NFL Week 17 Odds Report: Is Russell Wilson’s Time Up In Denver?
The record with two weeks remaining is 26 in 2004. Week 17 features eight matchups between possible playoff teams. Just none of the three below. Here’s why those games have seen a odds move this week.
Chargers at Broncos (-5.5 to -3)
Los Angeles is eliminated from playoff contention and will have a new head coach next season. Backup Easton Stick remains the quarterback with Justin Herbert done for the year. So in essence, this warm-weather dome team has absolutely nothing to play for in Denver. The Broncos have very slim playoff hopes but they exist and in fact could still even win the AFC West by winning out and the Chiefs losing out, but Kansas City isn’t doing that.
Because the Broncos still have a playoff shot, it made Coach Sean Payton’s decision to bench possible future Hall of Fame QB Russell Wilson this week for journeyman Jarrett Stidham even more stunning. Payton said it was simply a football decision and that Denver offence has massively disappointed, although Wilson is among the league’s Top 10 in rating and TD passes. This was a financial decision to ensure Wilson doesn’t get hurt in the final two games and his 2025 salary automatically vests (if he couldn’t pass a physical in March 2024, it would vest). It now seems all but a sure thing that Wilson is cut this offseason, which will leave the Broncos in salary-cap hell because no one is trading for his monster contract. There’s no universe where Stidham is a better option than Wilson, and that’s why this number has dropped. All the Broncos players themselves were surprised.
Rams at Giants (+6.5 to +5.5)
Hopefully Giants quarterback Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito made a lot of money in the month or so where he was a pop culture icon in the New York/New Jersey era because DeVito is being benched this week by Coach Brian Daboll for veteran Tyrod Taylor, and the books clearly believe Taylor is a better player and they are right. There’s a reason DeVito was an undrafted free agent; now we can probably put him in the flash-in-the-pan category like another former New York-area sports legend in ex-Knicks guard Jeremy Lin. Maybe DeVito sticks in the league as a backup, but he’s not a No. 1.
DeVito’s ride lasted six starts and he threw seven touchdown passes to one interception while the team went 3-3. He was benched at halftime of Week 16 with the Giants trailing 20-3 at halftime in Philadelphia. Taylor looked much better than DeVito in relief. I personally don’t get it because Taylor probably won’t be around next season and losing benefits New York in terms of draft positioning – and Taylor gives the Giants a better chance of winning. The surging Rams would clinch a wild card spot with a win and Seattle loss to Pittsburgh OR win and Green Bay-Minnesota tie.
Titans at Texans (-3.5 to -5)
Seven of the AFC’s 16 teams have already improved their win totals compared to last season, and Houston is one of those as the Texans have won a league-best five more games than in 2022 and control their own destiny in pursuit of a playoff berth, which would be their first since 2019. In 18 of the past 20 seasons, at least one team has won its division the year after finishing last or tied for last. Houston could join that group in 2023, but the Texans can’t clinch a spot this week. This is rising because Texans star rookie QB CJ Stroud will return after missing the past two due to a concussion.
Case Keenum started both in place of Stroud and threw one touchdown with three interceptions with a 1-1 record. Keenum was benched for Davis Mills against the Browns this past Sunday in the fourth quarter. Stroud still has a nice lead for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but Rams WR Puka Nacua is in shouting distance with a few big games while Stroud was sitting. Entering Week 14, the Texans’ offence with Stroud ranked 10th in scoring (23.8 per game) and sixth in total (373.1). Without him, that unit averaged 295 yards and 17 points per game.