The picks regular season finished strong and with a final record of 127-125-4. That means I have to go just 5-6 in the playoffs to finish over .500 for the season. That shouldn’t be too hard, but a bad slate of first-round games won’t make it easy.

(Home team in caps)

Arizona +6.5 over CAROLINA
The Panthers finished the season 7-8-1, won their division and received a home game for the first round. Five of the other division winners finished with 12 wins (4.5 more wins than the Panthers) and the other two finished with 11 (3.5 more wins than the Panthers).

The NFL needs to fix the playoff format to avoid ever having a 7-8-1 team hosting a first-round playoff game. Four years ago, when the Seahawks won the NFC West at 7-9, they hosted the defending champion Saints and beat them and everyone let it slide because a 7-9 team had never made the playoffs before and they just figured it would likely never happen again. But it did happen again just four years later. And a 7-9 team didn’t make the playoffs, a 7-8-1 team did.

There needs to be a rule implemented that if an under-.500 team can win their division and get a playoff berth, but they can’t host a first-round playoff game. There’s no reason the 7-8-1 Panthers should be hosting the 11-5 Cardinals this weekend.

PITTSBURGH -3.5 over Baltimore
The Steelers have the best chance of any of the teams in the AFC playoffs of eliminating the Patriots. Normally I wouldn’t root for the Steelers, unless they’re playing the Ravens, but the idea of them going to Gillette and knocking off the Patriots next week is reason enough.

Cincinnati +4 over INDIANAPOLIS
For some unknown reason, I have an irrational confidence in the Bengals. No matter how many times they screw me over, I continue to pick them. But sometimes it works out for me like it did on Monday Night Football in Week 16 when I bet the Bengals +185 to beat the Broncos.

As much as I shouldn’t trust the Bengals is how much I don’t trust the Colts. They already beat up on the Bengals back in Week 7 with a 27-0 win, but that’s what they do, they beat up on other bad teams. This is a battle of bad teams, so I’m taking the points.

Detroit +6.5 over DALLAS
The worst part about the Giants not winning the NFC East and making the playoffs aside from not making the playoffs is that another team has to win the division and make the playoffs. Last year it was the Eagles, this year it’s the Cowboys. Next year it better be the Giants or it will be a fourth straight postseason-less year for them and Tom Coughlin will no longer be the head coach.

I want the Cowboys out of the playoffs and out of them as fast as possible. As long as a Cowboys-Patriots Super Bowl matchup is a possibility (no matter how remote of a possibility it might be, it’s still a possibility) I have to worry about it and I just want to watch the NFL playoffs and have fun doing it and not have to worry about Super Sunday being ruined.

Last week: 8-7-1
Season: 127-125-4

It’s always a little depressing to write the Week 17 Picks. The regular season is coming to an end, as is everything that comes with Football Sundays for four-plus months. This Sunday is the last chance to put together an improbable parlay or teaser, watch the Red Zone channel, justify eating unhealthy and drinking an abundance of alcohol for 12 hours and feel like it’s not a big deal if you order takeout multiple times and don’t step foot outside or see daylight for the entire day. Week 17 means the end of the regular season, but it also means the start of the postseason, and in Week 17, every team falls into one of three categories.

1. Playing for a playoff berth or playoff seeding.

2. Playing with the goal of trying to make sure no one gets injured before the playoffs.

3. Playing for absolutely nothing.

Here is how each team is categorized:

1. Houston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Carolina, San Diego, Kansas City, Green Bay, Detroit, Seattle, Denver, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

2. Indianapolis, New England, Dallas,

3. Jacksonville, Tennessee, Cleveland, Buffalo, New York Jets, Miami, Minnesota, Chicago, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, St. Louis, San Francisco, Oakland

So 12 teams need to win on Sunday, three just want to make it through Sunday without a playoff-crushing injury and the remaining 17 teams just want to get through 60 minutes of football and head to offseason and end what has been a lost season.

In both the NFC and AFC only one spot is still up for grabs, but only the NFC South winner as the 4-seed in the NFC and the Patriots as the 1-seed in the AFC are locked into their spots and not one matchup has been set yet. Week 17 is about as perfectly set up as you could want it to be if you’re a Giants fan like me (or a fan of any of the other 16 teams with nothing to play for) whose team is out of it. All I have left are my parlays, teasers and the hope for as much drama as possible to end the regular season.

