Pete's Best Bets: Different motivations in play in Week 17
Our Pete Prisco shres his five best plays for the final weekend of the regular season.
There are two things I want this week with my Best Bets.
The first is that I need to go at least 3-2 to finish 10 games over .500 for the season.
The second is that I really need to do better than that to catch the mouth-now-in-the-south Nick Kostos in the SuperContest at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
Like Kostos, I am part of Team Oddshark, and he has a 1.5-game lead on me heading into the final week.
So I need a 4-1 mark to go with his 2-3 to take over the lead. I think I will get it.
If so, the unthinkable could happen.
The mouth-now-in-the-south might actually shut up.
Yeah, right. That's like saying he will stop wearing stonewashed, skinny jeans and bad camouflage shirts. Not happening.
Bills (+3.5) vs. Jets, 1 p.m. ET (SportsLine's pick) -- This is Rex Ryan's Super Bowl. And it might be his only one the way things are going. Even so, I like the Bills here. They will be loose and Ryan's team will be amped to beat his old team and possibly knock them from the playoffs. Bills win it outright.
Cowboys (-3.5) vs. Redskins, 1 p.m. ET (SportsLine's pick) -- The Cowboys are at home playing a team that will be thinking about next week. Yes, the Cowboys aren't playing for anything and Kellen Moore isn't great. But I think the Redskins will rest players and play it low-key here. Cowboys go out on a good note.
Giants (-3) vs. Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (SportsLine's pick) -- This could be Tom Coughlin's last game. That matters. There is a lot of history with him and Eli Manning. They will show up and relive some of that glory here against a team with an interim coach that can't stop anybody. Giants big.
Raiders (+6.5) at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET (SportsLine's pick) -- The Raiders are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine on the road against the Chiefs. They would love to hurt Kansas City's chances to win the division, which they would do if Denver lost and they won. The Chiefs have won nine straight, but they've played some close ones – including at home. This will be no different.
Chargers (+9) at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET (SportsLine's pick) -- Normally, I’d think a team like San Diego that is going nowhere will fold up and go home. But not with Philip Rivers playing quarterback. They will show up here and fight. The Broncos might get caught pressing a bit. Take the big number.
