NFL week 17 best bets & betting preview | Sunday, January 1

There are only two weeks left in this NFL season and each conference has a few playoff spots up for grabs. This week started with the Dallas Cowboys destroying the Tennessee Titans in a pretty boring Thursday Night contest. The rest of the games should be more interesting and we have some picks to make this slate that much better.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos

The 12-3 Kansas City Chiefs should win this game against the 4-11 Denver Broncos but covering will be a different story. At this point in the season, the Chiefs are kind of just going through the motions as they know they will be in the playoffs. While it will not matter when it comes to winning this game, the Broncos should cover. They have one of the best defenses in the league and while they won’t completely shut down this Patrick Mahomes-led offense, they should be able to keep it close. While the Broncos’ offense has struggled, the Chiefs’ defense hasn’t been able to shut anyone down. Take Denver to cover in what should be an interesting divisional battle.

Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints

The 13-2 Eagles have been rolling but in this spot, it looks like their MVP candidate quarterback Jalen Hurts will be out and that spells trouble for this Eagles offense. While backup Gardner Minshew is a capable player, he doesn’t possess the edge that Hurts brings. That adds a lot of value to the Saints in this spot. While New Orleans have struggled throughout the season, they play a physical brand of football and tend to play in close games. While we don’t think the Saints will win this game, they should be able to keep it close and cover against a better team.

Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears

Justin Fields hasn’t scored in the past two games, but he still has been running the ball a lot. Against a terrible Lions defense, he should once again be in for a big day. Justin Fields is an elite athlete and the Lions simply do not have the speed to contain him. Prior to his last two touchdown-less games, Fields had seven rushing touchdowns in six games. In his last time out against the Lions, Fields had 147 rushing yards and two scores. We expect more of that in this game and at +100, this is a great bet on an ascending superstar.

Washington Commanders vs Cleveland Browns

This is going to be an interesting battle between two middling teams. The 7-7-1 Washington Commanders will host the 6-9 Cleveland Browns in what’s projected to be a close game. That being said, the Commanders will start Carson Wentz in this game and that gives the Browns an advantage. Wentz is 2-4 with the Commanders this season and he simply makes too many mistakes to trust. While the Browns have been hot and cold all season, they have a strong run game and a mediocre defense. As long as they can protect the ball, the Browns should control this game and beat the inferior Commanders.

Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson is on fire and staking his claim as the best receiver in the NFL. He is in line to break the single season receiving yards record and while that doesn’t matter for this bet, it goes to show how dominant he is. Jefferson has scored in six of his last eight games and defenses have been powerless to stop him. In week one against the Packers, Jefferson had two touchdowns and he should have a similar performance here. This game is projected to be one of the highest scoring games of the week and when that happens, Jefferson tends to find the endzone. At +105, this is great value on an MVP candidate to score in yet another game.

Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers

The Ravens will be without their star QB Lamar Jackson but it shouldn’t matter too much. The Steelers have a terrible offense and the Raven’s defense should shut them down all game. Rookie QB Kenny Pickett has improved throughout the season but an away game in Baltimore will be too much for the young Pittsburgh signal caller. Baltimore’s offense will likely struggle in this game with backup QB Tyler Huntley but their defense will be too much for the Steelers to overcome. Take the Ravens to win a big divisional game and further their playoff aspirations.

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