NFL Week 17 Odds: Best Bets Against the Spread
By Brad Rowland
Philadelphia Eagles (+2.5) over New York Giants
On one hand, this line feels exceedingly reasonable, but on the other, it appears to be blatantly crazy. Hear me out.
The Giants have won three straight games, while the Eagles have lost three in a row, and that would theoretically indicate that one team (New York) is trending positively and the other team (Philadelphia) is trending negatively. However, New York still sits at 6-9 with their recent success coming against hapless teams, and Philadelphia remains solidly over .500 at 9-6 with all three losses coming against quality opponents.
Moral of the story? I’m taking the better team, especially when I’m getting points and fading the public. More than half of the action is on the Giants, inexplicably, and even with the artist formerly known as Mark Sanchez under center, I have a lot more confidence in Chip Kelly and the Eagles in a vacuum.
It wouldn’t be a shock if Philly just packed it in for 2014 and laid an egg here, but provided they show up ready to go, they are the better team by a solid margin.
Next: Rams over Seahawks