The race for playoff positioning and division championships in the NFL is heating up significantly entering Week 17. We are coming off of yet another phenomenal week of action in Week 16 with plenty to unpack, and so much to look forward to.
Week 17 is going to be another loaded slate with games all throughout the holiday weekend. Fans will be treated to a trio of games on Christmas Day, including the Lions trying to keep their playoff hopes alive and the Broncos trying to maintain their lead in the AFC West.
Which teams are getting wins in Week 17? We're breaking down every single matchup on the schedule, as well as making our game picks and score predictions for each game.
NFL Picks and score predictions for every Week 17 game
Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1) @ Washington Commanders (4-11)
Thursday, December 25, 1:00 PM ET (Netflix)
This game obviously doesn’t carry the luster the NFL would have hoped for, especially because the Commanders could be down to their third option at the quarterback position. This could be one of the ugliest games of the week, and it seems like the oddsmakers are expecting exactly that. The initial over/under is set at a whopping 50.5 total points, so very little resistance is expected for these two defenses.
The Cowboys, to their credit, have played pretty great offense almost the entire season. They didn’t have enough against the Los Angeles Chargers, but they still have the weapons to be able to completely wreck the Commanders’ defense, especially if Josh Johnson is giving the Cowboys extra possessions to work with.
Here’s a fun angle to maybe watch in this game as a couple of receivers are playing for new contracts. George Pickens has a future with the Dallas Cowboys, but how high can he drive the price? A huge game against a division rival in front of a national audience will play into his favor no matter if the stakes are high or not.
For the Commanders, how about the intentional involvement lately of former first-round pick Treylon Burks? He’s earned his way to a new deal as a reclamation project elsewhere after this season, and a couple more big plays could really raise his stock.
Prediction: Cowboys win 34-16
Detroit Lions (8-7) @ Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
Thursday, December 25, 4:30 PM ET (Netflix)
Here’s another fascinating Christmas Day game between two teams who undoubtedly had their sights set on being the top seed in the NFC this year, as opposed to the situations they find themselves in.
The Vikings have already been eliminated from playoff contention, but they’ve been playing some really solid football as of late. They gutted out a win after JJ McCarthy suffered a had injury against the Giants, and considering how Max Brosmer played in his last outing, that is indeed impressive (even against the Giants).
With a short week and McCarthy unable to grip the football on Sunday, it’s going to be interesting to see whether or not he plays in this one. If he doesn’t, I’m not really giving the Vikings any shot, even though the Lions haven’t exactly been world-beaters this season.
Detroit enters Week 17 with just an 8 percent chance of making it to the playoffs. Again, for a team with aims on the #1 overall seed, that’s disheartening. The Lions are failing to capitalize on a genuine championship window.
Losing to the Vikings will put the final nail in the proverbial coffin for this team, which will likely be on the lookout for two new coordinators once again in 2026. This is a massive game for Detroit, even if part of their playoff fate is out of their control.
Prediction: Lions win 24-17
Denver Broncos (12-3) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)
Thursday, December 25, 8:15 PM ET
The mighty Chiefs have fallen badly this season. The reigning AFC champions and the NFL’s top dynasty over the last eight years is completely out of the playoffs right now, and worse.
The Chiefs are dealing with injuries on top of insult, especially at the quarterback position. Patrick Mahomes is out with a torn ACL. Gardner Minshew tore his ACL on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs are trotting out Chris Oladokun for this matchup on Thursday against the Denver Broncos, a team that’s going to be playing ticked off after a brutal loss at home to the Jaguars.
The Broncos were on an 11-game winning streak prior to their loss to Jacksonville in Week 16. They’d been playing great as a team, especially in the 4th quarter, but they just didn’t have enough Mile High Magic to beat the Jaguars.
The issues for the Broncos right now are, shockingly, on the defensive side of the ball. They’re a bit banged up there, and they haven’t been able to force turnovers consistently this season. Against a 3rd-string quarterback, they’ll be treating the 50-yard line as the end zone this week and looking to get that disgusting taste of defeat out of their mouths.
The Broncos are 12.5-point favorites with the Chiefs rolling out their third-string QB for this one. Just like last year, the Broncos can’t take it lightly going up against backups. They’ve got to take care of business, and I think we’ll see them bounce back.