(Home team in caps)

HOUSTON -9.5 over Jacksonville
Despite a three-game losing streak and being 5-6 at one point, the Texans are still alive for a playoff berth if they can win and Baltimore and San Diego lose. If the playoffs started today, none of the Texans’ eight wins would have come against the playoff team and the only way the 2014 Texans will have beaten a playoff team is if the Ravens find a way in, which of course, the Texans can’t have happen.

INDIANAPOLIS -7 over Tennessee
The Colts are locked into the 4-seed in the AFC and if they can survive Wild-Card Weekend, there’s a good chance they will head to Gillette and serve as the red carpet for the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game. Last week, when talking about the Cowboys-Colts game, I said, “The Colts don’t need it and can focus on staying healthy for the final two weeks before their inevitable first- or second-round playoff loss.” Then the Colts went out and lost 42-7 and proved that if the Colts can get through the first round, which is a big if at this point, they will get rolled in the divisional round on the road. But that doesn’t mean they won’t take the chance to steamroll the Titans here, which the Titans will gladly welcome en route to the No. 1 pick in the draft.

BALTIMORE -10 over Cleveland
Baltimore’s loss last week in Houston cost me a teaser and I wasn’t surprised it did since I have been so adamant about hating the Ravens and wanting them to lose all season. But now they are in a position where they can still make the playoffs if they beat Cleveland and San Diego loses to Kansas City. So I’m fully expecting the Ravens to rout the Browns and for the Chiefs to beat the Chargers, so the Ravens will get in the playoffs.

NEW ENGLAND -5 over Buffalo
The Patriots have nothing to play for. As long as Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Darrelle Revis don’t get hurt, the Patriots will consider Week 17 a win even if they don’t win. The Bills lost their season to the Raiders and I can’t imagine them finding motivation to show up in Gillette with four quarters separating them from the offseason and vacation.

New York Jets +6 over MIAMI
Goodbye, Rex Ryan. It was painful watching you nearly make a team quarterbacked by Mark Sanchez become the Kings of the City in New York and it was relieving to watch you lead the Jets back to mediocrity, but the entire six-year ride was enjoyable from a non-Jets fan’s perspective. You gave me the 2010 divisional round win over the Patriots as 10-point underdogs (and more importantly a huge money line) and jump-started the Giants’ Super Bowl run in 2011 after Victor Cruz’s 99-yard touchdown on Christmas Eve. You gave us the memorable lines in the 2010 season of Hard Knocks and gave me plenty of column material over the last five seasons. I think I owe it to Rex to give him a real farewell next week. Even if he was never my team’s coach, he was still a likeable personality, who helped make the game fun during a time when there was plenty of reasons to believe it might no longer be fun. Thank you, Rex. You returned the Jets to where they should be and hopefully without you they stay there.

ATLANTA -4 over Carolina
If the Falcons win, they win the NFC South at 7-9. If the Panthers win, they win the NFC South at 7-9-1.

Minnesota -6 over CHICAGO
I like how Jay Cutler says he either wants to play in Chicago or Tennessee as if he’s established enough that he can pick and choose where he wants to play. And if the Bears don’t want him, why would the Titans? They are the worst team in the NFL and looking at the No. 1 pick in the draft. Does anyone think the Titans would deal that pick in some sort of package to acquire Cutler when he hasn’t started 16 games in a season since 2009? We know what Cutler is and that’s not going to change when he starts the 2015 season at age 32. But I’m sure the Titans will be jumping at the opportunity for the coveted chance to give up possibly having a franchise quarterback for the next decade in exchange for the quarterback that lost his job to Jimmy Clausen.

San Diego +3 over KANSAS CITY
The Chiefs still haven’t thrown a touchdown pass to a wide receiver this season. In a game that close, I’m going to use that as the reason to take the points at Arrowhead. Zero touchdown passes to wide receivers!

