Betting Recap – Week 17

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Lions (+7.5, ML +290) at Packers, 31-0
Panthers (+7.5, ML +295) at Saints, 33-14
Cowboys (+7, ML +270) at Giants, 36-35
Bears (+6, ML +210) at Vikings, 24-10

The largest favorite to cover
Chiefs (-14) vs. Raiders, 35-3
Patriots (-14) vs. Jets, 38-3
Chargers (-7) at Broncos, 23-9
Texans (-7) vs. Jaguars, 20-3

Buy Byes

-- In Week 17 it was time to buy teams playing for byes. The New England Patriots (-14) routed the New York Jets to earn the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. The Kansas City Chiefs (-14) weren't about to falter, spanking the Oakland Raiders by a 35-3 count to not leave any doubt. The Los Angeles Rams (-10.5) were also able to lock up a first-round bye with a 48-32 victory against the San Francisco 49ers, although the Niners did make them work for it.

Saint Nick

-- The Philadelphia Eagles might not be able to afford QB Nick Foles past these playoffs, but thanks to him they're able to at least qualify and get a chance to defend their Super Bowl title. Foles led the Eagles to their third consecutive victory, an easy cover (-6) on the road against the Washington Redskins. It was reported during the week that the Redskins, decimated by injury, actually had as many as 13 players on their roster who had never played a regular-season game at FedEx Field before. Easy money, and a late present from Saint Nick.

Total Recall

-- The game with the highest total on the board was the Oakland Raiders-Kansas City Chiefs (53.5), but the Raiders didn't live up to their end of the bargain. They managed a lone field goal as the total never even came close in the 35-3 K.C. victory. The other two games with 50-plus totals on the board, the Atlanta Falcons-Tampa Bay Buccaneers (52) and San Francisco 49ers-Los Angeles Rams (50) easily hit the over.

-- There were three games on the board with totals in the 30's -- Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants (38.5), Miami Dolphins-Buffalo Bills (39.5) and the Jacksonville Jaguars-Houston Texans (39.5). The Cowboys and Giants each nearly made the total go over on their own, as Dallas outlasted New York 36-35. The Bills were able to take care of the over in their game, dropping a season-high 42 points in their victory over the Dolphins. As for the Texans, well they were busy securing the AFC South and locking down the Jags' offense, but they didn't pile up the numbers in the 20-3 win.

-- The 'over' was 1-0 in the final week, as Indianapolis Colts-Tennessee Titans (42.5) ended up connecting with 50 total points. Overall for the 2018 season the 'over' in primetime games ended up 26-25 (51.0%), the lowest percentage of 'over' results since 2015.

Officially, the 'over' finished 25-23-1 (52.1%) in 49 games under the lights in 2017.

In 2016, the 'over' in night games went (52.9%) through 51 games.

In 2015, the over finished 20-28-1 (41.7%) in 49 primetime games. 

In 2014, the over went 33-17 (66.0%) in primetime games, and the over was 28-22 (56.0%) in 2013.

Injury Report

-- Bears WR Anthony Miller (shoulder) reportedly had his shoulder pop out, and he was unable to return. His status for next weekend's wild-card game against Philly is up in the air.

-- Eagles QB Nick Foles (chest) checked out in the second half in Washington with a chest injury, although the Eagles said after the game he is expected to be fine for next weekend's wild-card game in Chicago.

Looking Ahead

-- The Colts and Texans each won on each other's field during the regular season. Indianapolis enters 6-0 ATS in the past six against winning teams while going 4-1 ATS in the past five road games against a team with a winning home record. However, they're 1-4 ATS in the past five playoff road games. For the Texans, they're 4-1 ATS in the past five at home, and 4-1 ATS in the past five inside the division, too. However, they're 1-5 ATS in the past six against winning teams.

-- Indianapolis is 5-0-1 ATS in the past six trips to Houston, while going 8-3-2 ATS in the past 13 meetings overall. The underdog is 5-2-2 ATS in the past nine meetings, with the road team 7-1-2 ATS in the past 10 in this series.

-- The Seahawks are 5-1 ATS in their past six against winning teams, while going 4-1 ATS in the past five on the road. They're also 8-3-1 ATS in the past 12 overall. However, they have covered just one of the past six in the playoffs. For the Cowboys, they're 6-1 ATS in the past seven against NFC clubs, while going 6-2 ATS in the past eight overall. They are 3-8 ATS in the past 11 in the playoffs, however, and 1-4 ATS in the past five playoff games at home.

-- The Ravens beat the Chargers on the road 22-10, a key victory in their march to the AFC North title. The Chargers won on the road in Week 17, and are 21-8-1 ATS in the past 30 on the road overall. They're also 6-2 ATS in the past eight playoff games. For Baltimore, they have covered seven straight in the postseason, and five straight in the wild-card round.

-- The defending champion Eagles are 4-1 ATS in the past five overall, and they're 6-2 ATS in the past eight playoff road outings. However, they're just 1-4 ATS in the past five in the wild-card round. The Bears finished the season with four straight covers, and they're 7-0-1 ATS in the past eight at home against teams with a winning road mark. They're also 16-4-1 ATS in the past 21 at home and 5-2 ATS in the past seven against winning teams.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

VegasInsider Staff

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