Prediction: Broncos win 35-6
Houston Texans (10-5) @ Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
Saturday, December 27, 4:30 PM ET
Here we have the game of the week in the NFL, if you ask me. The Houston Texans head to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers in a battle between two defenses playing as well as any in the NFL right now, if not better.
The Texans have been a model of perseverance all throughout the 2025 season, losing their first three games of the year, overcoming an elongated absence from CJ Stroud, and keeping themselves in position to be AFC South champions with just two games to play.
Of course, Houston has no margin for error at this point with the Jaguars also on a huge winning streak, but there’s a great opportunity in front of them against a team they absolutely embarrassed in the playoffs last season.
And you can bet that Justin Herbert hasn’t forgotten about that. The Chargers were one of the most efficient offenses in the NFL last season, especially in the turnover department, but Justin Herbert acted like he was playing catch with Texans defensive backs in that playoff game last year.
With the Chargers’ offensive line as banged up as it is, Herbert has really put the pressure on himself, and we’ve seen this Chargers team slowly just keep winning. And the toughness of Herbert has been on display. He’s been doing whatever it takes to will his team to victory, even playing through a surgery to his non-throwing hand.
This is going to be a test of will and determination. Which QB is going to make the fewest mistakes? Who is going to step up in the big moment? The Chargers are playing well enough to be favored at home by 1.5 points.
That LA offensive line is going to struggle with the pass rush of the Texans. I think Houston wins on a last-second kick.
Prediction: Texans win 23-22
Baltimore Ravens (7-8) @ Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)
Saturday, December 27, 8:00 PM ET
It’s looking more and more like a lost season for the Baltimore Ravens, who couldn’t finish the job against the New England Patriots on Sunday night.
Folks are starting to turn up the heat on John Harbaugh, at least from the outside perspective, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Ravens operate after the season if this team fails to make it to the postseason. To be fair, the team does seem stuck. And they have really struggled in the playoffs the last few years, anyway.
Maybe there is a chance that we could see the Packers finish the job here. As banged up as Green Bay is this season, they are in a must-win situation after dropping one against the Chicago Bears in epic collapse fashion.
How do the Packers bounce back from that? Is Jordan Love going to be okay? On the flip side, what’s the status of Lamar Jackson going to be on a short week?
This is going to be a game dominated by the running backs, and this is why you go out and pay guys like Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs. When you get to December and January, the temps drop, and those guys bring their physical style of play to help you win tight defensive battles in the elements.
Green Bay is a 2.5-point favorite to open the week, but I won’t be shocked if Baltimore goes on the road and pulls off the upset, as banged up as the Packers are. I’m still taking the home team in a low-scoring game.
Prediction: Packers win 19-16
Arizona Cardinals (3-12) @ Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
This isn’t exactly the premier matchup on the NFL’s Week 17 slate, but there are obviously some major 2026 NFL Draft implications here for both the Cardinals and Bengals.
The Cardinals are entering this game 3-12 with just one game separating them and the Raiders/Giants for the #1 or #2 overall pick in the draft. The Bengals don’t have a shot at the #1 overall pick at this point, but they could use the higher selections in each round to continue reloading this roster for 2026 and beyond.
With that in mind, we saw this past weekend that the Bengals are doing anything but “tanking”. They’re going to come out and put on an offensive clinic against a Cardinals team that has just had a really tough year overall.
The Bengals are favored at home here by seven points, and that feels a little conservative. The Cardinals have lost seven games in a row, and they are one of the most banged-up teams in the NFL right now. I don’t see them really having a shot in this one.
After a dud of a game against the Ravens two weeks ago, Joe Burrow put on an absolute clinic against the Dolphins, completing over 78 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions. The Bengals are most likely going to roll in this one by two touchdowns or more.
Prediction: Bengals win 35-13
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) @ Cleveland Browns (3-12)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
Myles Garrett once again has a chance to break the NFL’s all-time single-season sack record in front of the home crowd, and I think this is the week he gets it done. Aaron Rodgers is helping lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to another inevitable winning season with nine wins, but the guy will take some sacks.
And Garrett is the most interesting part of this Browns team right now, even with Shedeur Sanders showing a little something here late in the season. The injury to Quinshon Judkins is a huge blow for the Browns’ 2026 morale, and Sanders has looked like a rookie the past couple of weeks, but there’s still plenty keeping this Browns fan base engaged in an otherwise lost season.
