NFL Week 17 odds: Best bets against the spread
By Brad Rowland
New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons UNDER 53.5 points
This is just absurd for a Week 17 total. The Saints are a (very) bad defensive football team, but it isn’t as if Atlanta’s offense is lighting the world on fire, and New Orleans has actually been, at least slightly, improved on defense recently.
To be honest, this is a system play with a number this high, and if you want to run away, I won’t fight you. Still, I can’t imagine going over a nearly 54-point spread in a meaningless NFL game. Fight against the points.
Chicago Bears (-1) over Detroit Lions
The rationale is simple: I think the Bears are better than the Lions.
The line smells funny in my view, as there is no reason why Detroit would be receiving fewer than three points here. Still, the public is all over the Lions to the tune of nearly 70%, and that pushes me toward the short home favorite in a hurry. It isn’t often that the favorite is the non-public side, but this game fits the bill, and even if it’s only a 55% proposition, I like those odds on the Bears.
Next: Rams-49ers and Vikings-Packers