Every week billions of dollars are wagered on the NFL. The most popular type of bet is the spread. Each week there are a few games with an appealing spread and others with an ugly spread. To help bettors figure out which spreads they should bet on and which to avoid, two of our NFL writers, Mike Fanelli and Dale Money, give their take on every spread for each of this weekend’s games.
To recap, last week, Mike finished with an 11-4 record while Dale finished 7-8. For the year, Mike is 104-116-2 while Dale is 118-102-2. Let’s take a look at their picks for Week 17.
Spreads are provided by Jazz Sportsbook. Please bet responsibly.
Be sure to check out our NFL betting advice article each week.
Game
Mike
Dale
New York Giants vs Chicago Bears -6
CHI -6
NYG +6
Jacksonville Jaguars vs New England Patriots -16.5
NE -16.5
JAX +16.5
Los Angeles Rams vs Baltimore Ravens +5
BAL +5
BAL +5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New York Jets +13
TB -13
NYJ +13
Atlanta Falcons vs Buffalo Bills -14.5
BUF -14.5
BUF -14.5
Kansas City Chiefs vs Cincinnati Bengals +4
KC -4
KC -4
Miami Dolphins vs Tennessee Titans -3.5
MIA +3.5
TEN -3.5
Las Vegas Raiders vs Indianapolis Colts -7
LV +7
LV +7
Philadelphia Eagles vs Washington Football Team +4.5
PHI -4.5
WAS +4.5
Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers -7.5
DEN +7.5
LAC -7.5
Houston Texans vs San Francisco 49ers -11.5
HOU +11.5
SF -11.5
Detroit Lions vs Seattle Seahawks -7.5
DET +7.5
SEA -7.5
Arizona Cardinals vs Dallas Cowboys -6
ARZ +6
DAL -6
Carolina Panthers vs New Orleans Saints -6.5
NO -6.5
CAR +6.5
Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers -13.5
MIN +13.5
MIN +13.5
Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5
PIT +3.5
CLE -3.5
The Team to Bet
Mike: Philadelphia Eagles -4.5
The Washington Football Team has been at least 6.5 point underdogs in three straight games. They have failed to cover the spread in any of those games despite receiving 10 points in each of the past two contests. Their offense has been a mess lately, scoring under 21 points in five straight games. Furthermore, the defense has looked like Swiss cheese. Over the past six games, Washington has given up an average of 26.8 points per game, including 27 or more points in three straight games. Meanwhile, the Eagles had their way with Washington on both sides of the ball two weeks ago, winning by 10. With Antonio Gibson out tomorrow because of Covid-19 protocols, the Washington offense might struggle to score 10 points in this game.
Loading…
Dale: Los Angles Chargers -7.5
Following last week’s embarrassing loss, the Chargers will look to bounce back in a huge way against the Denver Broncos. Justin Herbert will have to contend with a decent Broncos pass defense. However, he won’t face Bradley Chubb, who got placed on the Covid-19 list yesterday. Herbert should have numerous opportunities to exploit that secondary due to Drew Lock’s struggles. It’s a do-or-die scenario for the Chargers, just below the Miami Dolphins for the last Wild Card. They will erase the humiliation of losing to the Houston Texans last week, beating the Broncos by more than eight points.
The Team to Avoid
Mike: Green Bay Packers -13.5
After the Minnesota Vikings placed Kirk Cousins on the Covid-19 list, the spread exploded. With Sean Mannion set to make only his third career start, the Vikings have no chance at winning this game. However, 13.5 points is a lot to cover. If the Packers are up late in the game, they could easily pull Aaron Rodgers to protect his injured toe. By pulling Rodgers and other critical players, it opens the backdoor cover for the Vikings. Furthermore, the Packers are 2-3 against the spread when eight or more point favorites this season. More importantly, they have won their past two games by a combined three points despite being favored by eight or more points in both games. The Packers will easily win, but the Vikings will cover the spread.
Dale: Philadelphia Eagles -4.5
After a 10 point win over Washington just two games ago, Philadelphia seems like the more formidable team. However, Washington was without numerous defensive players due to Covid-19 protocols that week, including Kendall Fuller and Kamren Curl. Unfortunately, they won’t have their star running back tomorrow due to Covid-19. Replacing Gibson will be Jaret Patterson. The rookie had 33 rushing yards on nine rushing attempts last week against the Dallas Cowboys. With a 6-9 record, Washington is just barely still in the playoff picture. Not only will Washington cover the 4.5 point spread, but Joey Slye will kick a last-second field goal to give them the outright win.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @primetimesportstalk
Follow Mike Fanelli on Twitter @Mike_NFL2
Follow Dale Money on Twitter @packerd_00