The Steelers are looking at the very realistic opportunity this weekend to get to 10 wins and seal the deal for the division. They’ve currently got an 89 percent probability of making it to the playoffs, and that is almost unquestionably going to be as the AFC North champs.
It hasn’t been a flawless year for the Steelers, not by any stretch, but it’s been another year of them finding a way. Mike Tomlin’s inevitability is doing its thing here late in the season.
In this game, Pittsburgh is favored by just 4.5 points, which really says a lot about the way the Browns’ defense has played this season and kept them in games they otherwise shouldn’t be.
We’ll see if Cleveland can pull off an upset as Myles Garrett breaks the single-season sack record. This could be the most emotionally supercharged game of the second half of the season for Cleveland.
Myles Garrett preserves a late lead for the Browns with a strip-sack to seal the deal.
Prediction: Browns win 17-16
New Orleans Saints (5-10) @ Tennessee Titans (3-12)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
Nobody is confusing this as the NFL’s game of the week or anything, but if you enjoy rooting for young prospects and are interested in seeing the growth and maturation of two young signal-callers, this game will be right up your alley.
Let’s start with the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Cam Ward, who has put a lot of good stuff out there on tape this season. Ward has been making some big-time throws even with bouts of inaccuracy at times, and what he is proving to the Titans’ organization is that they were right to invest that top pick in him.
The 2026 offseason can be all about building around a quarterback instead of desperately trying to find one.
And is it possible that we could be saying the same exact thing about the New Orleans Saints? Earlier this year, we were sort of singing the praises of Spencer Rattler, who had some solid games before getting benched. The same runway we once thought Rattler had bought himself for 2026 has now been shifted over to Tyler Shough, the promising 2nd-round pick.
Keep in mind, the retirement of Derek Carr threw the Saints for a loop. They scrambled to get QBs in the building before the 2026 NFL Draft, and settled on Shough. And he’s been rather tremendous. The Saints have now won three-straight games and are playing some good football with Shough at the helm.
He just had his first career 300-yard passing game against the Jets, and could throw all over this Titans defense again in Week 17. The Saints are 2.5-point road favorites early on.
Prediction: Saints win 23-19
Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) @ Indianapolis Colts (8-7)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
It’s become abundantly clear that the Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the best teams in the NFL, and they just got a signature win on Sunday in Denver. Can they follow that up with another big win against a division rival?
Jacksonville’s emergence this season has been a slow one, but the clear before and after for this team was the acquisition of Jakobi Meyers, who has helped elevate the offense to new heights since his arrival. Trevor Lawrence not only looks comfortable out there, but he looks absolutely dialed in.
Over the last two games, he’s had 10 total touchdowns. Even if you expected him to dominate against the New York Jets, the fact that he was able to rack up four total touchdowns against one of the best defenses in the NFL (in Denver, no less) is MVP-type stuff.
The Jaguars are looking to seal up a playoff spot and division title as quickly as possible, and obviously the Colts are in desperation mode at this point.
The Colts went from being one of the best teams in the NFL to being on the cusp of having a losing record this season. Obviously, there's only so much you can do about injuries in the NFL, but this Colts team went to the extreme.
Pulling Philip Rivers out of retirement was an incredible move, and it's still hard to fathom that Rivers is actually out there playing games. And although the Colts faltered against the 49ers, Rivers showed guts once again. Will the Colts be able to play a little spoiler against the red-hot Jaguars? I'm not banking on it, but you almost can't help but root for Rivers, having been out of the game since 2020.
Prediction: Jaguars win 31-21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) @ Miami Dolphins (6-9)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
With their loss this weekend, the Miami Dolphins – who had been a very intriguing and somewhat hot team for a stretch – have been completely eliminated from the playoffs. And they’re looking like a pretty easy stepping stone right now for a team like the Bucs, who need to get back on track badly.
The Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa, signaling the end of an “era” for the team that has been ongoing since the 2020 offseason. The benching of Tua following the team parting ways with general manager Chris Grier is the clearest sign we have that the Dolphins are going to blow it up down to the studs this offseason.
New general manager, new quarterback…will Mike McDaniel be around to be part of it all? At this point, we know Tagovailoa is going to be looking for a new home. Tyreek Hill won’t be part of this team barring the unexpected. It’s going to be an interesting offseason for the Dolphins.
