Unsure How to Bet Week 17? See Which Teams the Sharps Are Betting Here
- The sharps like the Houston Texans in Week 17 of the NFL season
- Of all sharp wagers, 17 percent are placed on Houston
- Seattle (10.6 percent), the New York Jets (7.6), Minnesota Vikings (6.9) and Chicago Bears (6.6) are also getting plenty of sharp money action
The Tennessee Titans must beat the Houston Texans in Week 17 to clinch an AFC Wild Card playoff spot but the sharps don’t think they’ll cover the 6-point spread.
The smart money likes Houston more than any other team in Week 17 of the NFL season. One sportsbook has handled 17 percent of wagers from sharps on the Texans, the AFC South champions, who play host to the Titans on Sunday.
The Seattle Seahawks are also getting plenty of love from the sharps heading into their NFC West title showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. There’s 10.6 percent of the smart money wagered on the Seahawks.
The New York Jets are getting 7.6 percent of sharp wagers in their Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills. However, the sharps are divided almost equally on the Minnesota Vikings-Chicago Bears matchup. There’s 6.9 percent of sharp money on the Vikings, while 6.6 percent of sharps are betting on the Bears.
NFL Week 17 Sharp Bets
| Bet | Percentage of Sharp Money |
|---|---|
| Houston Texans (+6) over Tennessee Titans | 17.0% |
| Seattle Seahawks (+3) over San Francisco 49ers | 10.6% |
| New York Jets (PK) over Buffalo Bills | 7.6% |
| Minnesota Vikings (+3) over Chicago Bears | 6.9% |
| Chicago Bears (-3) over Minnesota Vikings | 6.6% |
Odds taken on Dec. 28.
Check out the lines on all of this weekend’s games via the Week 17 NFL odds page.
Texans Getting Six Points
Time is on Houston’s side, and that might not be good news for the sharps who are backing the Texans. If the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Chargers in their 1 pm game, that means Houston is locked in as the #4 seed in the AFC and has nothing but pride to play for against Tennessee at 4:25 pm.
This could alter the plan of Texans head coach Bill O’Brien. He’s insisting that the approach they will take Sunday is that they will not rest any players and will play to win.
Texans listing both QB Deshaun Watson (back) and WR DeAndre Hopkins (illness) as questionable for Sunday's game vs. Titans, but there's no reason for Houston to play either player Sunday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 27, 2019
It’s known that wide receiver Will Fuller (groin) is definitely out this week. Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson (back) and WR DeAndre Hopkins (illness) are questionable with ailments but is it really worth playing them when there’s nothing to be won on the field other than pride?
The Titans are getting six points, even though Tennessee hasn’t won at Houston since 2011. The Titans are 0-7 straight up during that span and 0-5 against the spread in their last five visits there.
Starters or backups, that’s probably too much for Tennessee to cover.
Pick: Houston Texans (+6).
Seahawks Underdogs At Home
The 49ers are three-point favorites at Seattle. It’s just the fourth time in the past five seasons that the Seahawks are home underdogs. They’re 2-1 straight up and 3-0 against the spread in the previous three games.
However, Seattle’s top three running backs are all out with injury this week – Chris Carson (broken hip), Rashaad Penny (IRL) and C.J. Prosise (broken arm). The Seahawks are so desperate that they’ve reached back into their glorious past to sign Marshawn Lynch.
Marshawn Lynch was serving tequila shots at a parking lot tailgate in Oakland eight days ago for the Raiders' last game there. Now he's gonna start for the Seahawks in the playoffs.
Legend.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) December 23, 2019
If Beast Mode is deployed, he’ll be running behind a line minus injured tackle Duane Brown. A healthy Seattle offensive line surrendered five sacks in the first meeting with San Francisco.
Seattle won the game via an overtime field goal. This one could be just as close, making the Seahawks a good bet.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks (+3).
Will Jets Make Bills Pay In Week 17?
The Jets are playing better of late but they are still struggling to find success on the road. New York is 1-6 straight up and 1-5-1 against the spread away from home this season. That includes losses at Miami and Cincinnati, which was the first win of the season for each of those teams.
Silver lining: The #Bills can now rest all of their starters next week against the Jets. They're locked into the No. 5 seed.
Can't remember the last time the Bills could rest people in Week 17. pic.twitter.com/YmxcFHS2kF
— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) December 22, 2019
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott insists that he’ll play his starters but for how long? The Jets are 2-4 ATS in their last six visits to Buffalo.
Pick: Buffalo Bills (PK).
Sharps At Odds Over Vikings-Bears
The smart money is split almost down the middle on this game. Minnesota is locked in as the #6 seed in the NFC, so there’s no need to play any key starters.
Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, Minnesota’s top two running backs, are both ailing and could certainly use a week’s rest. The same for WR Adam Thielen, who just recently returned from injury.
Sean Mannion could be in line for the second start of his career. “That would be awesome,” he said. “Not a lot of people get to start a game at quarterback in the NFL. It’s something I’d cherish.”
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) December 27, 2019
And will starting QB Kirk Cousins give way to backup Sean Mannion, who hasn’t started a game since Week 17 of the 2017 season?
The Vikings are 4-0 after a loss this season. Chicago has lost six of its last seven visits to Minnesota but are giving three points. The Bears are 1-5 ATS in their past six games and 0-5 ATS in their last five road games.
Pick: Minnesota Vikings (+3).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
