NFL Week 17 Picks 2025 (Thursday 25th December-Monday 29th December)

This thread will be extended ahead of the Saturday selections, but for now the focus is on the Christmas Day games.

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Commanders Pick: The NFL schedule was put together several months ago and they would have been hoping that this was going to be a pivotal NFC East clash in Week 17 of the regular season.

A primetime spot on Christmas Day is instead being contested by two teams who have had disappointing seasons and allowed the Philadelphia Eagles to become the first repeat Divisional Winner in over twenty years.

At least the Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1) can say they were pushing the Eagles until earlier this month, but a run of three straight losses has meant elimination.

The Washington Commanders (4-11) have been even bigger disappointments considering they reached the NFC Championship Game and were expected to build on the 2024 successes. Injuries have been a big factor that has worked against the Commanders and they look set to be playing a third string Quarter Back on Thursday.

Josh Johnson will have got some more reps in with the starters, which should help, and he has plenty of experience at the position. However, Johnson has a 1-8 record as a starter in the NFL and at 39 years old, he is not nearly as strong an athlete as he once was, which is going to be problematic for him

Last week, Josh Johnson struggled in relief, although he will feel this is an 'easier' matchup against a Dallas Defensive unit that has been a little inconsistent all season and who may not have the same intensity after elimination as the Philadelphia Eagles had in the Week 16 win over the Commanders.

The Commanders will look to establish the run, although that is an area where the Cowboys have definitely improved as the season has gone on. Injuries in this position has also limited the effectiveness of the Washington ground game and Josh Johnson may not be as willing to scramble as much as he once did.

However, that may not be a bad thing considering the holes that have continued to be exploited in this Cowboys Secondary and even Josh Johnson may have successes. There are some decent skill players around him and Johnson is likely going to have more time in the pocket than he would have had against the Eagles pass rush last week.

Avoiding turnovers is the key and the veteran Quarter Back will note that this Dallas team have struggled to pick up Interceptions all season.

Washington should feel they can move the ball better than they did when Josh Johnson came into the game last week and that is also down to the fact they can prepare the veteran a little better.

At the same time, the Dallas Cowboys have to be really confident that they can have considerable success moving the chains with a well balanced Offensive output.

This should all begin with the Dallas Offensive Line who can push Washington around up front and set up some strong running lanes. Keeping Dak Prescott in third and manageable spots will always feel like a big win for the Cowboys and especially with the tandem of Wide Receivers being amongst the best in the NFL for the Quarter Back to target.

Struggles to stop the ground game has contributed to stronger numbers against the pass in recent games, but the Commanders Secondary have to know that they are facing a significant test this week. For all of the disappointment of missing out on the Playoffs again, Dallas have to be really satisfied with the way Dak Prescott has gone about his business and the Cowboys should have too much firepower in this potential shoot out.

It was Jayden Daniels who started at Quarter Back in the game between these Divisional rivals in Arlington and the Commanders were blown out on that day.

A big effort was put into the game with the Philadelphia Eagles last week, but the Commanders may not be as ready as they need to be on this short week and the Dallas Cowboys can win and cover on the road.

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings Pick: After coming so close to reaching the Super Bowl two years ago and finishing with the Number 1 Seed in the NFC in 2024, the Detroit Lions (8-7) were expected to have another big push at trying to reach the big game for the first time. There have been positive moments, but injuries have hurt the team on both sides of the ball and the Week 16 upset loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers places Detroit in an unenviable position.

Time has virtually run out for the Lions to earn a spot in the post-season and they need a number of results to go their way.

Extending hopes for a few more days means needing to win on Christmas Day and then hoping the Green Bay Packers lose to the Baltimore Ravens. Even if that happens, Detroit will enter Week 18 needing to win and hoping for another Green Bay loss and so it is a long shot for the Lions to make the Playoffs to say the least.

Head Coach Dan Campbell will be trying to focus his players on the main ambition of Christmas Day and that is beating the Minnesota Vikings (7-8).

The Vikings won in Week 16 and they are still hoping to finish with a winning record, although this is another team in the NFC North that will look back at 2025 with some regret after a strong 2024 season.

JJ McCarthy at least looked to be rounding into some form and showing why the Vikings were willing to let Sam Darnold walk and give the youngster the keys to the Offensive unit, but his season is over.

A hand injury means no risk will be taken and that also means Max Brosmer is set to make his second career start for Minnesota. His first was far from memorable, although Brosmer will feel more comfortable throwing against this Lions Secondary that is banged up rather than facing the Seattle Seahawks who are in line to finish with the top Seed in the Conference.

There are skilled Receivers who can aid the Quarter Back, but the problem for Max Brosmer is the injuries in other key areas of the Offensive unit.

For starters Center Ryan Kelly is set to miss out and the Running Backs have been hit hard by injury, which means the Vikings may not be able to exploit the problems the Detroit Defensive Line have been having when trying to clamp down on the run. Putting the young Quarter Back in third and manageable would certainly make his life easier, even if the Lions Secondary is banged up, especially as the Vikings Offensive Line have also had some issues in pass protection.

This is something the Lions will look to expose and try and get the ball back to what has been a stuttering, inconsistent Offensive unit.

Last week was expected to be a game in which the Lions Offensive Line could get themselves right and pummel the Pittsburgh Steelers on the ground, but it was a struggle. With that in mind, it may be tough for Detroit to expose some of the issues that Minnesota have been having against the run and that will mean the pressure is on Quarter Back Jared Goff, who has not always handled that very well.

