Week 17 NFL Picks: Tips, Odds and over-Under Predictions for Sunday

Week 17 is a difficult one for bets, but there are always ways to make money in the NFL.

Between teams resting players for the postseason and various injuries that have piled up over the year, it's tough to predict exactly what we will see for each team on the final week of the season. Despite this uncertainty, looking deeper into a few games will give you a chance to make some quality picks.

A smart strategy this week is to examine the over-under bets to find some safe options regardless of which team wins the games. Here is a look at full odds for the week with a breakdown of some of the better picks for Sunday.

Away	Home	Pick ATS*	Over/Under Pick*
San Diego Chargers	Kansas City Chiefs	SD +1.5	Over 42
Jacksonville Jaguars	Houston Texans	HOU -9.5	Under 45.5
Philadelphia Eagles	New York Giants	PHI +2.5	Over 52.5
Buffalo Bills	New England Patriots	NE -5	Under 44
Dallas Cowboys	Washington Redskins	WAS +5.5	Under 49
Cleveland Browns	Baltimore Ravens	BAL -10	Under 41.5
Chicago Bears	Minnesota Vikings	CHI +6	Over 44
Indianapolis Colts	Tennessee Titans	IND -7	Under 46.5
Carolina Panthers	Atlanta Falcons	ATL -3	Over 47.5
New York Jets	Miami Dolphins	MIA -6	Under 42
New Orleans Saints	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	NO -4	Over 46.5
Oakland Raiders	Denver Broncos	DEN -14	Over 48
St. Louis Rams	Seattle Seahawks	SEA -13	Under 41
Arizona Cardinals	San Francisco 49ers	ARI +6.5	Over 36.5
Detroit Lions	Green Bay Packers	DET +7.5	Over 47
Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	PIT -3.5	Under 48

Best Over-Under Bets

St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks (Under 41)

A year ago, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl behind one of the best defenses ever. Amazingly, the squad seems like it's even better this time around.

Over the last five weeks, the team has allowed an average of 6.2 points per game against teams with a combined record of 45-30. Unsurprisingly, these have all lead to wins as the Seahawks have taken control of the NFC.

Defensive end Michael Bennett didn't hold back in his assessment of the unit after the latest win, per USA Today's Nick Schwartz:

"

We’re the best defense to ever play football. So when we play the way we play, the way we’re capable of playing, I don’t think whatever [Cardinals QB Ryan Lindley] did didn't really matter. When we line up and play the way we are capable of playing, I don’t think anybody can play with us.

"

The St. Louis Rams might've upset the Seahawks earlier in the year, but this defense has simply been too difficult to crack. Shaun Hill is going to struggle to move the ball, and this entire game is going to remain too low-scoring to top the over-under.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (Under 40.5)

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle saw what it would take for the Texans to earn a victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16:

Although Case Keenum did end up with one interception, J.J. Watt and the Houston defense completely shut down the Ravens offensively, forcing Joe Flacco to finish with a QBR of 3.2.

Considering what this unit can do to a dynamic offense like Baltimore, a struggling group like the Jacksonville Jaguars could have even more problems.

On the other hand, Keenum is unlikely to light the world on fire on the other side of the ball. Last week was the quarterback's first career win in nine starts, while posting just a 74.2 quarterback rating.

The Texans will do whatever they can to earn a win and stay alive in the playoff race, but this matchup is likely going to remain light on points.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (Over 48)

The Broncos have not looked their best in recent weeks, especially during the Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. However, that defeat made sure that this upcoming matchup is a big one.

Denver has to win this game to secure a bye in the first round of the playoffs, which will be extremely important for a squad that hasn't had a break since Week 4.

The good news is despite Peyton Manning's struggles, he still leads the NFL in passing touchdowns while being third in the league in Total QBR. His down season still puts him among the best in the league.

With plenty of weapons throughout the offense, the Broncos will be able to run up the score in a critical game to close the regular season on a high note.

While the Oakland Raiders have struggled on the road this season to the tune of an 0-7 record, Derek Carr has played well lately and should at least put a few touchdowns on the board to ensure the over in this game.

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