But the game at hand is extremely important for the Buccaneers, who have been one of the most disappointing teams in the entire NFL over the past two months. Injuries have played an obvious role in the struggles for the Bucs, but so has the play of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
It’s like he’s fallen off the proverbial cliff and there’s no end to the free-fall in sight. At least, until this weekend. The Bucs are 5.5-point favorites on the road against Quinn Ewers and the Dolphins, which feels like a huge gut check regarding the perception of this team. I’m saying the Bucs cover easily, winning by 10 or more.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 27-16
New England Patriots (12-3) @ New York Jets (3-12)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
The writing’s on the wall for this one, isn’t it?
It’s game like this that make it too bad we have a “word requirement” for each game. All kidding aside, the Patriots are the storyline here. After going 4-13 last year, Mike Vrabel has come in and turned the ship around significantly. And it takes a village, but the duo of Vrabel and Drake Maye has been one of the best stories in the NFL all season.
And the best part is, nobody can dunk on anyone for expecting it, because the Patriots breaking out this season was the most obvious offseason storyline in 2025.
It’s the way they’ve delivered that’s been impressive. They are on the cusp of now taking the AFC East from the Buffalo Bills, and they have to be thanking the schedule makers for the Jets game here in Week 17.
The Jets are starting Brady Cook, who nobody has even heard of unless you’re a die-hard Jets fan or a lifelong Missouri fan. Cook is the Jets’ third option at the position, and they just don’t have what it takes, even with the unpredictable nature of the NFL, to win a game like this with the Patriots playing the way they have this season.
Cook is going to have to cook or be cooked in this game, and I fear the worst for the Jets. Which is actually not a bad thing for them, because it will push them that much closer to potentially finding their next franchise QB in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Shoot, maybe they’ll finally get their first interception of the year, and it will come off of Maye. That would at least be something. The Patriots are favored by 12.5 and that’s going to be conservative.
Prediction: Patriots win 37-9
Seattle Seahawks (12-3) @ Carolina Panthers (8-7)
Sunday, December 28, 1:00 PM ET
This might not be the greatest matchup of the week in Week 17, but it’s definitely one that everyone’s going to be interested in around the NFL world.
Let’s start by talking about the Carolina Panthers, who have been unable to maintain any level of consistency this season despite being one of the most “fun” teams in the league. Carolina’s got an explosive offense. Bryce Young has shown he has the clutch factor. The defense has improved significantly.
So why are we seeing this team so up and down? I thought they took a big step forward last year offensively, but it’s been another year of growing pains. And thankfully, they are playing games fighting to keep first place this year, as opposed to trying to play catch-up.
So, to the Panthers’ credit, they’re in a great position right now after a win against the Bucs over the weekend. And they took care of business against the Los Angeles Rams a few weeks ago for their most “impressive” win of the season, but can they repeat that success against the Seattle Seahawks?
The Seahawks may be the best team in the NFL right now. That distinction goes to a new team every single week, but Seattle has had a legitimate case to be made all year. Coming back from down 30-14 against the Rams in primetime? Yeah, that’ll do it…
Seattle has proven, time and time again, they can do it all. They are complementary, they are explosive on offense, and they are tough defensively.
I will reiterate what I have stated all year long, however. It’s tough for West Coast teams to go to the East Coast and play in the 1:00 ET window. The Panthers and their fans are going to be juiced up for this game, too. I think it’s disrespectful to the Panthers that they are 7.5-point dogs in this one at home.
Prediction: Panthers win 27-26
New York Giants (2-13) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
Sunday, December 28, 4:05 PM ET
All eyes in the NFL world will be fixated on this matchup for Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season. A classic battle between AFC and NFC, the Giants and Raiders are getting together for a game late in the season with the highest of stakes…
…the top pick in next year’s draft.
In all honesty, while this game may be lame in terms of each of these teams’ overall records, there is a ton at stake in this game when it comes to the 2026 offseason. The Raiders obviously want to figure out how they’re going to move forward at the quarterback position beyond this season, because Geno Smith is not the guy.
And Pete Carroll probably isn’t the head coach, either.
The Giants are also already on the hunt for their next head coach beyond this season, and they’re trying to figure out if Jaxson Dart is the guy moving forward. I’d say he’s bought himself another season, for sure, but if the Giants can get the #1 pick in next year’s draft, they could sell it off to the team with the biggest QB need (maybe even the Raiders…) for a king’s ransom of picks and maybe players as well.
