Week 17: Best NFL Bets To Make ASAP

To start, when reading the “line” that we have, the number with the “plus or minus” next to it is the “spread.” Which is the number you need to add or subtract from your team’s total to get the win. So, if you are picking a team -6, that means they would need to win by seven for you to win. 

The number to the right of the spread is the “vig,” which is the fee that you pay to the casino to make the bet. If the vig is -110, then the better can make $1 off of every $1.10 he wins. For an “over/under” the bettor wins if they correctly predict whether the final score will add up to more or less than the number given by the books. 

All of our odds are brought to you by FanDuel SportsBooks, here are my NFL week 17 best bets to make, including one bet from each of the three Sunday time-slots.

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Week 17: Best NFL Bets To Make ASAP

Los Angeles Rams: -5.5 (-110) @ Baltimore Ravens

On the surface, it seems these two teams are very close in terms of competitiveness. The Rams ate 8-7 against the spread (ATS) and that checks them in at 14th in the against the spread (ATS) rankings in 2021.  The Ravens are not far behind as they are tied for the 17th spot with a 7-8 record ATS. The Rams are 6-2 on the road and the Ravens are 5-2 at home and they both went 3-1 in inter-conference games.

The difference on Sunday, however, will be that the Rams have almost their full complement of players while the Ravens are still struggling in that department. Lamar Jackson is still most likely going to miss this game and Tyler Huntley will get eaten alive by the Rams' defense. Baltimore may also be missing number one wide receiver, Marquise Brown, and their best pass-rusher, Odafe Oweh. The Rams are also coming into this game on a four-game winning streak that they would love to extend to five and then six as we enter the 2021 NFL playoffs. The Ravens are on the brink of elimination with only a 28 percent chance of making the playoffs. It will drop to nine if/when they lose this game.

Denver Broncos: +7.5 (-110) @ Los Angeles Chargers

This is another close one as the Broncos are 7-8 ATS (t-17th), and the Raiders sit right there with them 7-8 ATS (t-17th.) The Chargers still have a slight chance to make the playoffs (37 percent) and the Broncos are just playing the spoiler at this point as they would need to win out and have a humongous amount of help to get in. But, they have done it in the past to the Chargers and will be amped up to do so once again. They have perhaps the wisest coaching staff in the NFL and they will quickly recognize that LA is the fourth-worst unit in the league when it comes to stopping the run.

Enter stud rookie running back Javonte Williams and his running mate, Melvin Gordon. Those two –baring Gordon's injury stopping him from playing–will run the Chargers into oblivion. When you give up 140 yards per game on the ground as LA does, it is hard not to attack that weakness over and over.

Minnesota Vikings @Green Bay Packers: under 42.5 (-110)

It is projected to be nine degrees at kickoff for Sunday's Packers-Vikings matchup. That does not bode well for either passing attack. First, because it is much more painful to tackle players while it is cold–teams usually run the ball a ton in cold weather games even if there is no snow or rain. Second, the cold also does not bode well for a Minnesota offense that plays in a dome and is missing its quarterback (Kirk Cousins) and number two receiver (Adam Thielen.)

With Sean Mannion in at quarterback against this defense in that kind of weather, it would already be a daunting task…let alone going into it without Thielen. It is hard for us to see Minnesota getting more than ten points in the game and Green Bay is not likely to get to 30. That is because the Packers will want to run the ball over and over –not only due to the weather–but also because Minnesota gives up the fifth-most rushing yards per game in the NFL (130.5.)