Betting Recap – Week 17

Overall Notes

National Football League Week 17 Results
Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 12-3
Against the Spread 8-6-1
Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 10-5
Against the Spread 12-2-1
Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 7-8
National Football League Year-to-Date Results
Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 160-94-1
Against the Spread 124-128-3
Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 130-124-1
Against the Spread 117-135-3
Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 116-136-3

The largest underdogs to win straight up

  • Raiders +8.5 (ML +320) at Colts, 23-20
  • Cardinals +6.5 (ML +210) at Cowboys, 25-22
  • Bengals +3.5 (ML +165) vs. Chiefs, 34-31

The largest favorites to cover

  • Patriots (-17) vs. Jaguars, 50-10
  • 49ers (-13.5) vs. Texans, 23-7
  • Packers (-12.5) vs. Vikings, 37-10
  • Seahawks (-9) vs. Lions, 51-29
  • Chargers (-7.5) vs. Broncos, 34-13
  • Saints (-7) vs. Panthers, 18-10
  • Bears (-6.5) vs. Giants, 29-3

The Biggest Disappointment of the Week

The New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles (41) game was a crushing defeat for UNDER bettors.

This game started off well enough, as the game was scoreless after the first quarter, and tied 3-3 at halftime. With just six total points on the board after 30 minutes, UNDER bettors had to be feeling pretty good.

The third quarter was all Eagles, as they outscored the G-Men to take a 20-3 lead after 45 minutes. Still, with an average of just under eight points per quarter to this point, the UNDER was looking more than fine.

Philadelphia took a 34-3 lead, scoring 34 unanswered points. With just 3:50 to go in regulation, QB Mike Glennon hit TE Evan Engram for a 9-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-10. It was a meaningless touchdown to the overall result of the game, but a tremendously important touchdown for those who took the OVER. The way this game started looked like it would be a low-scoring game like the 13-7 battle in the Meadowlands in Week 12 in the first installment.

The Biggest Disappointment of the Week - Part II

The Pittsburgh Steelers-Kansas City Chiefs (44.5) game was a blowout, and any bettors taking the Chiefs laying the 10 were more than pleased. It would be nice if they all could be that easy. However, total bettors weren't as thrilled with the outcome, at least UNDER bettors.

It takes a special kind of bettors to gut out UNDER bets on the regular. It can often look great for a majority of the game before falling apart late. This game was all Kansas City, with the Chiefs taking a 23-0 lead into the half. There were 34 points on the board heading to the fourth quarter, with Kansas City up 31-3. The Chiefs side bettors continues to be in good shape, but the bottom would drop out on UNDER bettors.

Kansas City hit a pair of field goals by new PK Elliott Fry, who was replacing PK Harrison Butker (reserve/COVID), making it 36-3. UNDER bettors were still good until 2:54 to go. That's when QB Ben Roethlisberger hit WR Diontae Johnson with the team's first touchdown of the day, a rather meaningless score, making it 36-10 in favor of the home side. Of course, like the Giants late score above, it was anything but meaningless.

Total Recall

The lowest total on the board in Week 16 on Sunday was a tie, as the Giants-Eagles game (above) and Chicago Bears-Seattle Seahawks game each closed with a total of 41 points. You know how the Giants spoiled the UNDER. We had a rough ride in the Pacific Northwest, too. The lowest total overall is in the Miami Dolphins-New Orleans Saints (37) Monday night game.

When bettors turned on the FOX telecast from Lumen Field, they were likely smiling ear to ear with snowy and icy conditions in Seattle. We had a total of just seven points in the first quarter before the teams found their footing, with Seattle up 17-7 at halftime. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter before Chicago erased a 24-14 deficit to post 11 fourth-quarter points to grab the 25-24 win. It was a nice win for OVER bettors, and money line bettors of the Bears were celebrating the comeback as well.

The second-lowest total on the board is the Denver Broncos-Las Vegas Raiders (41.5) game, which saw the teams go scoreless in the first 15 minutes. There was a 20-point outburst in the second quarter, thanks to a late giveaway near the end of the first half leading to a Broncos touchdown. They took a 13-7 lead into the break, but there were no additional points scored by the visitors. The Raiders posted 10 total points in the second half, and that was it, as Vegas won it 17-13. That's eight UNDER results in the past nine games for the Broncos, while the Raiders have cashed the UNDER in four of the past six.