NEW YORK GIANTS -3 over Philadelphia
What would this line have been after Week 13 when the Giants were 3-9 and losers of seven straight and the Eagles were 9-3 and coming off a Thanksgiving Day win in Dallas? Philadelphia -7.5? But four weeks later, the Eagles are three-point underdogs on the road in the season finale after pissing away their near-guaranteed playoff berth at 9-3 thanks to three straight losses in which we were once again reminded why Mark Sanchez was run out of New York and isn’t the answer or future for any team in any city. I wish I cared enough about the Eagle’s demise to listen to Philadelphia sports radio and its callers because I’m sure there aren’t many of either left believing Chip Kelly is a genius, especially after losing a season-ending game to the Redskins, who won for the first time since Oct. 27 when they beat the Tony Romo-less Cowboys. I’m relieved the Eagles were eliminated before January because it’s one less team I have to worry about winning the Super bowl this year.

WASHINGTON +6 over Dallas
The Cowboys essentially have nothing to play for because so many unlikely things need to happen for them to move higher than the 3-seed. So the Cowboys are going to be the 3-seed and host either the Packers, Lions, Seahawks or Cardinals in the first round. (Right now it would be the Cardinals and I’m sure the Cowboys are hoping that it stays that way.) But until then, the Cowboys’ only goal for Week 17 is to be healthy for Wild-Card Weekend and when you’re not really playing to win, it’s hard to cover.

TAMPA BAY +4 over New Orleans
This is one horrible game. Everything I thought I knew about the Saints being unbeatable at the Superdome has been destroyed since they lost their final five home games of the season after having not lost at home during the Sean Payton era since the end of the 2010 season. But after losing 41-10 to the Panthers, the Saints followed that up by losing 30-14 to the Falcons in a win-or-go-home game. That’s 24 points in back-to-back games at the Superdome for the Saints with their season on the line. The Saints as I had known them over the last six year (minus the one year the NFL took away from them) no longer exist.

GREEN BAY -8 over Detroit
When I first thought about this game, I couldn’t see the Packers blowing out the Lions in a game that is the difference between having a first-round bye plus a second-round home game and having to go on the road in the first round. Then I remembered how the Lions played last week in Chicago against an awful team and Jimmy Clausen and it made my decision a lot easier.

SEATTLE -12.5 over St. Louis
When I see what the Jets’ defense was able to do in a game that meant absolutely nothing to them and everything to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, I started to daydream like Lloyd Christmas imagining life with Mary Swanson about the thought of the Seahawks’ defense playing against the Patriots on a neutral field. If the Patriots’ vaunted offense could only put up 17 points in a one-point win at home against the Jets, what are they going to do in a potential Super Bowl matchup against the best defense in the league? The Seahawks have five in a row (and eight of nine) and during the winning streak they have allowed 3, 3, 14, 7 and 6 points. That’s 6.6 points allowed per game in a league that has changed every rule to basically make it so every drive ends in some amount of points.

Arizona +6 over SAN FRANCISCO
I probably shouldn’t be taking the Cardinals here considering they are starting a quarterback (Logan Thomas), who wasn’t good enough a week ago to start over a quarterback (Ryan Lindley), who completed 18 of 44 pass attempts for 216 yards. Granted that start came against the Seahawks and both Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton would have lost as well, but I’m not sure the guy who has completed one pass in nine career attempts is going to be much better.

(UPDATE: Apparently after one practice, Bruce Arians decided Logan Thomas wasn’t the best option and decided to go back to Ryan Lindley.)

DENVER -14 over Oakland
Terrance Knighton probably wishes he didn’t guarantee a Broncos Super Bowl win almost two weeks ago. Sure, I thought the Broncos would at least get to the Super Bowl if they could get the 1-seed and host the AFC Championship Game, but now that that’s not going to happen and with the way they Broncos have played for the last month, I’m not sure they will even win their first playoff game now that their bye is in danger. And on top of the Broncos’ current state of disarray, Peyton Manning is being asked and talking about his plans for 2015. Maybe the Broncos can flip the switch in January and look like the 6-1 team, whose only loss was in Seattle in overtime, but that’s a risky plan to believe in.

PITTSBURGH -3.5 over Cincinnati
I don’t feel good about this one, but I would feel better about the Patriots’ chances of being eliminated in the playoffs if they have to face the Steelers and for the Steelers to get to that point, I need the Steelers to be feeling good about themselves.

Last week: 8-8-0
Season: 119-118-3

Only two weeks left to go. Only 32 regular-season games left to pick and then 11 playoff games after. The stretch run carries on and another winning week is needed to finish the 2014 season the right way.

