NFL Point Spreads Week 17: Best Picks Against the Spread
Here’s a quick look at all the Week 17 matchups with Sports Interaction’s NFL odds.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
Meaningless game between AFC East rivals, and could be the last as Dolphins coach for Adam Gase. Think the warm-weather Miami players will be all that excited about playing a late-December game in frigid Buffalo? Dolphins go for season sweep as they beat Bills 21-17 in Week 13. Ryan Tannehill hit Kenny Stills on the game-winning TD pass midway through the fourth quarter.
Pick ATS: Bills
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
Nothing at stake here between NFC North teams. The Packers will have a new coach next time they take the field as interim coach Joe Philbin is finishing off 2018 in place of the fired Mike McCarthy. Green Bay lost in Detroit in Week 5, 31-23, despite 442 yards and three scores from Aaron Rodgers. The Packers’ kicking game was to blame. Our full betting preview of the Lions vs. Packers game can be read here.
Pick ATS: Packers
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Who knows where the Raiders, who are on a short week, will be playing in 2019? Not looking like Oakland but a temporary home. The Chiefs claim the AFC West title and No. 1 seed in the conference with a win but could slide all the way to a Wild-Card spot with a loss. Kansas City goes for the season sweep, beating Oakland 40-33 in Week 13 in a game that was closer than expected. Patrick Mahomes threw four TD passes.
Point spread: TBA
Pick ATS: Chiefs
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Chicago still has the NFC’s No. 2 seed to play for and would get it with a win and a Rams home loss to San Francisco, which is highly unlikely. Thus, Coach Matt Nagy might rest some guys because the Bears could turn around and host the Vikings on Wild-Card Weekend. The Vikes are a Wild-Card team with a victory. Chicago beat Minnesota 25-20 in Week 11, a game not really as close as the score as the Bears’ defence dominated.
Pick ATS: Vikings
New York Jets at New England Patriots
The next time the Jets take the field, they will have a new head coach. Todd Bowles won’t be back in 2019. The Patriots are the AFC East champions for a 10th straight season. They will get a first-round playoff bye with a victory here. New England won at the Jets 27-13 in Week 12 but it was tied late in the third quarter.
Pick ATS: Jets
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
These teams just played Monday in Week 15 and the Saints won 12-9 in a slugfest. Carolina decided to shut down banged-up quarterback Cam Newton after that loss. No team in league history has started 6-2 and finished 6-10 – which the Panthers would do with a loss. New Orleans probably rests a lot of guys as it wrapped up the NFC’s top seed with Sunday’s comeback win over Pittsburgh. Here’s Sports Interaction’s complete betting preview of this game.
Point spread: TBA
Pick ATS: Panthers
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Absolutely nothing for Dallas to play for as the Cowboys are NFC East champions and the No. 4 seed regardless. Expect Jason Garrett to rest nearly everyone of significance for this one. The Giants are simply playing for draft position. Dallas beat the Giants 20-13 in Week 2 as the Cowboys held New York to 255 yards and sacked Eli Manning six times.
Point spread: NY Giants -7
Pick ATS: Giants
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh’s only route to the playoffs is to win and have Baltimore lose at home to Cleveland. That would make the Steelers AFC North champs. Should be the last game as Bengals coach for Marvin Lewis. Cincinnati lost home to Pittsburgh in Week 6, 28-21, on a late Antonio Brown TD catch. That really started the Bengals’ downfall as they were 4-1 entering that game.
Point spread: Pittsburgh -14.5
Pick ATS: Bengals
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nothing to see here between NFC South rivals. A loss helps both in terms of potential draft position. Should be last game as Tampa Bay coach for Dirk Koetter. Might be Jameis Winston’s last as the team’s QB. Tampa lost in Atlanta in Week 6, 34-29. That was Winston’s first start of the year off suspension. Read the full preview of this game here.
Pick ATS: Bucs
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
The Super Bowl champion Eagles’ only chance to have a shot to defend that title is to win and have Minnesota lose at home vs. Chicago. Redskins have nothing to play for. Philadelphia beat Washington 28-13 in Week 13 on Monday night. Carson Wentz threw for 306 yards and two scores, but he’s out for the season now. Washington’s starting QB that night was Colt McCoy, but he left early with a broken leg.
Point spread: Philadelphia -6.5
Pick ATS: Eagles
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore wins the AFC North with a victory or Pittsburgh loss vs. Cincinnati. Who will be Cleveland’s coach the next time it takes the field? Browns upset the Ravens 12-9 in overtime in Week 5. Just 21 points despite a combined 826 yards offence. It was Cleveland’s first AFC North win in 19 games. Read the complete preview for this matchup here.
Pick ATS: Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
Houston is at worst a Wild-Card team and clinches the AFC South with a victory. Jacksonville might be making a coaching change this offseason as it was one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. The Jags lost to the Texans 20-7 in Week 7. Blake Bortles was awful before being pulled by Cody Kessler. In Sunday’s win in Miami, Kessler was pulled for Bortles.
Pick ATS: Texans
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos
Reports are this will be the last game as Broncos coach for Vance Joseph. Priority No. 1 for Denver, after hiring a coach, this offseason is finding a young quarterback. The Broncos stunned the Chargers in L.A. in Week 11, 23-22, on a 34-yard field goal as time expired. Denver is on a short week after visiting Oakland on Monday. The Chargers would be the AFC West champions and conference’s top seed with a win and Chiefs upset loss to Oakland in Week 17. Otherwise, Bolts are a Wild-Card team.
Point spread: TBA
Pick ATS: Chargers
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are the NFC’s No. 2 seed with a victory or a Chicago loss in Minnesota. Will Todd Gurley play in this one? He missed the Week 16 win over the Cardinals due to injury. Niners could be really good in 2019 with the return to health of QB Jimmy Garoppolo and a very high first-round draft pick. The Rams routed the 49ers 39-10 in Week 7. San Francisco turned it over four times.
Pick ATS: Rams
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
Reports out of Arizona are that Coach Steve Wilks will be one-and-done as the Cardinals have been so inept on offence that ownership feels the need to make such a drastic change. Seattle won at Arizona 20-17 in Week 4 on a 52-yard field goal as time expired. The Seahawks have little to play for as they are locked into a Wild-Card spot following Sunday night’s upset of the Chiefs.
Point spread: TBA
Pick ATS: Cardinals
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
The most important game of Week 17 was flexed to Sunday night as the winner is in the playoffs and the loser is out. Most likely as a Wild-Card team but could be the AFC South champion if Houston is upset at home by Jacksonville. Tennessee was clobbered at Indianapolis in Week 11, 38-10. Colts QB Andrew Luck has never lost to the Titans in 10 tries. Will Tennessee QB Marcus Mariota play? He left Week 16 with a stinger, but with the magnitude of this one, expect him out there. There won’t be a line until his stats is clearer.
Point spread: TBA (for Mariota)
Pick ATS: Colts