PIGSKIN PICKS

The NFL heads into the final week of the regular season and there are numerous games with playoff implications.

• Miami Dolphins (10-5) at Buffalo Bills (123) – The Dolphins need the win to make the playoffs, the Bills need the game for the higher seed. A loss and a Steelers win drops Buffalo to third. The Bills are 6.5-point favourites and will cover.

• Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3) at Cleveland Browns (10-5) – The Steelers staged an unexpected comeback victory over Indianapolis Sunday. Cleveland needs this game to make the playoffs, and all its key receivers are back. I am not sold on the one-dimensional Steelers and QB Ben Roethlisberger will not play. Browns, 10-point favourites, win outright.

• Green Bay Packers (12-3) at Chicago Bears (8-7) – If the Packers win, they lock up top seed. The Bears need the win to make the playoffs. Chicago QB Mitch Trubisky is playing great with three straight 30-point games. The Packers are five-point favourites. It should be a much tougher game than one might expect.

• Dallas Cowboys (6-9) at New York Giants (5-10) – The Cowboys, three-point favourites, are playing their best football right now and the late-season Giants push has stalled. The Red Rifle, Dallas QB Andy Dalton, should keep Dallas’s hopes alive.

• Washington Football Team (6-9) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-10-1) – Washington QB Alex Smith will apparently play and he’s the difference.

• Arizona Cardinals (8-7) at L.A. Rams (9-6) – Cards QB Kyler Murray has been playing hurt, and Rams QB Jared Goff is out with a broken thumb. Rams have a Super Bowl-type defence, but the offence lacks firepower. My money stays in my pocket in this one.