(Home team in caps)

JACKSONVILLE -3.5 over Tennessee
There’s no more fitting end to Thursday Night Football than having the the 2-12 Jaguars and the 2-12 Titans meet. The Thursday Night Football games this year were decided by 20, 42, 31, 32, 5, 2, 14, 18, 21, 13, 4, 13, 6, 8. Only four of the 14 games were decided by eight points or less in what were some of the worst and sloppiest played game of the entire season. Sure, Thursday Night Football has shortened the week for fans who need their fix (either viewing or gambling) before the following Sunday, however there’s no denying the games are rarely competitive and overall not exactly in the best interest of the health of the players. But Thursday Night Football isn’t going anywhere, so look forward to another slate of lopsided next season and maybe there won’t be any matchups as miserable as this one.

Philadelphia -8 over WASHINGTON
One of my favorite parts of this season has been Jay Gruden’s weekly roasts of Robert Griffin III’s abilities even if Gruden has recently said that his words about RGIII get misconstrued.

San Diego +1 over SAN FRANCISCO
If Michigan really offered Jim Harbaugh a six-year, $48 million deal and he doesn’t take it, then what the eff is he doing? That’s $8 million a year to coach a program that can’t go anywhere but up and if it doesn’t work out he can just get another job somewhere else. After three straight NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl loss, I’m not sure what the 49ers are thinking by trying to trade or fire Harbaugh unless he is really the absolute biggest dick in the world. Maybe they haven’t seen the rest of the head coaching landscape in the league, but they are going to have a likely impossible time trying to replace him.

Minnesota +6.5 over MIAMI
There isn’t a bigger fraud team in the NFL than the Dolphins. Last season, at 8-6, the Dolphins controlled their own destiny looking to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and the second time since 2001. They lost to the Bills 19-0 and the Jets 20-7, two teams with nothing to play for, and missed the playoffs once again with an 8-8 finish. This season, at 7-5, the Dolphins have lost back-to-back games to the Ravens (28-13) and Patriots (41-13) and will miss the playoffs once again. All Miami did this season was cost me picks and parlays and I’m happy to watch them endure another late-season collapse.

Green Bay -12 over TAMPA BAY
The Packers’ loss to the Bills dropped the Packers from second in the NFC and getting a first-round bye and then a home game in the divisional round to sixth and having to play on the road during Wild-Card Weekend with the Lions taking over the NFC North lead. The Lions are going to win this week in Chicago against Jimmy Claussen and improve to 11-4. The Packers are going to win in Tampa Bay to also move to 11-4. So next week’s Week 17 Packers-Lions game in Detroit is going to be for the NFC North title, a first-round bye and a divisional round home game in the NFC playoffs.

Detroit -9.5 over CHICAGO
Here are the quarterbacks that lost by 10 or more points to the Lions this season: Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Teddy Bridgewater, Jay Cutler and Josh McCown. What do those five quarterbacks have in common? They’re all better than Jimmy Claussen, who hasn’t started a game since 2010, didn’t play in any games in 2011, 2012 or 2013, has never thrown for more than 195 yards in game, has thrown three touchdown passes in his career and has one win in the NFL. That quarterback is being asked to jumpstart a Bears team that couldn’t win when they had a healthy Brandon Marshall and a team that has absolutely nothing to play for at 5-9 and playing for a coach that won’t be the Bears head coach the second their Week 17 game ends. Good luck, Jimmy Claussen.

NEW ORLEANS -9.5 over Atlanta
The 6-8 Saints playing the 5-9 Falcons for first place in the NFC South. If the Giants were in the NFC South, they would be in the mix for a postseason berth and a home playoff game. Instead, the only thing they have to play is their draft position and Tom Coughlin’s future. Meanwhile, if the Falcons win this game, Mike Smith will keep his job since the Falcons could be postseason bound. I’m rooting for the return of the Superdome Saints because of what Julio Jones did to me in Week 14 in Green Bay.

NEW YORK JETS +10.5 over New England
This is the final Jets-Patriots game of the Rex Ryan era. Here are how the other 12 have gone.

