orioles

The NFC North decider should be wild.

Rodgers has been in rare form of late. Darius Slay could be out, but in any case, I expect Green Bay to put up a ton of points.

Matt Stafford has struggled to cope with his injured finger, but the Packers are poor deep and with little to offer on the ground, Stafford should be throwing all night (particularly from behind) probably at Damarious Randall who has had a rough time and is banged up.

Pick: Packers -3 @ 1.83
Pick: Over 49.5 @ 1.95

Washington need to win to extend the season, the Giants are likely to be resting or sitting players with little on the line. At the very least Janoris Jenkins should be riding the pine, which gives Cousins and his receivers a big boost.

Pick: Redskins -7 @ 1.91

Happy New Year all!

Fins are in and have seen Tannehill knocked out for the rest of the season, so they may start sitting players if they fall behind. The Pats can tie up the #1 seed, and with the Raiders playing later New England will want to get it done.

Pick: Patriots -7.5 @ 2

46-44, +1.9

This spread started at Detroit +7.5 and I must admit, I took some of that, then the Giants went down at the Eagles, handing the Cowboys the top seed in the NFC and suddenly I looked like I know what I'm doing. The line has come in now to +/-6, but with the Pack on a tear the Lions really need to take down the Cowboys in AT&T Stadium.

Assuming a team with nothing on the line will not show up on MNF is incredibly dangerous and Dallas won't lie down; that coupled with some key injuries to Detroit means that getting the right side of the key number may turn out to be crucial, so in all honesty, I'd stay away getting just 6 points.

Pick: Lions +6 @ 1.95

46-43, +2.9

Savage is under center after Osweiler was practically run out of town. The Texans have their eyes on the prize here as the Bengals choked like granny on an undercooked sprout last week.

A J Green is back and I have a sneaky feeling that the Bengals are going to spoil the party.

Pick: Bengals +2.5 @ 1.98

By the way, I'm sorry these picks are even more brief than usual - I'm typing them on my phone, hiding from my wife and family!

This spot looks tough for a horribly inconsistent Colts team. The Raiders are in, but they're looking for that week off before starting their postseason campaign.

Pick: Raiders -3.5 @ 1.99

First of all, a merry Christmas to my reader. Thanks mum!

I hope this blog has been occasionally diverting and enhanced your viewing pleasure, even though it hasn't filled your wallet.

This one looks tight, but I fancy the fins to make a serious play for that wildcard spot, even though the Bills might be trying to win one for Rex, who looks headed for door.

Both teams will try to run it all day, and Buffalo has LeSean McCoy, which is a big problem for the Dolphins who aren't great against the run; Cordy Glenn missing is the fins big hope. Jay Ajayi has to step up and I've a feeling he will against a Bills' D that gives up yards.

Take the points.

Pick: Dolphins +4.5 @ 1.95

With the G-men it's practically Beckham or bust; they stink on offense. However, they're tough enough on defense and the Eagles are pretty awful on that side of the ball too.

This road dog is too attractive.

Pick: Giants +1 @ 1.91

Let your All Pro corner become a free agent and try to build a secondary off the back of the draft. It may not have been Dave Gettleman's finest hour.

The Redskins have a nicely balanced offense and Kirk Cousins has surprised by developing into a more than capable quarterback. The line has drifted out as far as -7 on Washington and that's probably more than I'd like to give; the Redskins are the better team with more to play for, but Jordan Reed is a critical cog in the offensive wheel and he has a serious injury problem and the home team's defense frequently loses concentration, particularly early in the game.

Having already been eliminated, the Panthers may decide to sit Luke Kuechly who has only just cleared the concussion protocol. If they do, I'd like this bet a lot more. As it is, I'd stay away, because as horrible as Cam Newton has been, the Panthers aren't wholly toothless.

But, as I have to bet, I'll take a small interest and buy that half point.

Pick: Redskins -6.5 @ 1.91

43-41, +1.8

The Bucs roll into AT&T with the defense purring to face off against a seemingly slumping Dak Prescott whose top target downfield has been on the injury list all week. Zeke Elliott and the much vaunted Cowboys' offensive line will need to have a big game to take the pressure off Prescott, because the ball hogging Tampa defense can get a foothold here if they're not off balance.

A fit Doug Martin and Mike Evans to throw at might form the basis of an upset, but I'm actually looking for a back door cover as the Bucs show their primetime mettle.

Pick: Buccaneers +7 @ 1.93