Early NFL Parlay and Best Bets: Week 17 (2021)
With just two weeks remaining in the NFL season, things are far from locked up. Kansas City is the only AFC team to clinch a playoff spot. Five teams have secured a spot in the NFC, but positioning is anyone’s game as teams jockey for the coveted first-round bye and first-round home games.
Let’s take a closer look at the board in total and see where the value remains for Week 17.
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Leg #1. Ravens +3.5 | -110 at DK Sportsbook
Currently slotted outside the final Wild Card spot, the Ravens find themselves in a must-win position this week at home versus the Rams. With an injury report that reads as long as any team in the league, many oddsmakers expect them to fall short.
Baltimore has lost four straight games, and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s status remains uncertain as he deals with an ankle injury. He returned to practice Wednesday, offering hope of the 2019 NFL MVP returning this weekend.
On the flip side, the Rams have rebounded from a sluggish November with four straight wins in December. They scored 30 or more points in three of those victories and covered the spread in all four.
However, I like the Ravens to respond with Jackson suiting up and keeping the score close with their backs against the wall.
Leg #2. Packers -6.5 | -105 at DK Sportsbook
With the first-round by and home-field advantage through the playoffs within reach, expect the Packers to come out blazing in this one. The Packers have scored 105 points over their past three games and are playing in Green Bay, where they’re a perfect 7-0 (6-1 ATS) this season.
The visiting Vikings come into this NFC North showdown with confidence after beating the Packers on November 21, the Packers’ last loss and just their third of the season. With so much on the line, expect Aaron Rodgers and the Pack to come into this rematch as focused as ever and clinch the No. 1 seed.
Leg #3. Steelers +3.5 | -115 at DK Sportsbook
We got burned by the Steelers last week, as they laid yet another dud, this time at Kansas City in a top-to-bottom terrible performance. Yet here we are.
In what will likely be quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s final home game for Pittsburgh, the Steelers draw the reeling Browns on Monday Night Football. I can’t look away from the points at home, where Pittsburgh is 5-2 this season.
Total Odds: +596 at DraftKings
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