NFL Odds Week 17: Top Longshots to Bet Against the Spread
The Baltimore Ravens capped Week 16 with an emphatic 33-19 win on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens came in as underdogs and took that status personally.
"We feel a little disrespected by that," Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton said before the game, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley.
The Ravens showed that they were the better team, at least for one game, and they weren't the only underdogs to do it in Week 16. Earlier on Monday, the Las Vegas Raiders rolled over the Kansas City Chiefs as significant road dogs.
The upsets will likely continue coming in Week 17, and below, we'll examine some of our favorite underdogs to consider against the early lines.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
New England Patriots +12 at Buffalo Bills
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The Buffalo Bills are back in the AFC playoff race, and they still have a chance to win the AFC East. If the Miami Dolphins lose to Baltimore this week, and Buffalo wins, the Week 18 matchup between the Dolphins and Bills will be for the division title.
Buffalo will be motivated to win this week, and the Bills have played better at home. However, this is a huge line, especially considering that the New England Patriots won the first meeting and have been playing even better ball down the stretch.
New England's offense has been better with Bailey Zappe under center, and the team has won two of its last three games. The Bills, meanwhile, showed that their defense is still vulnerable in last week's close road win against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Buffalo is the better team and should win the rematch with New England. However, the Patriots defense is playing well, their offense is better than it was early in the season, and Bill Belichick is looking to finish what might be his final Patriots season on a high note.
Expect New England to keep this one relatively close.
Las Vegas Raiders +3 at Indianapolis Colts
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Given how well we've seen Las Vegas play defense over the past few weeks, it's surprising that the Raiders are even underdogs here.
Las Vegas lost to the Minnesota Vikings 3-0 in Week 14, blew out the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 and handled the Chiefs on Monday. Two defensive touchdowns and some hard running by Zamir White were enough to hand Kansas City a 20-14 loss.
The Raiders have become a defensively dominant team under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, and their formula is one that can be replicated against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have been one of the AFC's bigger surprises since losing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, but they've had their issues on both sides of the ball.
Against the Atlanta Falcons this past week, Indy struggled defensively, Gardner Minshew threw an interception in Colts territory, and the Falcons pulled away.
Expect Las Vegas to smother Minshew and Co., force more miscues and batter Indianapolis' 28th-ranked run defense. If the Raiders don't get win No. 8, they're not going to lose by much.
Detroit Lions +6 at Dallas Cowboys
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The Dallas Cowboys are looking to bounce back from consecutive losses, and given their dominance at home this season, they're likely to do it. However, that doesn't mean that the Detroit Lions won't give Dallas a scare.
The biggest reason to believe that Detroit can keep it close is its multi-faceted running game. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are a terrific backfield duo, the Lions offensive line is powerful, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson does a wonderful job of scheming open running lanes.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, have had their issues against the run. The Bills dominated Dallas on the ground two weeks ago, and the Miami Dolphins put the Cowboys away with some key runs late in Week 16.
Detroit's defense has become a significant concern lately, so this one could turn into a bit of a track meet. However, the Lions should be able to control the tempo and the clock with their running game and stay within striking distance in the fourth quarter.
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