NFL Week 17 Recap

Week 17 of the 2022-23 NFL season was unusual. Nine games were decided by at least ten points, with a surprising number of blowouts. The current season’s theme had been many games decided by one-score margins. However, five games were won by at least 17 points over the weekend, with the biggest being the 31-point win by the Detroit Lions. 

Of those five games, four winners were betting favorites. There were four other underdogs coming out on top in Week 17. The Saints beating the Eagles on the road 20-10 was probably the week’s biggest upset. The other underdogs were Cleveland beating Washington 24-10. Then there was Seattle downing the Jets 24-10, and the Steelers upsetting the Ravens 16-13. 

Three Playoff Spots Remain

Monday night’s matchup between the Bengals and Bills was postponed in the first quarter after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. He was administered CPR on the field before being taken away in an ambulance. 

Hamlin is currently in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital. The league has yet to provide an update on rescheduling the contest. However, the game’s outcome doesn’t affect the teams remaining in contention for the final two AFC playoff spots.

The Titans lost their sixth straight game 27-13 to the Cowboys. They were briefly holding the top seed in the conference before the losing streak. They’ll have a showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season finale. The winner will take the division title and the loser will go home. 

Miami went with Teddy Bridgewater against the Patriots. This comes after Tua Tagolailoa missed the game with another concussion. He injured his thumb while throwing a pick-six, and the Dolphins had to call on rookie Skylar Thompson once again. He failed to get the offense going. The Dolphins open as one-point favorites at home against the Jets next Sunday. They must break their losing streak to get into the postseason.  

Looking Ahead

Pittsburgh is still in the playoff race. They need both New England and Miami to lose their final games. They also need to get a victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to claim the final spot. Rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett, led another Steelers fourth-quarter comeback Sunday night. He made several big plays on the team’s final scoring drive to secure the win. 

New England is a 7.5-point underdog to the Bills. Next Sunday, they must deal with a motivated Buffalo team looking to secure the top seed in the conference and a first-round bye. They kept their playoff hopes alive by handing the Dolphins their fifth straight loss. However, the Bills are 6-2 on the road and handled Miami 24-10 this season. 

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.