2008 NFL Football Week 17 Betting Picks and Tips
Merry Christmas people!
By now, I’m already off to a much needed vacation. (More specifically, playing Madden all day long without anyone bothering me…) But before I leave ya’ll here, I’m going to give ya’ll my very last weekly preview of the 2008-09 NFL football season. It’s already Week 17 people. Boy, time sure flies huh? And after 16 weeks, we learned that the Lions are only a loss away from becoming the most fucked up team in years, Tom Brady continues to lose his job to Matt Cassel and the Cowboys desperately need to win this Sunday to make the playoffs.
Yes, the Dallas Cowboys, after losing to Baltimore, 33-24, need to beat the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday to give themselves a shot of making the playoffs. And since Philly can only put up three points in their game against Washington last 
Sunday, this is probably the perfect opportunity for the Cowboys to steal one in Philly.
Dallas Cowboys by 3.
The Atlanta Falcons, with a playoff berth already secured, will probably just look for some momentum heading for the postseason when they face the struggling the St. Louis Rams, who have now lost nine in a row. The Rams won’t have anything to gain on this game and they’d probably just rest some of their starters to give those guys a chance to rest up and heal from the wear and tear of what has been a pathetic campaign.
Atlanta Falcons by 7.
Matt Cassel, since taking over the reigns from Tom Brady, has surprisingly become one of the best quarterbacks in the league today, surpassing Romo, McNabb, Favre and even the older Manning. And because of his strong play, the New England Patriots, even without Brady, sit atop the AFC East tied with the also surprising Miami Dolphins. They have division rivals Buffalo Bills next, a team that has gone 0-5 in division play. And since Cassel has just been superb in their last three games, we’re still going with the Pats to beat the Bills through the air.
New England Patriots by 7.
Two teams at the bottom of the barrel collide as the 3-11 Cincinnati Bengals play hosts to the 2-13 Kansas City Chiefs. It has been a season to forget for both franchises but since the Bengals, who for some reason has been getting the job done with back-to-back wins, have the momentum coming into this game, we’re picking Cincinnati to win their last game of the year.
Cincinnati Bengals by 3.
The Detroit Lions are on the verge of finishing 0-16. Yes, it’s been that kind of a season in Detroit. And to make matters worse, they travel to one of the toughest places to win a football game, Lambeau Field, to face the Green Bay Packers, a team looking to end what has been a disappointing season on a high note. You can expect a lot of snow in Green Bay too and since the Packers are probably more used to playing under these conditions more than the Lions do, an 0-16 finish for Detroit is a big possibility.
Green Bay Packers by 14.
Two AFC South rivals collide as the Indianapolis Colts, the former superpower of the AFC, face this year’s kings of the conference, the Tennessee Titans, in what should be a competitive contest with both teams looking for a statement game before they head into the postseason. However, while the Titans have the best record in the conference, the Colts have simply been the best in the AFC, winning their last eight games, to correct the mistakes they’ve made early into the season. This is going to be a tough one to call but we’re still picking the Colts to win by an inch.
Indianapolis Colts by 3.
The New York Giants, who have finally snapped a two-game skid with a win over the Panthers last Sunday, have the Minnesota Vikings next at the Metrodome. The Vikings sit atop the NFC North with virtually no competition other than the Bears. When they face the defending Super Bowl champs this weekend, the Vikings will soon find out that lording over the NFC North doesn’t mean shit.
New York Giants by 7.
It has been a disappointing year for the New Orleans Saints, to say the least. An early-season injury to wide receiver Marques Colston, a mid-season injury to Jeremy Shockey and a late-season injury to Reggie Bush, were just too much for the Saints to overcome. And while Drew Brees had probably the best season of his career, statistically, injuries to his teammates ultimately eliminated them from the postseason. They have the Carolina Panthers next, a team looking to solidify their spot in the NFC South and since those guys just lost to the Giants in overtime, don’t expect the Panthers to just roll over for the Saints just because they feel bad for New Orleans.
