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NFL lines, Week 17: 5 best bets

By John Buhler

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Bruce Arians of the Arizona Cardinals watches from the sidelines during the second half of the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Titans 12-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Bruce Arians of the Arizona Cardinals watches from the sidelines during the second half of the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Titans 12-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 24: Philip Rivers No. 17 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks to pass during the first half against the New York Jets in an NFL game at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 24: Philip Rivers No. 17 of the Los Angeles Chargers looks to pass during the first half against the New York Jets in an NFL game at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Chargers (-7.5) vs. Oakland Raiders

This is a bold strategy, Cotton, but I’m very interested in what happens in the StubHub Center on New Year’s Eve. Though they are laying 7.5 points, I like the Los Angeles Chargers to cover the lofty spread and beat the division rival Oakland Raiders to hopefully make the AFC playoffs.

America needs to root for the Chargers in this one, even Raiders fans. Their season is done and 6-10 gives them better draft positioning than 7-9. The reason we need the Chargers to win is that we want at least one interesting team to make the AFC playoffs as a wild card. Do you define the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills or the Tennessee Titans interesting? Exactly.

The AFC is in a very down year. Could this be the year that Philip Rivers finally wins a Lombardi Trophy? No, but he needs to be in the playoffs and we want to see him try. Los Angeles could have not one, but two playoff teams this year. Are we even sure that any of the Angeleno transplants know that they have even one NFL team yet?

Ultimately, the Raiders have lost two close games in a row. If they aren’t cooked now, wide receiver Keenan Allen might cook them in the last game of his Pro Bowl season. This is the same Raiders team that could have lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by three, lost to them by nine and should have lost to them by 10 if Doug Pederson was down with kicking garbage time PATS. Rule of thumb: always kick garbage time PATs. You never know who from Las Vegas is watching.