As far as the highest total, the Los Angeles Rams-Minnesota Vikings (48.5) game was expected to see plenty of offense, and the teams got off to a bit of a sluggish start. L.A. took a 13-3 lead into the break, and OVER bettors likely weren't feeling too good. Things would turn around dramatically. Minnesota cut the lead to 20-13 after 45 minutes, and then we had a total of 20 points in the final 15 with 10 points apiece, closing the game well OVER.

In the primetime games, the UNDER went 2-0, with the MNF game between the Miami Dolphins-New Orleans Saints (37) still pending. The UNDER is now 26-18-1 (58.1%) through 45 primetime games. In 2020, the UNDER was 28-19-1 (59.5%) in 48 primetime contests. In 2019, the UNDER went 31-17-1 (64.6%) during primetime games.

Looking Ahead to Week 17

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Football Team (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

The Eagles (8-7) and Washington (6-9) square off in D.C., and WFT would love nothing more than to spoil the playoff hopes of their division rivals. Washington is dead in the water after a 56-14 humbling by the Dallas Cowboys on SNF in Week 16.

These teams just met in a game Tuesday, Dec. 21, a contest pushed back due to COVID issues within the Washington locker room. Remember, that postponement game led to the team signing QB Garrett Gilbert from the New England Patriots practice squad and starting him three days later. He did well in the 27-17 loss, a narrow OVER result while we saw a push against the number.

The OVER is 3-0 in the past three games for Philadelphia, while going 7-2 across the past nine. After a 7-1 UNDER run, spurred by a strong defense, Washington has allowed 83 points across the past two games while hitting the OVER in back-to-back games for the first time since a 4-0 OVER run from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10.

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

The Broncos (7-8) lock horns with the Chargers (8-7) in what is essentially an elimination game by two teams "in the hunt" in the AFC playoff picture. 

Denver slipped up 17-13 in Las Vegas in Week 16, hitting the UNDER for the eighth time in the past nine outings. The past two games have been especially brutal from an offense perspective, averaging just 11.5 PPG. The Denver defense has held them in the game, allowing an average of just 16.0 PPG.

These teams met in Week 12, with the Broncos winning 28-13 in the Mile High City as the UNDER connected. That was the last UNDER for the Chargers, who have cashed the OVER in four consecutive games. The offense is good for at least 28 points in each of those four outings, while the defense has allowed 41, 34, 21 and 22 during the span, and 21 or more points have been allowed in 11 straight outings.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

The Vikings (7-8) and Packers (12-3) hook up on Sunday Night Football with the home team looking to keep its foot on the gas as they try and secure the first-round bye.

These teams just met in Minneapolis in Week 11, with the Vikings pulling off a 34-31 victory as the OVER connected. The Vikings have allowed 28 or more points in five of the past six outings, hitting the OVER in each of those games (5-1).

The Packers posted a 24-22 win over the visiting Cleveland Browns on Saturday, with the Browns getting the backdoor cover. It's the first time all season Green Bay has failed to cover in consecutive outings. The UNDER was rare, too, as the OVER had gone 4-0 in the past four outings with the Packers offense posting 31 or more points in each of those games.

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

The Browns (7-8) and Steelers (7-7-1) meet in the final game of Week 17, looking to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive. The winner will still be barely breathing, depending on the results earlier in the day, while the loser will be all but eliminated from playoff contention. 

As mentioned above, Cleveland picked up a cover in their narrow 24-22 loss at Green Bay on Christmas Day. It's the first time the Browns have had consecutive covers since Weeks 3-4. The UNDER has hit in two straight, and four of the past five outings, with the offense averaging just 15.0 PPG during the past six outings.

These teams met in Week 8, with the Steelers posting a 15-10 victory in Week 8 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Pittsburgh will be looking to bounce back from a 36-10 drumming in Kansas City in Week 16. They're just 3-5 ATS across the past eight outings, with the OVER going 4-2 in the past six contests.

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.