Sports Commentary

A season-long race is coming to an exciting conclusion. AOL users still hold a slim lead over yours truly. You struggled in Week 16 with a 5-9-1 mark for a season record of 117-111-11, while this prognosticator gained a little ground with a 6-8-1 week for an overall mark of 114-114-11. (Last week's selections)

What is in store in Week 17? Check out the predictions against the spread (lines as of Wednesday) for all 16 games, make your own picks and come back next week to see how we did. And be sure to give your own best bets in the comments section below. Check out our new NFL scoreboard and vote on who'll win each game, and get the latest Fantasy updates to have a winning season. Good luck!

THIS WEEK'S PICKS:


New England -14 at N.Y. Giants (Saturday)

Standing between the Patriots and a historic 16-0 season are ... Jared Lorenzen and Ahmad Bradshaw? That could be the case if Tom Coughlin decides to rest regulars like Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs.

The pick: Giants. Now that it is safely in the playoffs, New York shouldn't be expected to go all-out, even if it does have the chance to go down for all eternity as the team that kept New England from being perfect. But backups like Bradshaw would probably love to make a name for themselves in this high-profile game. The Pats will complete their season-long quest for perfection, but it won't be easy.




Buffalo +7 1/2 at Philadelphia

How many Eagles fans will show up to cheer/boo Donovan McNabb for possibly the last time?

The pick: Eagles. Since coming back from his latest injury, McNabb is showing that he still has what it takes to be a successful NFL QB. It's too bad that the Eagles keep refusing to give him quality targets to throw to. If this is his Philly finale, McNabb will give the local fans one last look at what they will miss in 2008.




Carolina -2 1/2 at Tampa Bay

The Bucs have lost two of their last three games and again plan to rest many of their top players in this meaningless matchup. Time will tell if such late-season nonchalance will come back to haunt them in the playoffs.

The pick: Bucs. Tampa Bay's backups can't be too thrilled after their embarrassing loss to the 49ers on Sunday. Look for the AFC South champs to be motivated to go into the postseason on a winning note.




Cincinnati -2 1/2 at Miami

Mercifully for these two teams, the 2007 season comes to an end. The coaching tenures of Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati and Cam Cameron in Miami also might conclude shortly after Sunday.

The pick: Dolphins. This pick is made out of hope more than anything else. No team should taste victory just once in a season, especially a club like Miami that has come so close in so many of its defeats.




Detroit +3 1/2 at Green Bay

The Lions ended their season-killing six-game losing streak last week, while the Packers endured a potentially playoff-killing defeat at Chicago.

The pick: Packers. Brett Favre probably won't play much, but backup Aaron Rodgers showed last month at Dallas that he is capable of producing points.




Jacksonville +6 at Houston

How can the playoff-bound, streaking Jaguars be such a big underdog? Because their starters are expected to get less time on the field than that streaker in London.

The pick: Texans. Jacksonville just wants to keep its key parts in good working condition for the playoffs. Houston badly wants its first-ever non-losing season and will pounce on this opportunity.




New Orleans -2 at Chicago

This matchup looked awfully appealing when the schedule was released. Now it just looks awful. The two NFC finalists from 2006 might both finish with losing records. Ain't parity grand!

The pick: Bears. New Orleans still has the faintest of playoff hopes. Of course, its postseason chances were much stronger last week and the team responded with an ugly loss at home to the Eagles. The Bears will keep their momentum from their upset win over the Packers and triumph again in the cold.




Seattle +2 1/2 at Atlanta

Atlanta's long, slow trainwreck of a season is mercifully coming to a close. A win over the playoff-bound Seahawks would provide a small amount of optimism going into the offseason.

The pick: Falcons. Atlanta played hard last week and almost upset the Cardinals on the road. With Seattle's top players on the sidelines, the Falcons should be able to end their six-game losing streak.




San Francisco +10 1/2 at Cleveland

If the Browns are looking for pity after losing control of their playoff destiny, they shouldn't look here. If you can't beat a loser like the Bengals when you have so much to play for, then you shouldn't be in the postseason.

The pick: 49ers. The outcome of the Titans game on Sunday night is all that matters for Cleveland, so this game is meaningless. Brady Quinn might get some playing time, which probably won't help the Browns offense pile up points. Meanwhile, the 49ers are finishing the season strong, just like they did last year.




Pittsburgh -3 1/2 at Baltimore

The Steelers' once-formidable defense has sprung a lot of leaks in recent weeks. It's a good thing for Pittsburgh that the offensively-challenged Ravens are up next.

The pick: Steelers. Maybe it's a cliche, but Pittsburgh doesn't want to go into the playoffs on a sour note. Expect the Steelers' defense to look more like its usual strong self and lead the way to an easy victory.




Dallas +9 at Washington

Things certainly have fallen into place perfectly for the Redskins. They have won three in a row to take control of the No. 6 seed in the NFC, and all they have to do to clinch a playoff berth is beat the hated Cowboys, who will be resting their top players.

The pick: Cowboys. One of the constants this NFL season is that the Redskins have rarely made things easy for themselves. Sure, they won their last two games by double digits, but for the most part Washington has had to eke out its victories. That will likely be the case again on Sunday.




Minnesota -3 at Denver

The Vikings have to be thinking that Tarvaris Jackson might not be the one to take them to the upper echelon of the NFL. Sunday's game might be the young QB's last chance to change their minds.

The pick: Vikings. Denver seems to have quit on this season, while Minnesota still could make the postseason with a victory. Motivation makes all the difference this time of year.




San Diego -8 at Oakland

JaMarcus Russell is set to make his first NFL start. Considering that San Diego's defense has been playing lights out lately, Oakland fans probably should keep their expectations to a minimum.

The pick: Chargers. Russell looked every bit the rookie in an awful performance at Jacksonville last week. It's not likely he'll fare much better against the Chargers.




St. Louis +6 at Arizona

Arizona has a rare chance to finish a season with a .500 record. The Cardinals have posted a non-losing season just twice since coming to the desert in 1988.

The pick: Cardinals. St. Louis' defense can't stop anyone. Kurt Warner should have a field day as he tries to make one last statement that he deserves to be the starter in 2008.




Kansas City +6 at N.Y. Jets

Jets fans will get to say hi to former coach Herm Edwards, who now runs the Chiefs. That is, if anybody bothers to come to this dog of a game.

The pick: Chiefs. Both teams stink and probably just want to get this season over with. Expect a lot of running plays and not a lot of points, which always favors the underdog.




Tennessee -6 1/2 at Indy

If the Colts are to keep the Titans out of the playoffs, it might be on the right arm of Jim Sorgi, who is expected to play at least half of the game in place of Peyton Manning.

The pick: Colts. Don't worry, Titans fans, your team will make the playoffs. But the clinching victory won't come easy. Indy is as tough as any team at home, and its rout of Houston last week shows that it always plays to win, even in meaningless games.



This week's best bets: Last week's picks went 1-2. This week's choices: Cowboys, 49ers, Steelers and Chiefs.

Season's best bet record: 18-19-1