Sacks have to be in play here for the Vikings, while the Minnesota Secondary have played hard all season.

The problem will be if Max Brosmer is not able to move the ball with any consistency and the field position battle is lost.

Add to that the fact that Brosmer has thrown 4 Interceptions in limited playing time this season and there is a feeling that the Lions can make enough plays to eventually crack past this spread and move clear of this Divisional rival.

Detroit failed to do it last week, but they remain a very good team to back after a loss with Head Coach Dan Campbell leading the way and there may be enough Defensive plays made to help the Lions stay alive in the Playoff chase for a few more days at the very least.

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs Pick: Both of these AFC West teams made the post-season at the end of the 2024 campaign and so the schedule makers would have again picked this game for a big spot on Christmas Day expecting it to be one that matters.

It does for the Denver Broncos (12-3) who are still holding onto the Number 1 Seed in the Conference and who are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. They still need to win out to hold off the Los Angeles Chargers for the Divisional title, although a Broncos win and Chargers loss in Week 17 will do the job, while the loss to the Jaguars means there are a couple of threats capable of taking away the top Seed.

When the schedule was set up, the expectation was that the Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) would also be contesting Playoff spots considering they have never missed out on a post-season berth with Patrick Mahomes at Quarter Back. In fact they have not failed to reach the AFC Championship Game since 2017, but it has been a tough season for the Chiefs and the ACL injury picked up by Patrick Mahomes means the Quarter Back has a lot of recovery to get through before Week 1 of the 2026 season.

He has already begun his pathway towards a return to the NFL field, but the Chiefs have also been eliminated and the defeat to the Tennessee Titans in Week 16 suggests the team are already thinking ahead to the end of the year.

Facing a Divisional rival and being able to play spoiler is going to provide plenty of motivation, but Patrick Mahomes' backup Gardner Minshew suffered an ACL injury of his own in the defeat to the Titans.

All of that means Chris Oladokun is making his first NFL start at Quarter Back having been Drafted into the League in 2022 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He had a handful of snaps in Week 18 of the 2024 season and Chris Oladokun had an 11/16 outing and 111 passing yards against the Tennessee Titans last week. That will offer him some confidence, but Oladokun has to be the first to know that facing the Titans Defense and the Broncos Defense are completely different challenges and especially after the latter allowed the Jaguars to put up big points against them in Week 16.

Rashee Rice is set to miss out and the Kansas City Offensive Line have not been able to win at the Line of Scrimmage and at least push the ball on the ground to make life more comfortable for the Quarter Back. While Patrick Mahomes was playing the position, you could feel confident that he would make plays down the field, but a third string Quarter Back with little to no experience is going to find it very difficult.

It really does not help that Chris Oladokun is going to be playing behind what has been a turnstile of an Offensive Line and the pressure this Denver team can get up front is going to lead to mistakes and stalled drives.

The Broncos will have to really make a mess of things to lose, but can this team cover with what has been a pretty average Offense?

Creating short fields would certainly help, while the Denver Broncos have to feel they can punish the Chiefs as effectively as the Tennessee Titans did if Kansas City are not fully invested. At the same time Sean Payton will be expecting to get the last big effort from the Chiefs as they look to dent a rival in front of the home fans, but the Broncos Offensive Line can set the table and make life easier for Bo Nix.

The Quarter Back has put up some decent numbers of late, although not necessarily getting going as early as he should, but he is well protected and the Broncos have Receivers capable of making plays for Bo Nix when he does drop back to throw.

Bo Nix had solid passing numbers when facing the Kansas City Chiefs earlier in the season and he should be able to get the team up to 20-24 points, which may be all they need.

Newst that Kansas City are set to leave Arrowhead may also be a factor in the game with the fans likely to voice their feelings and this just feels like a game that may get away from the Chiefs. The Coaching Staff will do all they can to help the inexperienced Quarter Back, but it is asking a lot against a top Defensive unit and one that will be angry after Week 16 events and Denver may have enough Offensive output to secure a win and cover.

There are going to more starters playing for the Chiefs than when these teams met in Week 18 of the 2024 season and Kansas City were blown out 38-0, but they may struggle for Offensive points again and that can help the road team pull clear.

MY PICKS: Dallas Cowboys - 7.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Detroit Lions - 7.5 Points @ 1.95 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Denver Broncos - 13.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Week 16: 3-5, - 2.28 Units (8 Units Staked, - 28.50% Yield)

Week 15: 3-2, + 0.73 Units (5 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)

Week 14: 0-1, - 1 Unit (1 Unit Staked, - 100% Yield)

Week 13: 3-4, - 1.50 Units (7 Units Staked, - 21.43% Yield)

Week 12: 1-5, - 4.17 Units (6 Units Staked, - 69.50% Yield)

Week 11: 2-4, - 2.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.17% Yield)

Week 10: 3-3, - 0.34 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.67% Yield)

Week 9: 2-2, - 0.18 Units (4 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Week 8: 4-3, + 0.52 Units (7 Units Staked, + 7.43% Yield)

Week 7: 3-2, + 0.69 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.80% Yield)

Week 6: 3-4, - 1.09 Units (7 Units Staked, - 15.57% Yield)

Week 5: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)

Week 4: 2-3, - 1.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 22.80% Yield)

Week 3: 5-3, + 1.56 Units (8 Units Staked, + 19.50% Yield)

Week 2: 3-2, + 0.67 Units (5 Units Staked, + 13.40% Yield)

Week 1: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

2025 Season: 40-48, - 12.09 Units (88 Units Staked, - 13.74% Yield)