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Ahead of Week 17, Titans Given -175 Odds to Make Playoffs, Steelers Listed at +200, Raiders at +700

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Apr 6, 2020 · 8:28 AM PDT

Oakland Raiders logo on the wall at Allegiant Stadium
The Raiders will need a lot of pieces to fall into place in Week 17, including a win in Denver, to give Oakland fans one final taste of NFL playoff action. Photo by rocor (Flickr).
  • The Titans have lost two straight yet became heavy favorites to claim the final AFC Wild Card thanks to the Steelers’ Week 16 loss
  • Pittsburgh remains in playoff contention despite scoring just 20 total points in two straight losses
  • The Raiders are still alive after upsetting the Chargers, but need plenty of help to make an unlikely return to the postseason

The final week of the NFL regular season will be highlighted by a three-way race for the second and final Wild Card berth in the AFC. The Tennessee Titans (8-7) lead the way as heavy -250 favorites. While the Pittsburgh Steelers also sit at 8-7, the Titans hold the edge over the Steelers on tiebreakers, which is why Pittsburgh is a distant +250.

The 7-8 Oakland Raiders are technically still alive, but need a lot of things to go right to pay out as +900 longshots.

Here’s a look at what each of these teams needs to do to nail down a playoff spot in Week 17.

Odds to Make the 2019-20 NFL Playoffs

Team Odds
Tennessee Titans -250
Pittsburgh Steelers +250
Oakland Raiders +900

*Odds taken on Dec. 23, 2019.

Titans Control Their Destiny

The Titans enter Week 17 as heavy favorites to advance to the NFL playoffs, and with good reason. With an outright victory as five-point road favorites against Houston, the Titans will clinch the second AFC Wild Card regardless of what the Steelers or Raiders do. But while Tennessee remains in control of its own destiny, victory remains far from assured this weekend.

After a 6-1 stretch returned them to postseason contention, the Titans came up short in Week 15 against Houston (24-21) as 3-point home favorites. A win would have given them sole possession of top spot in the AFC South. They dropped a second straight home game in Week 16 to the New Orleans Saints, 38-28, an outcome which kept the Steelers and Raiders alive in the playoff chase.

The Titans now look forward to a date with the Texans, who will rest several starters after clinching the AFC South crown with a 23-20 win in Tampa Bay on Sunday.

However, the uncertain status of star Tennessee RB Derrick Henry, combined with a sloppy performance on both sides of the ball against the Saints, has the Titans’ faithful concerned. Tennessee has won two straight on the road, but has not recorded a road victory over a team with a winning record this season.

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Steelers Still Alive in Spite of Themselves

Just two weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the best stories of the NFL season. After opening on a dismal 1-3 run, the Steelers won eight of their next 10 and entered their Week 15 clash with Buffalo Bills as a strong -230 bet to make the playoffs.

However, a dismal Week 15 performance against the Bills (17-10) followed by another dud at the Jets (16-10) leaves the Steelers in need of a win over Baltimore as one-point road chalk on Sunday plus a Titans loss in Houston to claim the second AFC Wild Card.

The Steelers have mustered just 20 total points in their last eight quarters. Quarterback Devlin Hodges has tossed six interceptions over the past two weeks, and Mason Rudolph looks to be done for the remainder of the season after suffering a shoulder injury in Sunday’s 16-10 loss in New York.

Adding insult to injury, James Conner has returned to the clinic after suffering a leg injury on Sunday, joined by Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey, who went down with a knee injury.

Under normal circumstances, there would be little hope for the Steelers against Baltimore, but with the Ravens having already clinched the AFC’s top seed, they are expected to rest their regulars, providing Pittsburgh one more chance at a storybook ending.

Yet, even with the likes of Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram, and Marshal Yanda expected to be rested, the Steelers will face a Ravens squad manned by players hungry to prove themselves, led by former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, who will have a lot to prove in his first start since Week 17 of the 2016 season.

Raiders’ Last Hurrah

Riding a four-game losing streak into Week 16 as a distant +4000 bet to make the playoffs, the Raiders are the only one of these three teams to help its own cause this past weekend, knocking off the Los Angeles Chargers 24-17 as 7.5-point road underdogs.

With a 7-8 record, the Raiders need to beat the Denver Broncos as 3.5-point underdogs, combined with a massive amount of help elsewhere, to emerge as an unlikely playoff team in their final season in Oakland.

In addition to losses by both the Titans and Steelers, the Raiders need the Indianapolis Colts to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars. Oakland also needs one of the following four teams to win or tie on Sunday: New England, Detroit, Chicago, or the LA Chargers.

The Raiders have won five of their last eight dates with the Broncos, but have lost three straight in Denver, which has played some of its best football of the year during a 3-1 run. Unfortunately for Oakland football fans, this is likely a bridge too far for their soon-to-be-departed team.

Pick: Titans (-250)

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