The final week of the NFL regular season includes plenty of drama and storylines to watch in just about every matchup this weekend. For the first time all season, there are no Thursday or Monday games on the schedule. Saturday’s doubleheader features two games from the AFC North, and Sunday’s busy slate includes 13 games in the afternoon and the big Sunday Night Football matchup that will determine who has the No. 1 seed and the bye week in the NFC.
Of the 14 spots in the playoffs, 12 are already wrapped up with one spot up for grabs this week in each conference. While we know for the most part who is in the postseason, playoff seeding is still to be determined for most teams with Sunday’s results changing potential matchups and bye weeks.
Each week, I’ll post the relevant info for the biggest matchups from DraftKings Sportsbook to help you find the stats and trends that matter. You can use these numbers to fill out your Week 17 betting card with single bets or combine them into an awesome parlay. Just a quick reminder before we begin: “SU” means “Straight Up,” while “ATS” stands for “Against the Spread.” Spreads used in records are taken from DraftKings Sportsbook at the kickoff of each game.
Make sure to check out our betting splits table as well, where you can see where the public is leaning in each matchup.
Throughout the week leading up to kickoff, DK Network will bring plenty of insight on NFL betting picks, NFL DFS contests, and more specific insights on player props, matchups, and strategies throughout the season.
Below are the betting trends for the top five matchups of Week 15:
All odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds are subject to change.
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
The Ravens will clinch the division and the No. 3 seed in the AFC with a win or a Steelers’ loss while the Browns are out of contention for a playoff spot.
The Browns won the first matchup between these teams this season, emerging with a 29-24 home victory in Week 8. Jameis Winston was the hero in that game, but he won’t play Sunday, although coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that both Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe could play QB. The Browns are 0-5 SU/ATS in their last five games and 0-7 SU in their last seven road games. They’re also only 3-13 SU in their last 16 trips to Baltimore.
The Ravens are trending up after dominating the Texans SU/ATS last week. They are 4-1 SU/ATS in their last five games overall and 5-1 SU in their last six home games. They’re also 4-2 ATS in their last six contests as the favorite, but only 1-4 ATS in their last five matchups with the Browns.
The under is 4-1 in the Browns’ last five games, but the over is 12-4 in the Ravens’ last 16 games overall and 4-1 in their last five divisional matchups.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
Both teams will potentially have lots on the line in this matchup. The Steelers could still have a shot at the division if the Ravens lose, but if Baltimore wins, Pittsburgh is locked in as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed, looking at a matchup with the Ravens or Texans. The Bengals need a win to keep their playoff chances alive, and they’ll also need help on Sunday from the Jets and Chiefs to pass the Dolphins and Broncos, respectively.
The Bengals rallied for a thrilling SU/ATS win last week against the Broncos and are 4-0 SU/ATS in their last four games. They’re also 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games and 5-0 SU/ATS in their five games as road favorites on the season.
The Steelers are only 2-4 SU/ATS in their last six games, but they are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games and 6-2 SU in their last eight home games against the Bengals. Pittsburgh is also 10-3 ATS in its last 13 divisional games.
The over is 6-3 in the last nine games in this series and also 6-3 in the Steelers’ last nine games against the AFC. The over is also 7-2 in the Bengals’ last nine games overall.
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
The remaining NFC playoff spot scenario is clear although the seeding situation gets a little convoluted. If the Bucs win this game, they will win the NFC South and will be either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed depending on the Rams-Seahawks outcome. If the Bucs lose and the Falcons win, Atlanta will claim the final spot in the NFC playoffs. On the other side of this matchup, the Saints have been eliminated from the playoffs and have also already fired their coach, as they head into a rebuilding offseason.
The Saints are 1-4 SU/ATS in their last five games and 0-5 ATS in their last five road games. They are also only 1-4 SU in their last five games against the Bucs overall but have gone 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games against Tampa Bay, including 6-0 ATS in their last six road games against their division rivals.
The Bucs are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games and 5-1 SU in their last six. They are 13-6 SU in their last 19 division games and 11-4 SU in their last 15 games in January. Their SU/ATS win over the Panthers last week coupled with the Falcons’ loss to the Commanders on Sunday Night Football set them up in this “win and get in” situation against the Saints.
The over is 4-1 in the Bucs’ last five games and 7-2 in their last nine games vs. the NFC. However, the under is 5-0 in the Saints’ last five games and 5-1 in their last six games against the NFC. The under is also 5-1 in the last six head-to-head matchups between these teams.
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
The Dolphins need a win over the Jets to have a shot at the postseason. They also need the Chiefs’ backups to beat the Broncos since Denver will get in with a win on Sunday with both games kicking off at 4:25 p.m. ET. If the Dolphins win and Broncos lose, Miami will claim the final Wild Card spot. Whoever gets the AFC’s No. 7 seed will face a tough road game in Buffalo next week. The Jets are wrapping up another disappointing season, and this could also be the final game of Aaron Rodgers’ career, depending on how the upcoming offseason shakes out.
The Dolphins got a SU/ATS win last week even without starting QB Tua Tagovailoa, who remains uncertain for this week. Miami is 6-2 SU in its last eight games and 6-3 ATS in its last nine. The Dolphins have also dominated the recent matchups in this head-to-head series, going 8-1 SU in their last nine meetings, 10-3 ATS in their last 13, and 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against the Jets.
The Jets are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games and 1-6 SU in their last seven. They have gone just 1-5 ATS in their last six home games and 1-10 SU in their last 11 games played on a Sunday.
The over is 5-1 in the Jets’ last six games and 7-1 in the Jets’ last eight games against the AFC. On the other hand, the under is 8-1 in the Dolphins’ last nine games.
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Relevant Records
Betting Trends
The final game of the week should be a great one. The stakes are huge and straightforward. The winner of this game claims the NFC North crown and a first round bye in the playoffs. The losing team will be the No. 5 seed and go on the road to either Los Angeles, Tampa Bay or Atlanta next week.
The Vikings are coming into this matchup off a huge SU/ATS win over the Packers last week and are 9-0 SU in their last nine games. They are also 6-1 SU in their last seven road games and 6-0 SU in their last six against the NFC.
While the Vikings have been great lately, the Lions have dominated their recent head-to-head series. Detroit is 8-0 ATS in their last eight head-to-head matchups and 6-1 SU in their last six home games against the Vikings. They beat Minnesota 31-29 in Week 7 on a late field goal to hand the Vikings their first loss of the season. Overall, the Lions are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games and 13-1 SU in their last 14. They are also 9-0 SU in their last nine games vs. the NFC and 7-0 SU in their last seven division games.
The over is 6-0 in the last six meetings between these teams, 5-1 in the Lions’ last six home games and 5-0 in the Lions’ last five home games against the Vikings. The over is also 4-2 in the Vikings’ last six games overall and 7-1 in the Vikings’ last eight divisional games.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
