo.
• At Colts (6-8, -6 1/2) over Panthers (5-9), 23-18: Welcome to the Sad Bowl. Carolina has lost six in row and has benched backup QB Kyle Allen for rookie Will Grier. Indy has lost four straight behind a declining Jacoby Brissett. I like the Colts in a venue call, but the Panthers to stay close.
• Steelers (8-6, -3) over At Jets (5-9), 20-16: Jets RB Le’Veon Bell facing his longtime former team for the first time is a headline in New York, but the bigger story is Pittsburgh needing a win as it jockeys for a wild-card ticket. Give the Jets a medium upset shot (especially if safety Jamal Adams plays), but in what should be a defensive scrum, don’t forget: You make Sam Darnold see ghosts by blitzing, and nobody does that better than Pittsburgh.
• At Washington (3-11, -2 1/2) over Giants (3-11), 24-21: With the only stakes a higher draft pick, the Giants expect to have Daniel Jones back. Still, lean toward Washington, which has been fighting harder for new coach Bill Callahan.
• At Broncos (5-9, -6 1/2) over Lions (3-10-1), 23-9: A Detroit team that has lost seven in a row is piloted by a third-string quarterback and is a dome team traveling to play in wintry Denver. Yeah, I don’t think so, Lions.
• At Chargers (5-9, -7 1/2) over Raiders (6-8), 27-17: Team Gruden couldn’t muster the magic to win its Oakland finale in storybook fashion, and now RB Josh Jacobs is out. The Chargers are on a 12-4 home run vs. the Raiders and should continue that trend.
• At Seahawks (11-3, -10) over Cardinals (4-9-1), 28-20: Seattle is in but still playing for the AFC West title and a bye, and Russell Wilson can break Tom Brady’s record for most wins (86) in his first eight years. But Arizona has won three of its last four trips to Seattle. And with the Seahawks closing vs. San Francisco next week – likely for the NFC West title – I see the Cardinals sneaking inside betting line.
• Chiefs (10-4, -6) over At Bears (7-7), 24-16: Sunday nighter finds Chiefs on a 6-1 run in road games and still angling for a first-round bye. A bad Bears offense meets an improving KC defense.
Last week: 9-7, overall, 6-9-1 vs. spread
Overall: 148-75-1, 113-106-3, .516
– Greg Cote, Miami Herald
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