NFL Week 17 Odds: Building the Best Parlays from Early Spreads, Lines and Over/Unders
We're in the final stretch of the 2023 NFL playoff race, and Week 17 is set to bring fans plenty of exciting action. Several playoff spots and most division races remain unsettled.
The week kicks off with a battle between the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. It will end with an NFC North showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. In between will be multiple thrilling matchups that carry heavy playoff implications.
Below, we'll examine some of our favorite matchups of the week to identify three distinct parlays to consider for Week 17.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
Three-Game Parlay
49ers -13.5 at Commanders
Buccaneers -3 versus Saints
Rams -6.5 at Giants
The San Francisco 49ers are facing one of the biggest lines of the week, which shouldn't come as a surprise. San Francisco remains arguably the best team in football, despite their Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, while the Washington Commanders are on the opposite end of the spectrum.
The Commanders did get a second-half boost from quarterback Jacoby Brissett in Week 16, but their pass defense remains one of the worst in the league.
Washington ranks 31st in both net yards per pass attempt and passing yards allowed. Don't expect the Commanders to slow Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel and the 49ers offensive attack.
The New Orleans Saints aren't likely to slow the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers either. Tampa has gotten red hot over the last month, as has quarterback Baker Mayfield. The 2018 first overall pick has forged a great rapport with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and the Buccaneers receiving corps, and Tampa is poised to match points with any opponent.
The same cannot be said for the Saints, who continue to showcase offensive inconsistencies with Derek Carr under center. While New Orleans' defense is solid, it isn't good enough to carry the Saints to a win against a quality opponent.
New Orleans remains winless against teams that currently hold a winning record.
We'd also expect the New York Giants to struggle against the Los Angeles Rams, who have been in playoff mode over the second half of the season. It's a tough road trip for the Rams, but they should win convincingly.
Single-Game Parlay
Rams -6.5 at Giants
Rams -285 (bet $285 to win $100) to Win
Rams and Giants Over 42 Points
Fans who didn't get a chance to catch the Rams before last Thursday's game against the Saints might not have realized that quarterback Matthew Stafford is playing at an MVP level right now.
Stafford looks as comfortable as he did during L.A.'s Super Bowl run, and he's regularly made throws that few NFL signal-callers can make. With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp both healthy—and Demarcus Robinson making the occasional appearance—few defenses can hang with L.A.'s passing attack.
While that passing attack remains the Rams' biggest threat, Kyren Williams has brought balance to the L.A. offense. Coach Sean McVay can lean on Williams early to set up the pass or late to close out games. Regardless of the Rams approach, the Giants aren't good enough in any defensive aspect to offer much resistance.
The Giants certainly don't have the collection of skill players needed to keep pace with Stafford and Co. However, the Rams defense has been inefficient enough late in games to allow New York to put up points.
L.A. should win and win big, and the over/under line feels entirely too low. The Rams' last five games have all featured 48 or more total points.
Over/Under Parlay
Rams and Giants Over 42 Points
Browns and Jets Over 36 Points
Bills and Patriots Over 41 Points
The over is enticing in the Rams-Giants contest, and the same is true about the Browns and Jets game.
Considering how explosive the Browns offense has been with Joe Flacco under center, this line feels way too low. Cleveland dropped 36 points by itself in Week 16, and with both Amari Cooper and David Njoku healthy and rolling, that could well happen again on Thursday.
The New York Jets have a good defense, but it isn't nearly as dominant as it was a year ago. On Sunday, New York surrendered 28 points to Brissett and the Commanders.
The biggest risk with taking the over is Cleveland's defense at home. New York doesn't exactly have a potent offensive attack, and the Browns defense can smother opponents at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
However, the Browns also turn the ball over more than any other team. Expect at least one miscue to lead to easy points for the Jets, who will do enough for this one to hit the over.
We'd also expect the New England Patriots to do their job well enough against the Buffalo Bills to hit the over. Buffalo plays better at home, but its defense is still injury-hampered and inconsistent.
The Patriots offense, meanwhile, has operated much more efficiently with Bailey Zappe under center. While the Bills struggled against the Patriots in the first meeting—a 25-29 Pats victory—their offense has flourished under interim coordinator Joe Brady.
Round 1 of this AFC East battle features more than 50 total points. The rematch should again feature plenty of scoring.
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