NFL Week 17 Betting Marquee Matchups:

Giants @ Redskins

The past several seasons, the Redskins have simply played out the string and have tried to be a spoiler whenever the Giants have come to town in late December or early January. What’s potentially fun about this particular battle is that it might have playoff implications for both teams. The Redskins, now that they have an elite coach (Mike Shanahan) and an upper-tier quarterback (Donovan McNabb), could very well make some noise in the NFC East. If this game does have a postseason flavor for Washington and not just New York, it will create a sensational piece of theater at FedEx Field, which would be electric in anticipation of another Eli Manning-Donovan McNabb showdown in a big game. It’s up to Washington to make this game sing.

Bengals @ Ravens

The Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North in 2009, but the Ravens advanced one round further in the postseason. Moreover, while Cincinnati started its season strong, it was Baltimore who made a bigger late-season push and played better at the end of the year. Yes, Cincinnati will still be in the thick of the hunt due to its own high-level defense, but the Ravens have acquired the kinds of pieces that will make them particularly formidable in 2010 (and maybe beyond). Perhaps the division race will already be settled by the time these teams meet in the regular-season finale. If not, you can bet that the AFC North will be settled – once and for all – when these two teams knock heads in Baltimore on the second day of 2011.

Cardinals @ 49ers

You might have noticed that in week 17, the NFL – thanks to Commissioner Roger Goodell – has insisted on a slate entirely comprised of divisional games. This tweak to the schedule came about after the Indianapolis Colts rested their star players last season against the New York Jets in week 16. By putting divisional games at the end of the season, the NFL hopes to create urgent and meaningful situations that will prevent teams from resting their most important performers. There is a certain degree of artificiality to this, but the good side is that it is likely to create at least one or two contests that will decide a division title on the final day of regular-season play. One such candidate for a division-settling showdown comes from San Francisco, where the 49ers and Cardinals could very well resolve a longstanding NFC West dispute. One of these teams might be playing spoiler on behalf of the Seattle Seahawks, but the point is clear enough: There’s likely to be a division crown on the line when Arizona travels to Candlestick Park. The joint should be jumping in early January.

Posted on July 28th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: Sportsbook news