AFC Wildcard Race Heats Up In NFL Week 17

• The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are big favorites in their games.
• The Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens are both betting underdogs in Week 17.
• The Los Angeles Chargers have favorable odds to get a win and stay in the mix.

LAS VEGAS – The AFC Wildcard race is crowded with many teams still in contention but Week 17 should help make things clearer moving into the final week of the season.

The Big Favorites: New England Patriots And Indianapolis Colts

The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts hold the fifth and sixth seed in the AFC. New England will play the Jacksonville Jaguars while the Colts will take on the Las Vegas Raiders. Legal online betting sites have set both teams as favorites of larger than a touchdown.

As the biggest favorites of the week, it’s safe to assume the Bill Belichick-led Patriots will take care of business against the reeling Jaguars. The same can probably be said about the Colts.

Teams favored by greater than 7.0 points are 57-10 on the moneyline this season, showing these two will likely hold their spots in the AFC Playoff picture.

The Raiders are also just outside the playoffs with a 8-7 record, so this loss will help the other teams on the outside looking in.

Projected To Lose: Miami Dolphins And Baltimore Ravens

The Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens have the same record, but if the season were to end today Miami would make the postseason while Baltimore would not. However, as NFL betting sites have them both listed as underdogs, one has a good chance to make up ground or extend the lead on the other.

The Dolphins’ seven-game win streak is expected to end, but one of their biggest threats, the Ravens, aren’t expected to take advantage of it.

With both teams given underdog odds, there’s bound to be a beneficiary in the wild card race.

The Ones To Take A Leap: Los Angeles Chargers

The AFC currently has four teams with an 8-7 record, with the Raiders, Dolphins and Ravens all expected to lose in Week 17, the Los Angeles Chargers are in a good position to make up ground and get themselves locked into a playoff spot. They are favored in their matchup against the Denver Broncos.

If Los Angeles is the only 8-7 team to win this week, they would jump into the final spot of the playoffs and could potentially get even higher if some upsets happen to some of the top teams.

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