Uncover the best bets for NFL Week 17! Join us for expert analysis and winning strategies to make the most of your football betting experience.
After three straight winning weeks, I am now three games over .500 on my NFL Best Bets this season. Houston was unable to beat Kansas City as Patrick Mahomes didn’t look bothered by a high ankle sprain, but my three other bets won to put me a tiny bit in the black this season. Carolina won outright against Arizona, eliminating any remaining chance of the Cardinals making the playoffs, and New England hung tough the whole way with Buffalo despite being a 14-point underdog per the football betting line. I saved the best for last though as Green Bay dominated New Orleans for four quarters on Monday Night Football. The Packers easily covered as a two-touchdown favorite, cruising to a 34-0 win over a Saints’ team that was clearly outmatched.
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Week 17 NFL Betting Odds and Picks
New York Jets +9.5 at Buffalo Bills
If you’ve read this weekly column throughout the season, you know that I never bought in on the hype surrounding the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers has proved that the game has passed him by at this point, but Rodgers does have a chip on his shoulder these last two weeks considering how disastrous the season has been for the Jets. The 41-year-old has stated his intention to play next year, so he needs to show any potential future employers that he can still be an asset.
Rodgers and the Jets played the Bills tough when they met earlier this season. The veteran quarterback had one of his best games of the season in a 23-20 loss, as the Jets finished with 393 total yards of offense. This game could mean very little to Buffalo too as the Bills would essentially be locked into the No. 2 seed if the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. That could lead to the Bills starting to rest players, so I love the Jets at this number.
Washington Commanders -4 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Jayden Daniels is a lock to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at this point. Daniels has the Washington Commanders on the precipice of a playoff berth just one season after finishing with a 4-13 record. One more victory will give the Commanders their most wins in a season since 1991, and they are motivated to try and avoid getting the last Wild Card spot as it would mean a much more difficult first-round matchup.
Fellow rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made his first start last week. Penix was able to lead the Atlanta Falcons past the New York Giants in a 34-7 blowout, but most of that lopsided score was the result of the Falcons’ defense picking on an awful Giants’ offense. Atlanta returned two Drew Lock interceptions for touchdowns, while Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards with an interception. It wasn’t a very inspiring performance against a bad opponent, and I believe the Falcons should be a bigger underdog.
Under 40.5 in New York Giants vs. Indianapolis Colts
This is going to be an ugly game. It’s clear that the New York Giants have been tanking to receive the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They have lost 10 straight games after a 2-3 start, and they have been very bad on offense since releasing Daniel Jones. The Giants are averaging just 11.8 PPG in their last five games with Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, and Tim Boyle alternating starts.
Meanwhile, I expect Indianapolis to run a very conservative offense. Anthony Richardson has shown some promise, but he is still very mistake-prone given his inexperience. Richardson has thrown eight touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions, so don’t be surprised if the Colts completely take the air out of the ball and ask Jonathan Taylor to carry the ball 30 times.
Detroit Lions -3 at San Francisco 49ers
I can’t shake the feeling that this is a trap line, but Detroit is 7-0 on the road this season and has won 12 of its last 13 games. The Lions were short favorites against Chicago last week and turned that game into a laugher, and I think they can do the same thing against a San Francisco team with nothing to play for on Monday Night Football. San Francisco has lost five of its last six games with its only victory coming against Chicago.
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