Vikings at Lions (-3½)

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell picked Nick Mullens to start the season finale and try to save the Vikings’ long-shot bid to earn a wild card berth. That’s very disappointing to most Vikings fans who would have preferred that they try starting the NFL’s first edible quarterback.
Pick: Lions by 14

(Screen grab from ESPN)

Bears at Packers (-3½)

Aaron Jones absorbed a punch to the noggin while trying to calm tensions after last Sunday night’s rout of the Vikings in Minneapolis. Detailed analysis of the video proves it was the only shot landed on the Packers all evening.
Pick: Bears by 3

(Screen grab from NBC)

Jets at Patriots (-2½)

Jets QB Aaron Rodgers suggested this week, without a scintilla of evidence, that comedian Jimmy Kimmel would be included on the client list for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This confirms The Loop’s analysis that Rodgers might be even more slimy than Jeffrey Epstein.
Pick: Patriots by 11

(Screen grab from ESPN)

Falcons at Saints (-3½)

ESPN came under fire after inadvertently showing a woman’s bare breast during a Bourbon Street crowd shot in Monday’s Sugar Bowl. The culprit not only earned some beads for her effort, she produced the highlight of the entire football season in New Orleans.
Pick: Saints by 7

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – FEBRUARY 05: A view of the logo during ESPN The Party on February 5, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for ESPN)

Rams at 49ers (-3½)

With the Niners locked into the No. 1 seed and the Rams set as a wild card, this game is meaningless for both teams. That gives this matchup something in common with about three dozen recent bowl games.
Pick: 49ers by 7

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 27: Head coach Neal Brown of the West Virginia Mountaineers gets dunked in mayonnaise after a win against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium on December 27, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. West Virginia won 30-10. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Bills at Dolphins (+2½)

Miami suffered a catastrophic injury in its blowout loss in Baltimore when Bradley Chubb blew out his knee during garbage time. The idiotic decision to leave the star linebacker in the game by coach Mike McDaniel now assures the Dolphins’ two remaining games will also be garbage time.
Pick: Bills by 7

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 31: Bradley Chubb #2 of the Miami Dolphins lies on the field with an apparent injury during the fourth quarter of the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Buccaneers at Panthers (+5½)

Panthers owner David Tepper was fined $300,000 for throwing a drink at a Jacksonville fan from his luxury box last Sunday. It’s assumed the tossed beverage could not have contained any traces of alcohol if Tepper preferred hurling it to chugging it.
Pick: Buccaneers by 7

(Screen grab from YouTube)

Broncos at Raiders (-2½)

The value of X has reportedly dropped 71 percent in the months since Elon Musk took over the company formerly known as Twitter. The only entity to plummet in value deeper and faster is Russell Wilson.
Pick: Raiders by 3

TOPSHOT – X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk makes a heart with his hands during the Atreju political meeting organised by the young militants of Italian right wing party Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) on December 16, 2023 at the Sant’Angelo Castle in Rome. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP) (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

Cowboys at Commanders (+13½)

Former Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson was finally inducted into the team’s ring of honor last Saturday night. The hall of famer coached the Cowboys back in those long-ago days where they didn’t need incompetent referees to hand them late-season victories.
Pick: Cowboys by 3

Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson, with Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin during his ring of honor induction ceremony during an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Matt Patterson)

Eagles at Giants (+5½)

Nostradamus was back in the news after the 16th-century prophet appeared to predict the New Year’s earthquake in Japan. This forecast at least partially makes up for his 2023 prediction that the Eagles would win the NFC East.
Pick: Eagles by 7

French physician and astrologer Nostradamus (1503 – 1566), or Michel de Notredame, circa 1550. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Browns at Bengals (-5½)

Frank Ryan, the quarterback who led Cleveland to its last NFL championship in 1964, died Monday at the age of 87. He was remembered fondly by former teammates, longtime Browns fans and kindergarten classmate Joe Flacco.
Pick: Bengals by 7

FILE- In this Dec. 27, 1964, file photo, Cleveland Browns quarterback Frank Ryan salutes in dressing room as he talks with reporters after they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 27-0 in the NFL championship football game in Cleveland, Ohio. Saturday marks 50 years since the Browns won the NFL title, the last championship for this city’s three pro sports franchises. For fans, it’s been mostly misery since. That’s why LeBron James’ return provides something dearly needed: hope. (AP Photo/File)

Saturday’s games

Steelers at Ravens (+3½)
Pick: Steelers by 7

Texans at Colts (-1½)
Pick: Texans by 3

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sep. 17, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)

Other games

Seahawks at Cardinals (+3½):
Pick: Seahawks by 7

Chiefs at Chargers (-1½):
Pick: Chiefs by 3

Jaguars at Titans (+4½):
Pick: Titans by 3

HOUSTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 31: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans runs with the ball during the third quarter of a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Record

Week 17
10-6 straight up
6-10 vs. spread

Season
156-100 straight up (.609)
125-131 vs. spread (.488)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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