Carolina Panthers by 7.
The surprising Miami Dolphins will look to continue their surprising play looking to grab a win for their quarterback Chad Pennington, who will be making his return to New York City to face his former team, the New York Jets. The last time Pennington was here, he was getting booed at Giants Stadium after what has been another disappointing season for the Jets. Now in Miami, Pennington led the Dolphins to a shocking 10-5 stand, making Jets fans wonder if letting the guy they boo all the time go really was the right decision. But since the Jets now have Brett Favre, we’re not expecting Favre to let Pennington win his first game back in New York City. The ageless one certainly doesn’t want his new fans in New York scream for his retirement soon right?
New York Jets by 3.
The struggling Cleveland Browns have now dropped to 4-11 after losing their fifth straight game last Sunday to the Bengals. Nothing has been going Cleveland’s way this season after the surprising campaign they had last year. It gets worse this Sunday when the Browns visit the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. And since the Browns and the Steelers have this little feud going, expect the Steel Curtain to play a little bit more unforgiving.
Pittsburgh Steelers by 3.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after a promising start to the season, are now probably out of playoff contention after dropping three straight games. They have the Oakland Raiders paying them a visit this weekend at Raymond James Stadium and since it has just been a struggle for the Raiders all year long, we’re picking the Bucs to at least end their season on a high note.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers by 7.
Two teams running on separate directions collide as the 10-5 Baltimore Ravens play the 5-10 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens, with undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, have finally learned how to go toe-to-toe with other teams offensively this season. Don’t get me wrong, the Ravens are still a strong defensive unit, but now that these guys have finally learned how to move those chains, expect them to make a lot of noise in the postseason. Oh yeah, we’re picking them over the Jags.
Baltimore Ravens by 7.
The Chicago Bears visit the Houston Texans next at Reliant Stadium. The Texans have one of the best receivers in football with Andre Johnson but for some reason, they just can’t seem to take advantage of the guy’s talent on the field. End result? Another disappointing year for one of the most promising wide receivers in the game today. Luckily, the Bears are really not known for their pass defense and if Matt Schaub can find his hot receiver this Sunday, the Texans may just have enough to beat Brian Urlacher and that fierce Bears defense.
Houston Texans by 3.
The Washington Redskins are out of the playoffs despite beating the Eagles last Sunday 10-3. That’s thanks to the Atlanta Falcons who managed to get a win over the Vikings, ultimately taking the Redskins out of playoff contention. These Redskins have the San Francisco 49ers next, and since the 49ers were already out of the playoffs four weeks ago, these guys may just be what the doctor ordered for the Redskins to end their season on a high note.
Washington Redskins by 7.
One team going to the playoffs is the NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals. Kurt Warner has turned back time this year, coming up with one of the best seasons he has ever had that might just earn himself the MVP. Anquan Boldin is also having quite a year, helping the Cardinals to the top of the NFC West and become one of the sleepers in the postseason. They have division rivals Seattle Seahawks paying them a visit and although these guys won their last two contests, winning another one at the U of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona is a tall order.
Arizona Cardinals by 14.
And last but certainly not the least, we have the very last broadcast of Sunday Night Football this season as the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers play for all the marbles.
Even though the AFC West has become the weakest division in football today, everybody will probably be paying attention once the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers play for the division crown and the right to face the No.5 seed Colts in the AFC wild-card round. Yes, two AFC West teams will be playing for the division crown with a playoff berth at stake, making this Broncos - Chargers game a contest you can’t afford to miss. Will the Chargers win just because they have this three-game winning streak going for them coming into a game against a Broncos team that has now lost two in a row? The Chargers will be at home and yes, these guys are probably a safe bet in this huge AFC West rivalry game.
San Diego Chargers by 3.
Who will win Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida? SportsBetting.com has the odds.
New York Giants 12-1
Dallas Cowboys 7-1
Want more odds? Visit SportsBetting.com for more football betting odds. Want to watch the NFL live? Get NFL tickets online now.
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