Patriots 27, Jets 25
Jets 30, Patriots 27 OT
Patriots 13, Jets 10
Patriots 49, Jets 19
Patriots 29, Jets 26 OT
Patriots 37, Jets 16
Patriots 30, Jets 21
Jets 28, Patriots 21 (playoffs)
Patriots 45, Jets 3
Jets 28, Patriots 14
Patriots 31, Jets 14
Jets 16, Patriots 9

The Jets are 4-8 in the 12 games, but have lost by 10 points or fewer eight times. Obviously none of that has anything to do with how this week will play out with the Patriots playing for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC and the Jets playing for nothing other than pride and trying not to get hurt with 120 minutes of football standing between them and the offseason. All the past Rex Ryan-Bill Belichick matchups show is that the Jets, even at 3-11, can’t be counted out to keep this game close or give the Patriots a tough time. (As I finish writing this, I can definitely see the Patriots winning 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.)

Kansas City +3 over PITTSBURGH
I originally picked the Steelers to win this game, thinking the Chiefs were worse on the road than they actually are. Whichever team wins this game is in the playoffs heading into Week 17 and the one common factor between these two teams are their bad losses. The Steelers have lost to the Buccaneers and Jets, while the Chiefs have lost to the Titans and Raiders. Without knowing which version of both of these teams will show up with major playoff implications on the line, I’m going to have to take the points.

Cleveland +4 over CAROLINA
I was as excited for the Johnny Football era as anyone, but after that embarrassing performance at home against the Bengals, I no longer have any interest in watching or rooting for Manziel until he proves he is better than Brian Hoyer. But for as bad as things were in his first NFL start, they can’t get worse. At least I don’t think they can.

Baltimore -6 over HOUSTON
Unfortunately, the Ravens are going back to the playoffs after missing out on them last season for the first time since 2007. I have rooted heavily against the Ravens this season after the way owner Steve Bisciotti handled that early-season Ray Rice-related press conference, but here they are at 9-5 and in control of their season with two games left. I guess I will just have to settle for rooting against them in the playoffs. Unless they play the Patriots.

NEW YORK GIANTS +6.5 over St. Louis
Odell Beckham Jr. put up 108 receiving yards against the Seahawks, so I don’t think the Rams will be able to contain him. I just hope the Giants’ defense can do to the Rams’ offense what the Cardinals did in their 12-6 Week 15 win against the Rams. That’s asking for a lot and too much, so this one is going to come down to the Giants’ offense being able to score against the Rams’ defense, specifically Beckham Jr, and I trust him more than I have ever trusted anyone in any Giants’ offense.

Buffalo -7 over OAKLAND
I am all aboard the Bills’ bandwagon. I desperately want the Bills to win out against the Raiders and Patriots and have everything need to go their way actually go their way and then pull off a first-round upset on the road against either the Colts or the NFC North champion. Let’s go Bills! Let’s go Bills! Let’s go Bills!

DALLAS -3 over Indianapolis
The Cowboys have to have this game. The Colts don’t need it and can focus on staying healthy for the final two weeks before their inevitable first- or second-round playoff loss.

Seattle -9 over ARIZONA
Ryan Lindley vs. the Seahawks’ defense, which has allowed 27 points in its last four games and allowed only three points to the Cardinals four weeks ago in a game Drew Stanton started, is going to be a disaster.

Denver -3.5 over CINCINNATI
Once again, the Broncos need to win out and have the Patriots lose to either the Jets or Bills to take over the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. It’s a longshot at this point, but it’s still a possibility and as long as it’s a possibility, I’m rooting for it.

Last week: 8-6-2
Season: 111-110-3

The Giants’ season has been over and now my fantasy season is over thanks a combination of Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson and the Packers’ defense and Julio Jones. So the only thing I have to look forward to for the rest of the season are the following things:

1. Predicting the lines each week
2. Parlays
3. Teasers
4. Hoping the Super Bowl champion isn’t the Eagles, Cowboys or Patriots
5. And of course, these picks

After this week, there are only two weeks left to pick and then the 11 playoff games. It’s the stretch run for the weekly picks and I don’t expect to go down like a Tom Coughlin team.

