Week 17 is finally here and the postseason slate is almost set. Almost. With the last few spots still of for grabs, the playoffs have already started for several teams throughout the league. All Most of our "experts" have been consistently beating the spread this year, besting the Vegas odd-makers at their own game, and this week should deliver a solid capper to the season. Yep, you can just smell it in the air. It's that time of year: win or go home for the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and St. Louis Rams.
Green Bay -10 vs. Chicago Bears
Admittedly, this matchup lost some luster when Chicago clinched the 2-seed in the NFC last week. The Bears may not technically have much to play for, but do you think, even for a second, that the Bears want to simply hand over a playoff spot to their hated rivals? Hell, in all likelihood Green Bay could even be the more complete team of the two. Vegas obviously thinks the Bears won't play too hard in this game but it would be the mistake of the season for Lovie Smith and his gang to take this one easy.
Still, a win-or-go-home game played in the freezing tundra of Lambeau Field, Cutler vs. Rodgers? You can't bet against the Pack.
Prediction: Packers 38, Bears 17. Green Bay keeps their season alive and destroys a half-hearted Bears effort
St. Louis Rams -2.5 @ Seattle Seahawks
This game is both hilarious and tragic. A 6-9 team playing a 7-8 team in primetime with a home playoff game on the line. You gotta love the NFC West. Really, how are the Seahawks even alive right now? It seems like they get destroyed every single week. They have allowed 107 more points than they have scored. If they get into the playoffs, that just has to be some kind of record.
But yet, something about this game just doesn't sit right with me. The Seahawks have always been a good home team -- four of their six wins were at home -- a to make them home dogs against a rookie quarterback, no matter how good he may be, just reeks of a trap. Somehow, someway, the Seahawks are going to win this game is the ugliest of fashions, upsetting every fan of an non-playoff team with eight to ten wins in the league.
Prediction: Seahawks 23, Rams 20. The Seahawks become the worst playoff team in the history of NFL