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Week 17 is all about information. You need to know which playoff-bound teams figure to play hard and which are just trying to stay healthy. In most years, bizarre spreads materialize when you have situations where the "spare parts" on a playoff team go against a non-playoff team. In cases like this, the crappy team can be laying 8!
A good rule of thumb is that playoff teams that can't improve their seed mail it in. Almost every time. Teams that have clinched playoff bids and can improve their seeding tend to play hard at home. On the road, a big effort is much less likely.
Pros know there are often correlations and out-of-the-ordinary situations to look for. It wouldn't be impossible, for example, for a team to be a 6-point favorite, but still a dog in the 1st quarter, when playing against a team resting its starters.
A good example of what can happen took place last year in a late game on Week 16. Seattle was at Tampa Bay and found out in the first quarter that they needed only to win the following week to win the division and that the game with Tampa meant nothing. The Buccaneers outgained them something like 300 yards to 60 the rest of the game.
Look over the scenarios and work it out. You'll find gems if you put in the effort.