(Home team in caps)

Arizona +4.5 over ST. LOUIS
While calling the Seahawks-Eagles game, Joe Buck said the Cardinals were going to have a hard time winning another game for the rest of the season and went as far as to say they weren’t going to win another game for the rest of the season once Troy Aikman dared him to make the prediction. But the Cardinals didn’t listen to follow suit and beat the Chiefs to win their 10th game for the second straight season to most likely make the playoffs in some capacity after missing out last year. It’s not going to be easy for the Cardinals to go into St. Louis and win with the team the Rams have become, but it feels like that 10th win was the hump the Cardinals needed to get over to straighten things out and now they can return to some semblance of the 9-1 team they were a month ago.

Oakland +10 over KANSAS CITY
It’s hard to look at the Raiders’ schedule and cite some pattern for their losses or their difference in play between their home and away games. If we were to play the word association game where you say the first thing that comes to your mind following a phrase or question, “52-0” would be everyone’s answer for the 2014 Raiders. Well, either that or some version of “horrible” or “terrible” or “embarrassment”. But really, the Raiders haven’t been as bad when it comes to the the score of their games and not the result of wins and losses. They lost by 5 to the Jets in Week 1 in Derek Carr’s NFL debut when the Jets were still a team expected to compete for a playoff spot; they lost to the Patriots by 7 at Gillette and were close to tying the game in the final seconds before a game-ending interception; they lost by 3 and by 7 to the Chargers; they lost by 6 to the Seahawks and they beat this same Chiefs team three weeks ago. The Chiefs are putting together the kind of collapse the Giants used to put together when their seasons mattered in December and a desperate Chiefs team at Arrowhead trying to separate themselves from the 7-6 pack in the AFC is a dangerous team, but I’m going with the Raiders (even though I originally had Kansas City to cover when I started writing this).

BALTIMORE -14 over Jacksonville
After coming back against the Giants, I picked the Jaguars to cover last week at home against the Texans. They lost by 14 points. Now they are only giving 14 on the road against Baltimore? OK.

Pittsburgh -2.5 over ATLANTA
I needed the Falcons to go into Lambeau Field and play like the Falcons have outside of the Georgia Dome for years now in order to hold on to win a fantasy football playoff matchup against Steven Jackson and Julio Jones. So of course Jackson rushed for a touchdown and had 76 total yards and Jones set a franchise record for receiving yards with 259 to remind me how much I hate fantasy football. I didn’t like the Falcons before their 37-point outburst in Green Bay and now I dislike them that much more. After they blew their 17-point lead in the 2012 NFC Championship Game to cost me my 10-to-1 parlay on the NFC and AFC Championship Games, I shouldn’t have been surprised when they scored more points in a road game than they have since Week 1 in 2012 at Kansas City (40). The Patriots only managed 21 in Lambeau, but the Falcons put up 37? I’m going to continue to root heavily against the Falcons, but I do kind of hope they win the NFC South, so I can make much more wagering against them in a playoff game than I would have if Jones didn’t play like Jerry Rice on Monday Night Football.

INDIANAPOLIS -7 over Houston
Let’s be honest: the Colts are going to win the AFC South and then they are going to host the Steelers, Chargers or Ravens on Wild-Card Weekend and beat up on them at home. And then they are going to go to Gillette Stadium and get embarrassed and then there will be one team remaining and standing between the Patriots and a trip to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately that’s going to happen. And I realize that the Colts actually wouldn’t go to Gillette right now if they won their Wild-Card Weekend game (it would be the Bengals or the winner of the Bengals’ Wild-Card Weekend game that would go to play the Patriots), but I used the Colts because even though they will likely lose at Gillette, they have a better chance of winning there than any other AFC team not named the Broncos, so this is my semi-reverse jinx attempt with still four weeks to go until that potential game would take place.

CLEVELAND -1 over Cincinnati
JOHN-NY FOOT-BALL! CLAP CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP! JOHN-NY FOOT-BALL! CLAP CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP! JOHN-NY FOOT-BALL! CLAP CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP!

Miami +7.5 over NEW ENGLAND
I picked against the Patriots last week for the sole purpose of me wanting them to lose and in turn lose their hold on the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The same holds true this week, and I’m sure it will again in Weeks 16 and 17.

Tampa Bay +3.5 over CAROLINA
Somewhere someone who isn’t a Buccaneers fan or a Panthers fan is going to bet on this game and watch it in its entirety. Think about that.

