Skins, Titans Both Favored Over Division Champs

By Chris Mottram
The Redskins and Titans are in the same boat this Sunday: If they win, they’re in the playoffs. All the have to do is beat Dallas and Indy, the best teams in their respective divisions.
Lucky for both playoff hopefuls, the Cowboys and Colts have nothing to play for on Sunday and are expected to use their starters sparingly. This has created some almost unbelievable gambling lines. Washington is favored by 9.5 and Tennessee is favored -- in Indy -- by 6.5.
But allow us to look at these spreads a bit closer. The AFC South was created prior to the 2002 season. In ‘02, the Titans won both games against the Colts in route to a division title. Since then, the Titans have beat the Colts just once, and it was by three points at home last year. One win in nine games, zero by more than the current Week 17 spread.
The Redskins-Cowboys have arguably the most intense rivalry in football and, as a result, their games are almost always competitive. Since 1990, the Redskins have beat the Cowboys by more than 9.5 points (which, as noted, is the current spread for this Sunday) three times. Three times in 33 games.
Even if the Cowboys and Colts only play their starts for a half -- give or take -- these are still divisional, rivalry games. Plus, both teams have the chance to ruin their opponent’s season. It’s hard to imagine either game will be very lopsided.↵