That’s where the stakes for this game really are. Everything else that has any level of football intrigue is going to be fantasy football championship related.
The Giants are slight 1.5-point favorites, but Ashton Jeanty came to life as the Raiders nearly upset the Texans this past week.
Prediction: Raiders win 23-19
Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) @ Buffalo Bills (11-4)
Sunday, December 28, 4:25 PM ET
You have to take it with a slight grain of salt considering the opponents, but the Philadelphia Eagles might be back to playing some Philadelphia Eagles football. Even if the opponents haven’t been great, the results have been, and that’s all that matters at this time of year.
The Eagles have once again won the NFC East. They are going to be hosting at least one playoff game, and for a team that just won the Super Bowl, what more can you ask for?
Well, Eagles fans have booed their team off the field at times this year, so apparently, there’s a lot more they can be asking for. Going to Buffalo this week gives us a little Super Bowl preview, and really the game of the week as far as the Sunday slate is concerned.
The Bills have not played great defense this season, but Josh Allen has put on the Superman cape enough times that you’re still buying this team as a true contender in the muddy AFC right now. The Bills might be one of the only teams with true playoff experience in that entire conference going into the postseason.
There is something to be said for the way these two teams have pushed through when it comes to taking on a lot of change, persevering through impossibly high expectations, and overcoming some tough losses.
The Bills are modest 2.5-point home favorites in this game, and I think this one is going to be a lot of fun. These two teams will bring that playoff-like vibe for a game that has way more at stake for the Bills than it does the Eagles at this point.
Prediction: Bills win 27-24
Chicago Bears (11-4) @ San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
Sunday, December 28, 8:20 PM ET
Many in the NFL world probably hit the sack when the Bears were trailing 16-6 late against the Green Bay Packers last Saturday night, but just like the Rams-Seahawks clash, those who fell asleep missed out on some seriously epic football.
The Bears came storming back from down 16-6, recovering an onside kick and tying the game with an extremely improbable catch from the never-before-seen Jahdae Walker. After tying it in regulation, Caleb Williams fired a pass to DJ Moore in overtime on a play that will now live forever in the hearts and minds of Chicago Bears fans.
The job is not done for this Bears team, however, as they are looking to close out the year strong, take the division, and make some significant noise in the postseason. And at this point, why not the Bears?
The 49ers are going to have something to say about it on Sunday night football as they gear up to likely be road warriors in the postseason, the way this year is playing out. And that’s going to be fine with them. The Niners have been operating in relative “darkness” all year.
They’ve had so many injuries, they’ve had to roll with Mac Jones for stretches, and nobody is really talking about them all that much. We’ll see what they can put together against a Bears team that is doing two things most teams will struggle with: Running the ball and forcing turnovers.
If the Niners can play a clean game offensively, they can get the upper hand on the Bears here. Especially playing at home, I like the 49ers as 2.5-point favorites and I think they can cover that.
Prediction: 49ers win 27-23
Los Angeles Rams (11-4) @ Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
Monday, December 29, 8:15 PM ET
The Los Angeles Rams are coming off of a heartbreaking defeat, and now have to go on the road to take on a Falcons team that is playing for pride. And as they’ve been playing for pride the past couple of weeks, they’ve actually been playing some pretty darn good football.
Kirko Chainz appears to be in his usual form as opposed to his cooked form, and we’re seeing the Atlanta playmakers do what everyone expected them to do all year long. Kyle Pitts had a huge game against the Bucs two weeks ago, and Bijan Robinson went absolutely wild on the Arizona Cardinals as both a runner and receiver last week.
Do the Falcons have it in them to play spoiler against the Rams?
I’m not so sure about that one. The Rams are favored on the road by 8.5 points, and this is a game they absolutely should win. But as we’ve seen, the NFL is more unpredictable than ever before this season, and the Falcons have guys playing for big-money contracts and jobs next season.
Not to mention, if the Rams go on the road and beat Atlanta, they’re helping themselves in multiple ways. Obviously, the Rams are fighting for the top seed in the NFC and the NFC West title, but handing a loss to the Falcons here would improve one of their two first-round draft picks in 2026.
They own the Falcons’ pick thanks to a draft night trade in which the Falcons moved up to get James Pearce Jr.
It’s going to be a pressure-packed atmosphere and I think the Rams will get Atlanta’s best effort. I’m just not sure it’ll be enough in the end.
Prediction: Rams win 31-24