NFL straight-up picks, Week 17: The Packers and Vikings stage a de facto playoff game

If the Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17, their playoff odds rise to 61 percent. If they lose, those odds drop to two percent, per the New York Times.

For the Vikings, a win boosts their Wild Card chances to 48 percent. A loss slides them to … two percent.

That makes their showdown in the penultimate week of the season an effective playoff eliminator. The winner will be 8-8 and still have work to do to extend their year. The loser will be, barring a miracle, left playing for pride in their divisional rivalry game the following Sunday.

That’s not the only game with massive postseason consequences. The Dallas Cowboys don’t have to worry about their road woes in Week 17, but they’ll have to beat the NFC North champion Detroit Lions to keep their hopes of hosting a playoff game stout. The Las Vegas Raiders’ unexpected surge into the periphery of the playoff race bumps up against an Indianapolis Colts team that’s failed to take over a very winnable AFC South. The Miami Dolphins’ quest for an affirming road win bumps into the Baltimore Ravens’ comet, currently streaking across the night sky after dismantling the San Francisco 49ers last week.

So who’ve we got in a full slate of games and a light slate of expert picks due to the holidays? Here are our picks. Anything with a question mark next to it is one I struggled with and possibly overthought. Analysis follows.

And here are those picks in an easier to digest chart.