Another 5-1 week for Ernesto the Prediction Iguana leaves the total going into the last week of the regular season at 64-20-2 (23-18-2 in teasers). Quite the comeback for Ernesto, who started the season almost as poorly as the Kansas City Chiefs but righted the ship for a late-season ascension.
Week 17 is always one of the most difficult weeks to handicap. Better teams are resting players in anticipation of the playoffs, while cellar-dwellers frequently rise up for one last stand before breaking out the golf clubs. Moreover, every game is a divisional matchup, further muddying the waters as teams are intimately familiar with each other. We even toyed with the idea of skipping this week – a good idea, since results are always wildly abnormal. But in the interests of journalistic purity, here’s a couple picks strictly for the degenerate in you.
Notes:
- We use lines from vegasinsider.com
- All picks are based on a 2-team teaser, which moves the line six points either way.
- HOME TEAM in CAPS
GREEN LIGHT!
Patriots (-2) at DOLPHINS
After all that preseason squawking from he TV talking heads, you'd think that the Dolphins could have mustered something better than 5-11. Meanwhile, in New England, they are making like David Byrne: Same as it ever was…same as it ever was…same as it ever was.
CHIEFS (-1/2) vs Raiders
The Raiders have a chance for their first .500 season since 2011, but the Chiefs still have an outside chance to win the division, and Arrowhead is a murderous place to play.
AMBER ALERT!
BENGALS (-1) vs. Ravens
The Ravens will be so ecstatic from spoiling Pittsburgh’s season, they’ll lay down like lambs in Cincinnati. A.J. McCarron will be an elite QB one day with all the weapons he has at his disposal.
BRONCOS (-1.5) vs. Chargers
In San Diego, they are pining for the Good Ol’ Days of former head coach Norv Turner. At least they made the playoffs then…
