The 2017 regular season has been a long year for experts and otherwise when it comes to NFL picks.

Sunday's slate provides a good example of this lesson based on the line movement over the past few days. Some of the biggest Week 17 lines have seen serious dips from the opening offerings, and some have flipped the favored team outright.

So it goes to conclude the season, though, when teams like the Los Angeles Rams announce a few starters won't risk their health by featuring before a playoff game. Other lines simply flip because the allure of a spoiler in its final game of the season is strong.

Let's run through the updated lines and analyze how the experts feel about some of the gameweek's more interesting matchups based on NFL Picks Watch, a tool that compiles picks from more than 100 experts.

NFL Week 17 Matchups, Odds

Chicago at Minnesota (-11) | O/U 39.5

Cleveland at Pittsburgh (-11) | O/U 38

Dallas (-3) at Philadelphia | O/U 39.5

Green Bay at Detroit (-7)  | O/U 43

Houston at Indianapolis (-4) | O/U 41

N.Y. Jets at New England (-15.5)  | O/U 44

Washington (-3.5) at N.Y. Giants | O/U 38

Arizona at Seattle (-9.5)  | O/U 39

Buffalo (-3) at Miami | O/U 42.5

Carolina at Atlanta (-3.5)  | O/U 46.5

Cincinnati at Baltimore (-10) | O/U 40.5

Jacksonville at Tennessee (-3)  | O/U 41.5

Kansas City at Denver (-3)  | O/U 39

New Orleans (-7.5) at Tampa Bay | O/U 50.5

Oakland at L.A. Chargers (-8)  | O/U 42

San Francisco (-3) at L.A. Rams | O/U 44

Houston at Indianapolis (-4)

There are plenty of heavyweight matchups in Week 17, though some might notice an oddity on the schedule between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts are favorites in a game—and experts agree, with 76 percent of those polled at NFL Picks Watch siding with the hosts.

Interesting considering the Colts are a three-win team capable of earning the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. They have also lost six games in a row, though it's an apples-and-apples comparison when noting the Texans have lost five in a row and only have four wins.

Many of the struggles for both teams come from the huge investments sitting on injured reserve, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap illustrated:

For the Colts, obviously, the big name is quarterback Andrew Luck. Backup Jacoby Brissett only has 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions serving as the starter, and he's suffered a staggering 51 sacks. The Texans miss rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson under center, but it's the salaries of J.J. Watt and others sitting on the shelf that inflate the numbers.

That defense is a big part of the reason experts will feel content rolling with the Colts. These Texans cough up 27.6 points per game, which is largely why the Colts took the first of two meetings between these two back in Week 9, a 20-14 win wherein Brissett tossed two touchdowns.

With the Texans trotting out T.J. Yates at quarterback after a 7-of-16 day for 83 yards in a Week 16 loss, bettors can feel good about siding with experts here.

Prediction: Colts 20, Texans 17

Jacksonville at Tennessee (-3)

The AFC South is the gift that keeps on giving in Week 17, at least from a hard-to-predict standpoint.

Experts aren't in love with the showdown between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, where the hosts sit as favorites in Las Vegas. But 57 percent of the experts polled at NFL Picks Watch like the visitors.

So which way to swing?

These Titans have been one of the most disappointing teams in football, sitting on an 8-7 record despite having a quarterback like Marcus Mariota under center. He's only completing 62.3 percent of his passes and has 12 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, so something isn't working.

Mariota's Titans are on a three-game skid and have been as odd as it gets this year. Two of their eight wins came against the Colts, and another was over the Cleveland Browns. They also split the season series with Houston, winning 24-13 but also losing 57-14.

Things have been more cut and dried for the Jaguars, one of NFL's top surprises this term. They have won three of their past four games behind a defense that sits on 52 sacks and 21 interceptions. Jacksonville isn't letting anyone forget about its accomplishments this year, either:

Why not? The Jags have upended the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, though the one thing the defense has yet to do is beat the Titans. These two met way back in Week 2, when Tennessee scored a 37-16 victory on the road.

But we didn't know what we do now about these teams back then, and the Titans' rushing for 179 yards and three touchdowns on an average of five yards per carry was quite the anomaly.

Tennessee has fallen apart over the past three gameweeks, failing to run the ball well as defenses sat back and took advantage of Mariota on the way to two touchdowns and three interceptions, completing more than 60 percent of his attempts in a game once.

The Jaguars will be the next to do the same, especially with revenge and the playoffs on their mind.

Prediction: Jaguars 28, Titans 20

San Francisco (-3) at L.A. Rams

Let's flip to the NFC West, where even a few weeks ago a game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams didn't look too appealing. 

Then Jimmy Garoppolo happened.

Forced into a starting role, the quarterback has led the 49ers to four consecutive wins while throwing four touchdowns against three interceptions and hitting north of the 300-yard mark twice. It's one of the most notable turnarounds in recent memory and hints that San Francisco has its franchise quarterback heading into next season.

He's confident going into a game against the Rams too, as captured by Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group:

Which isn't meant to undersell all the Rams have accomplished. Quarterback Jared Goff has taken a huge leap this year and has 28 touchdowns and all of seven interceptions behind an improved line, and running back Todd Gurley is an MVP candidate with his 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns on a 4.7 yards-per-carry average.

Those two have led the Rams to an 11-win season, including triumphs against the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks.

What skews the outlook in Week 17, though, is the news Rams starters like Gurley and elite defensive tackle Aaron Donald won't play, according to ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez. Now keep in mind that even before Garoppolo Mania swept San Francisco, these two played to a 41-39 result favoring the Rams back in Week 3. In that game, the 49ers only had two touchdowns and an interception from Brian Hoyer.

Facing a depleted defense as the Rams think about the playoffs, Garoppolo should have the 49ers riding high into the offseason, even if the experts at NFL Picks Watch initially sided with the Rams by 72 percent.

Prediction: 49ers 36, Rams 28

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Odds according to OddsShark and current through Dec. 29.