Gridiron Great Top 11 (Week 17)
The Ravens have earned the #1 ranking and the #1 seed in the AFC. Could this be their year? Take a look at the NFL Gridiron Great Top 11 for this week.
Gridiron Great Top 11 (Week 17)
#11. Jacksonville Jaguars 9-7 (+1700/+3500) - The Jags had a good week. They defeated the Panthers easily, Trevor Lawrence is close to returning, and WR Christian Kirk is close to returning. Last Week’s Rank: 11th
#10. Cleveland Browns 11-5 (+1400/+3500) - The Joe Flacco Revival rolls on. This could be the AFC’s most dangerous wildcard team. Last Week’s Rank: 9th
#9. Miami Dolphins 11-5 (+550/+1300) - The Dolphins are in the playoffs but they could be one and done based on the litany of injuries they’ve been hit with over the last several weeks. That could be especially true if they lose to Buffalo and have to travel. Last Week’s Rank: 3rd
#8. LA Rams 9-7 (+2500/+6000) - To me, this looks like the most dangerous Wildcard team in the NFC. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#7. Philadelphia Eagles 10-5 (+500/+1100) - The Eagles looked like Super Bowl favorites five weeks ago. Now they look like a team that just wants this season to end. Last Week’s Rank: 4th
#6. Kansas City Chiefs 11-5 (+425/+950) - I expected the Chiefs’ offense to show up against a shaky Bengals’ secondary last week but it wasn’t to be. They will be playing on Wildcard Weekend this year and, if they win, Mahomes will be playing his first road playoff game ever, most likely. Last Week’s Rank: 6th
#5. Buffalo Bills 10-6 (+380/+800) - The Bills' long road back has put them in a position to win the AFC East with a win over the Dolphins. A loss, however, could find the Bills out of the playoffs if things fall the wrong way. Last Week’s Rank: 8th
#4. Detroit Lions 11-5 (+750/+2000) - The Cowboys’ gift was the Lions’ coal last week. Detroit is angry and will take it out on the hapless Vikings this week. Last Week’s Rank: 5th
#3. Dallas Cowboys 11-5 (+330/+750) - The Cowboys may very well have been gifted a win by the refs on Saturday night but they now find themselves in a position to win the division as a result. Last Week’s Rank: 5th
#2. SF 49ers 12-4 (-120/+220) - The Niners bounced back with a win this week and clinched the #1 seed and all-important bye heading into the playoffs. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
#1. Baltimore Ravens 13-3 (+140/+300) - The Ravens, for the second straight week, manhandled one of the elite teams in the NFL as they blasted Miami. They will look like a preseason team this week as they rest all their major stars in preparation for the playoffs. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
Upset Alert for Week 17: We fell to 11-10 on the season with the Browns dominating win over the Jets (+7.5) on Thursday night. With this being the final week and very few true upsets in line given the fluctuation of rosters as teams prep for the playoffs, let me give you two locks of the week to close out the year.
#1. Minnesota at Detroit (-3): Jump all over this line if you find it this low still. The Lions are an angry team and have an angry coach who has already announced that his starters will be playing. Minnesota’s QB situation is a mess. Expect the Lions to win this one going away.
#2. Atlanta at New Orleans (-3): The Falcons are a mess. They have juggled QBs and have scored just over 12 points per game down the stretch. The Saints’ defense is allowing just 16 points per game down the stretch. Derek Carr is still playing for his job next season, forget that vote of confidence he got. He will play well and secure the win here.
*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com
By Mark Ruelle