NEW YORK GIANTS -7 over Washington
Why wouldn’t the Giants win their final four games of the season to finish 7-9 and in the middle of mediocrity once again? It would be just enough to not make the playoffs and enough to give Tom Coughlin more leverage heading into the Giants’ first serious look at a coaching change in a decade. If Giants ownership is planning on making a change no matter what, I’m sure they aren’t pulling for a strong finish to the season to give the Coughlin supporters fuel for their fire if if he’s fired. So maybe the owners of the Giants are rooting against their own team?

BUFFALO +6 over Green Bay
I was all for the Packers winning the NFC and then getting to showcase their offense in perfect conditions in Arizona in the Super Bowl against the Patriots because they looked like they might be the only team capable of stopping the Patriots if the Patriots get the 1-seed in the AFC. And then Monday night happened. I’m hoping Monday night was the Packers taking the Falcons lightly or having a letdown game following the hype of the previous week. I just hope it was something. Because even though they scored 41 points and won, that wasn’t the team Packers fans were told to “R-E-L-A-X” for. If it comes down to Packers-Patriots in Glendale, I will be one of those Packers fans and if the defense could let the five-win Falcons do that at Lambeau then I won’t be very “relaxed” thinking about what the Patriots could do to them on a neutral field.

New York Jets -2 over TENNESSEE
The Jets tried their best to win a meaningless game for them in Minnesota and improve upon their two-win season, all while Woody Johnson and the team’s fans rooted against them in hopes of bettering their chances at a higher draft pick. I figured the Jets would find a way to win the game, before losing in overtime, and somehow make sure they finish with at least four wins this season and hurt themselves in the 2015 Draft. In the last two games, the Jets have lost in overtime and lost by 3 to a desperate Dolphins team playing for their season. Everything about those games and the Jets screwing up the only good thing going for them (a high draft pick) says they win this week and then give the Patriots and Dolphins everything they have in the final two weeks of the season. The least Rex Ryan can do on his way out the door is make sure the Jets don’t have a Top 3 pick in April.

SAN DIEGO +4.5 over Denver
Last week I said, “I don’t really trust the Broncos anymore” and that was before Peyton Manning didn’t throw for a touchdown pass against the Bills, marking the first time in 51 games he failed to do so. First the blowout loss in New England, then the loss in St. Louis, then barely squeaking out a win over Miami and now Peyton isn’t throwing touchdown passes? Not only is he not throwing touchdown passes, but he threw for 179 yards in Week 13 and 173 yards in Week 14. Prior to Week 13, Peyton had only thrown for less than 200 yards as a Bronco one time (2013 at New England) and then he did it in back-to-back weeks? I have no idea what the eff is going on with the Broncos, but they are likely the only thing standing between the Patriots and Glendale, so whatever it is, they better figure it out and fix it because right now they should be picking up steam for the home stretch and the playoffs and instead they are falling apart and breaking down.

DETROIT -8 over Minnesota
Now that the Lions have figured out how to score touchdowns again consistently, they are a force at home. I wish the Vikings could hang around in this game and possibly pull off the upset since it would make my living situation better, but I have a bad feeling about this one.

SEATTLE -10 over San Francisco
The Seahawks have emerged as my favorite to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl and I have made myself an honorary 12th man member for the rest of the year. The only problem is that it’s going to take the Seahawks winning out (very possible) and the Packers losing one of their remaining three games against Buffalo, Tampa Bay or Detroit (not likely) for the Seahawks to win the 1-seed and have home-field advantage for the NFC Championship Game, which would be needed against the Packers in the playoffs. Consider me a Seahawks/Bills fan this week, a Seahawks fan next week (no point in thinking the Buccaneers can upset the Packers) and a Seahawks/Lions fan in Week 17.

Dallas +3.5 over PHILADELPHIA
There only two times a year when it’s not so bad if the Cowboys win and that’s when they play the Eagles.

New Orleans -3 over CHICAGO
This one is being billed as the “The 5 and 8 Fight” to promote the identical losing records of two teams that had playoff aspirations to begin the season. What’s that? The Saints are still alive to win their division despite being in 12th place in the NFC? Is it Monday yet?

Last week: 8-8-0
Season: 103-104-1