NFL Week 17 Odds: Buccaneers Favored in Key NFC South Clash with Carolina Panthers

Washington and Detroit Look to Remain In Play for Postseason Spots

The five early Sunday afternoon games airing on FOX will be dominated by the continued race for the NFC South title. There are good NFL picks this week, and there are some not so good. Let’s take a look at what could turn a profit.

Right now all four teams in the division have losing records. Tampa Bay can move to .500 with a win and take a major step toward securing the NFC South title. The Week 17 NFL odds have Tampa Bay favored at home.

New Orleans has the daunting task of winning in Philadelphia to remain in contention for the division title while Washington and Detroit have crucial games as they fight for one of the final NFC playoff spots.

When looking at the NFL odds, the Eagles (+500) have the best odds among NFC teams to win the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay priced at +2800.

Game of the Week

Somebody has to win the NFC South Division. Defending division champion Tampa Bay can take a major step towards accomplishing that with a win.

However, if Carolina wins, the Panthers would be considered the division leader with a 7-9 record going into the final week of the nfl regular season.

It has been a difficult season for future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady as he has missed open receivers at key times and that has led to an inconsistent season for a team two years removed from a Super Bowl title.

Running back Rachaad White is coming on strong to give the Buccaneers another option in the running game.

Carolina has won three of its last four games and has played better with interim coach Steve Wilks at the helm than when Matt Rhule was calling the shots.

Carolina’s running game was thought to be in trouble when top back Christian McCaffrey was traded to San Francisco. However, the Panthers ran for 320 yards in a key win over Detroit last week.

Both teams are dealing with injuries in the secondary. Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn is out while Tampa Bay cornerback Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis and safety Mike Edwards are all questionable.

Run-stuffing defensive lineman Vita Vea is also questionable and if he misses his third game in a row, that could spell trouble as Tampa tries to slow down the Carolina rushing attack.

The good news for Tampa Bay is that center Ryan Jensen could be returning to the field in the near future.

Tampa Bay opened as a 6.5-point favorite, but the line has moved to -3.

When the season started, there is no way the NFL Week 17 odds would have had this game being meaningless in terms of NFC playoff positioning.

It is not surprising that Atlanta is missing the playoffs, however, Arizona was expected to contend for the NFC title.

Quarterback Kyler Murray is out for the season for the Cardinals and that has hurt the offense. The defense should be fired up to play for teammate J.J. Watt as he announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season.

When looking at the NFL injury report, Arizona placed star safety Budda Baker (shoulder) on injured reserve and that leaves a huge hole in the secondary.

Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder gets another chance to run the Atlanta offense. Don’t expect too much as the Falcons rank 31st out of 32 teams in passing yards per game.

Chicago would love to play spoiler against longtime rival Detroit as a loss would be devastating to Detroit’s playoff hopes. The Week 17 NFL odds have Detroit as the favorite.

Chicago leads the NFL in rushing yards per game and the Bears will be facing a Detroit defense that just allowed Carolina to run for 320 yards a week ago.

Multiple pass catchers are questionable for the Bears and that includes receiver Chase Claypool.

Detroit leads the NFL in first-quarter scoring while the Lions are in the top five in points scored and yards per game. The issues come on the other side of the ball.

Chicago has won seven of the last nine games against Detroit while the Lions are looking for their first season sweep of the Bears since 2017.

The total has moved from 49 to 52.

The good news is that New Orleans is still alive in the NFC South Division race despite a 6-9 record. The bad news is that New Orleans will need to beat Philadelphia this week to remain in contention, especially if Tampa Bay wins on Sunday. That will be no easy task, regardless of whether quarterback Jalen Hurts plays or is missing in his second straight game.

Rookie receiver Chris Olave is doubtful with a tender hamstring and that would be a big blow for the Saints if he is unable to suit up. Multiple offensive linemen are questionable as is linebacker Pete Werner and Payton Turner.

Philadelphia ranks in the top three in the NFL in both total offense and total defense. Even with last week’s loss to rival Dallas, the Eagles have the best record in the NFL as they try to secure home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs.

Not only is Hurts questionable, so is receiver A.J. Brown, running back Miles Sanders and defensive tackle Jordan Davis.

A few years ago, a quarterback matchup between Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz might make for some must-see television. Now it is just another game.

There is more on the line for Washington as the Commanders are fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC. Since Houston owns Cleveland’s first-round pick as a result of the trade that brought Watson to the Browns, there is plenty of incentive on the other side as well.

Cleveland ranks in the top five in both rushing attempts and rushing yards and is ninth in points scored in the fourth quarter. Cleveland might need to lean on the running game even more if receiver Amari Cooper is unable to go. For Washington, the status of running back Antonio Gibson is up in the air. Be sure to find the latest NFL point spreads, and the best playoff coverage right here at PointSpreads.
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