NFL Week 17 Spreads, Bets and Picks: NFC East Favorites to Cover

Our betting experts expect the Cowboys and Eagles to take care of business this weekend. Here are our staff's Week 17 best bets.

With just two weeks left in the NFL regular season, the race to the playoffs is coming down to the finish line. A handful of NFC teams have already clinched their spot in the postseason, but seeding remains a big mystery. The Packers, Cowboys and Rams are all riding four-game winning streaks, with Green Bay in the driver’s seat—for now—as the top seed. The Buccaneers and Cardinals also have secured playoff spots.

Check the Latest Week 17 Odds at SI Sportsbook

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But in the AFC, only the Chiefs have guaranteed themselves a playoff spot. Kansas City is on an eight-game winning streak and looking to earn the No. 1 seed for the third straight season. The other three divisions are up for grabs, leaving a lot of uncertainty and mounting pressure for teams like the Titans, Bengals, Bills, Colts and Patriots. All those teams are fighting not only for a wild card berth, but division crowns.

So, what do bettors do with all this information?

Digest it.

Knowing which teams have playoff seeding on the line compared to opponents who know they’ll be on the golf course in two weeks is critical knowledge, especially when placing a bet. Here are some trends from our analysts to help guide you in the right direction of your Week 17 wagers:

• Just two of the 16 games feature matchups with neither team having any playoff hopes (Giants vs. Bears, Lions vs. Seahawks)

• Seven of the 16 games feature just one team that has either secured or is fighting for a playoff spot.

• The Dolphins and Titans battle in Tennessee in Week 17, and if the season ended today they would play again wild card weekend. That game marks the only projected playoff preview matchup on this week’s schedule (No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup).

• Of the 16 games, our analysts have targeted nine but only took the underdogs and the points in two of those games.

Here are our criteria for picking games:

• All odds from SI Sportsbook

• Each analyst must pick five games

• Three of the bets must be against the spread or over/under

• The remaining two picks (if all five aren't ATS or O/U) can be on the moneyline (but at least one of those picks must be on an underdog)

• We believe transparency is paramount in the world of sports betting, which is why we entrust Sharp Rank to keep track of all our picks/performance

Jen Piacenti's Best Bet: Eagles -3.5

How is this spread only -3.5? The Eagle are easily covering this weekend. Sure, the Football Team had a good run winning four in a row from Weeks 10-13, but this weekend it is going to match that streak by losing its fourth straight while facing a Philadelphia team trying to make the playoffs. The Eagles were absolutely dominant last week in a 34-10 win over the Giants. Meanwhile, the Football Team just got stomped, 56-14, in Dallas. Antonio Gibson is banged up, Terry McLaurin is on a milk carton somewhere and the defense is in shambles. They’ve allowed an average of 36 points per game across the past three contests while scoring an average of only 15. YIKES. The Eagles, by contrast, are starting to put it all together. They have scored an average of nearly 27 points per game across their last three contests while allowing only 15. No Miles Sanders? No problem. Jalen Hurts will run it in and the Eagles will use any combo of running backs to get it done - to the frustration of your fantasy team. Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith should also do their part. The Eagles have a lot to play for, and they will come out firing on all cylinders vs. a division rival. Smash it.

Jen's Season Record: 59-42

Frank Taddeo's Best Bet: Rams -3.5

Always a dangerous endeavor laying more than a field goal on the road in the NFL, but this game screams to ignore the trends. The Rams, who are 6-2 SU on the road, are only a pedestrian 4-4 ATS away from SoFi Stadium. However, these two clubs are trending in opposite directions. The Ravens have lost four straight games, while the Rams have won four consecutive games both SU and ATS. Los Angeles has so much to play for as the NFC West crown is in their sights as the Cardinals struggle. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Sony Michel will get the job done on the road. Back a L.A. win as the 'Best Bet' of Week 17.

Frank's Season Record: 47-52

Bill Enright’s Best Bet: Cowboys -6

The Cowboys have made bettors a lot of money this year. They have the best Against The Spread Record in the NFL at 12-3. Once upon a time, the Cardinals were the midseason favorites to win the Super Bowl, but WOW have they really struggled lately! They are on a three-game losing streak, while the Cowboys have won four straight. Dallas has been a 5.5-point favorite eight times this year and covered in six of those games. Red-hot Cowboys or ice-cold Cardinals? Take Dallas laying the points.

Bill's Season Record: 38-35-1

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