National Football League odds: Early lines for Week 17’s games with playoff implications

There is a shocking lack of drama surrounding the final week of the regular season. Packers lead the series, 97-68-7.

Stafford and the Lions will host Rodgers and the Packers on national television with the NFC North title on the line.

Don’t ask. Just wait for Sunday’s results. By contrast, the Texans are locked into the AFC’s fourth seed, and may think twice about gambling on the health of ailing starters.

All six playoff berths in the AFC are spoken for but the seedings are still to be decided. The Lions can win the division crown for the first time since 1993 and earn a first-round bye with a win and losses by Seattle and Atlanta. The Eagles (and not Washington or Detroit) would have an outside shot, if they could beat Dallas. Unlike in Week 3, their season very well could depend on it.

With Rodgers struggling with a calf injury and being unable to escape the pocket as effectively as he is accustomed, now more than ever the Packers can be thankful for an O-line that is one of the best in the league at protecting the quarterback. Rodgers has thrown 14 touchdown passes without an interception ever since he felt the Pack could “run the table”. In fact, in many ways they have the odds in their favor heading into Sunday night.

The Packer defense shouldn’t be too concerned about the Lions’ rushing game either. The Packers use the converted wideout out of the backfield on the majority of their offensive snaps, but outside of Week 15’s game against the Bears, he hasn’t hit double digits in attempts. If the Redskins, Packers and Lions all finish at 9-6-1, the Packers would win the NFC North because of a better head-to-head record against the Lions.

The run game will be an afterthought unless Ty Montgomery is able to break some runs as he did in Chicago. Green Bay at Detroit won’t be that way.

I’m hedging on my prediction, wondering if this, at last, is the Lion’s year.

The star pass rusher has a sore left shoulder.

The first part of the equation may be the toughest of the two for the Redskins.

The Lions’ secondary is banged up, including Pro-Bowl alternate CB Darius Slay.

Now Perry has a chance to return to his hometown of Detroit with a chance to help his team clinch the division to cap what has been a breakout season for him.

Carolina has nothing to play for in the season finale, but being out of the playoff race hasn’t stopped them from winning two of their last three games.

Lions DE Ziggy Ansah.

Derek Carr’s injury is only a slightly bigger loss for Raiders (12-3) fans than it is for football fans in general. The Lions need to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, and they’ve been loath to blitz him in the past. He’s charged back into the MVP race, throwing 11 touchdowns without an interception as the Packers have won five straight games. His absence forced the Packers to play ascending young Jordy Nelson more, and his performance (nine catches for 140 yards) suggests that by that time he was a better player than his 36-year-old teammate. In his past four games, he has 30 receptions for 437 yards and five TDs.

When Stafford ran for the winning score with 3:17 left on December 11 against Chicago, he set an National Football League record with eight come-from-behind fourth-quarter victories. It’s a fair question, but it doesn’t really matter now, because for the first time since 2008, this Miami team is in the playoffs.

– Lions RB Zach Zenner rushed for a career-high 67 yards and two TDs in Week 16. As a rookie in Cincinnati, wide receiver Marvin Jones remembers a late-season trip to Pittsburgh, where both teams’ playoffs hopes hung in the balance.

Rodgers, though, had just started to roll.

Saints (+7) over FALCONS: Drew Brees has put up his typical big numbers.