ed welch
The NFL schedule is down to Week 17 and there are plenty of stakes on the line in both the AFC and NFC playoff pictures. We run down the finales that matter most in the AFC this Sunday and how you should be betting on the top sportsbooks NFL odds for those high-pressure matchups.
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-8, 46.5)
The Chiefs need a win to secure the No. 3 spot in the AFC postseason picture, but could jump to No. 2 if they knock off the Bolts and the Patriots lose to Miami (a bit of a longshot). However, a loss to L.A. could drop Kansas City to the No. 4 seed in the conference. The Chiefs opened as 7.5-point chalk and have been bet up to -8 with that added motivation convincing bettors, as well as the team’s five-game winning streak in which it is a perfect 5-0 ATS. This line will likely climb higher closer to game time on Sunday.
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (+4, 45)
Houston can still jump to the No. 3 seed with a win Sunday and a Kansas City loss, and Bill O’Brien told reporters his starters will be playing to win in Week 17. But the biggest weight shift in this game is on the Titans, who can steal the No. 6 seed in the AFC with a victory. Tennessee, which lost to Houston just two weeks ago, is expecting running back Derrick Henry to return after sitting out Week 16’s loss to New Orleans. With this being a later 4 pm ET kickoff, Houston will already know if KC has won or not and O’Brien may choose to yank is starters if this becomes a meaningless matchup.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (-1, 39.5)
The Ravens are locked into the No. 1 spot in the AFC, making this divisional rivalry worth noting to Baltimore. The team plans to sit its starters and give them two weeks off before opening postseason play in the divisional round. The Steelers are all in on this final game, needing to not only beat Baltimore but watch the Titans and Raiders loss and Colts win in Week 17. The quarterback situation has come to a head in Pittsburgh, where Mike Tomlin has no other choice but to start Devlin Hodges after Mason Rudolph was injured in Week 16. The lack of movement upon the Ravens announcing they would rest in the finale shows just how much confidence bettors have in Pittsburgh.
Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (-3.5, 41)
The Raiders have a chance at making the postseason if all the angles break their way in Week 17. First, Oakland must win in Denver this Sunday. Then it needs losses from Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Pittsburgh in their respective finales. It’s a lot but not outside the realm of reality. The Broncos don’t have anything on the line but are a tough team in Mile High and have been one of the best bets of the NFL season, going 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
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