NFL Week 17 Betting: Sportsbooks Say Packers Get Top Seed In NFC

• The Philadelphia Eagles are +105 moneyline underdogs against the Washington Football Team who have -125 odds.
• The Green Bay Packers are favored over the Chicago Bears and with a win in Week 17 would clinch the #1 seed in the NFC.
• There are seven unclaimed playoff berths in the AFC and NFC combined.

DALLAS — The final week of the NFL regular season has arrived and features some pivotal games for playoff seeding. There are a total of seven playoff spots up for grabs going into Week 17, with four postseason berths available in the AFC and three unclaimed berths in the NFC.

There is only one team that knows its seeding going into the final week and that’s the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs who have secured the top seed in the AFC.

There’s 14 playoff spots and heading into the final weekend, only a single spot is spoken for. The Chiefs won the AFC. 7 teams have clinched. NFL does playoff drama better than any league. I love it.

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 28, 2020

There are seven teams that have already clinched a spot in the postseason and in Week 17 they could rest their starters which could help or hurt many NFL bettors on Sunday.

Each of these playoff teams may still play their starters in order to secure the highest playoff seeding but already being in the postseason might be enough to warrant some DNP’s from notable names which would have a major effect on betting odds.

For example, the news of the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Mason Rudolph instead of Ben Roethlisberger has already caused the odds for that matchup to be pulled for the time being at Bovada.

In today’s press conference, Coach Tomlin said Mason Rudolph will start at quarterback for our Week 17 game against Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/PKAVvbS6TD

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 29, 2020

Nonetheless, there are crucial matchups that could not only decide who makes the playoffs but also provides pro football gamblers with one last chance to profit off of the regular season.

Now let’s take a look at the early betting lines for some of Week 17’s most intriguing games.

Raven vs. Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens need a win against the Bengals to secure a wild card playoff spot and hold off the Indianapolis Colts or Cleveland Browns.

The Ravens are favored to win this game and will be forced to play their starters to avoid being eliminated from the playoffs. This is a game that Baltimore should win while also being able to cover the 13-point spread as the Bengals have had one of the worst defensive units in the NFL this season.

Packers vs. Bears

This classic NFC North matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears has many playoff implications. It’s simple for the Bears if they win this game, they’re in the playoffs and if they lose, they’ll need quite a bit of help from other teams.

As for Green Bay, in order to clinch a first-round bye in the postseason they’ll need a win. The Packers are 5.5-point favorites over the Bears and have already beaten Chicago once this season.

If looking to add a leg to a parlay the Packers' moneyline odds are a strong option as they won’t be resting any starters on Sunday. The spread is also in play but the Bears have played better under Mitchell Trubisky and he’ll be a major x-factor in this matchup.

The 50.5-point total for this game should go Over as four of the Bears' last five games have seen the Over hit.

NFC East Division Title Race

The NFC East has by far been the worst division in the NFL this season as no team will finish with a record above .500. Nonetheless, someone has to win this division. Going into the final week there are three teams that have a shot to win the NFC East.

NFC East is up for grabs in Week 17:

∙ Washington: Win and they're in the playoffs
∙ Cowboys/Giants: Winner of this game gets in if Washington loses to the Eagles pic.twitter.com/h3a4PR8vna

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 28, 2020

Cowboys vs. Giants

The Cowboys are favored to beat the Giants as they’ve found their groove riding a three-game winning streak into Week 17. On the other side, the Giants have lost their last three games and have seen the division slip out of their grasp.

Whoever wins this game will be cheering for their division rival the Philadelphia Eagles to pull off a win against the Washington Football Team.

The early lines have the Cowboys narrowly pulling out a victory over the Giants and history is also on the Cowboys side as they’ve won five straight games SU against New York.

WFT vs. Eagles

Washington Football Team controls their own destiny on Sunday Night Football with an NFC East title and playoff berth on the line. All Washington needs to do is win and they're in the postseason for the first time since 2015.

The Eagles have played much better with Jalen Hurts under center which is why online sportsbooks anticipate this being a close game. The Eagles +105 underdog odds are well worth the risk here as they’re a team that can give Washington’s defense trouble, especially with Hurts' running abilities.

The Eagles are eliminated from playoff contention but that won’t stop them from possibly playing spoiler at home. Washington is favored to win this game by two points despite likely having to start Taylor Heinicke under center.

Expect this to be a low scoring game even if the 43-point total is already low, bettors should take the Under with confidence.