The NFL schedule is back to normal for Week 17, with a slew of Sunday games to keep fans and bettors entertained. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and a great chance to build our bankroll with some high-quality player and game props. The playoff push is often when the stars shine brightest, so our favorite Week 17 picks will be loaded with high-profile names.
Props have continued to rise in popularity all season. They are not only fun to follow while watching games, but they also seem to produce fewer “bad beats” than standard moneyline, spread, and over/under bets. You don’t always have to hitch your wagon to an entire team or put all your proverbial chips on a certain final score. In the world of props, you can simply bet on one player to produce — or fail to produce — at a certain level.
Every Thursday, we scour BetMGM to pinpoint one potentially-lucrative prop for each NFL game of the upcoming slate. It could be a player or team prop that we find the most interesting, most promising, or both. These prop wagers can involve offense, defense, special teams, or general scoring, but they all offer bettors distinct value based on stats and trends.
We’ve cashed on dozens of solid prop bets in the past few weeks, many of which yielded plus-odds. That’s great, but we want to take a couple double-digit win weeks into the New Year.
Here are our favorite Week 17 props for every game of what should be another exciting week of NFL action. Good luck!
Best NFL prop bets for every Week 17 game
All prop bets are from BetMGM and Caesars.
Cowboys at Titans: CeeDee Lamb anytime TD (+125 on BetMGM)
Dak Prescott has been sizzling of late, and Lamb continues to be his favorite target by a country mile. The third-year wideout and now two-time Pro Bowler hauled in two TDs last week against a stout Philly defense, and now he gets an inexperienced Titans secondary that has allowed the second-most TDs and third-most yards to receivers. We’re talking about talent (23 receptions of 20-plus yards, third-most in the NFL). volume (26-percent target share in the second half of the season), and opportunity (terrible Titans defense). Cash in on that CeeDee on Thursday Night Football!
Cardinals at Falcons: James Conner OVER 71.5 rushing yards (-115 on BetMGM)
Conner appears on a ton of fantasy championship rosters because of his late-season surge, having compiled a plethora of strong games both as a runner and pass-catcher. If you look at his season-long stats, the 58.9 rushing yards per game average might deter you from this prop. However, he just put up 79 ground yards against a tough Tampa Bay D, and three weeks ago he hung 85 on the Patriots. With the kind of volume he’s seeing as a nearly every-down back — 17.8 carries and 86.8 ground yards per game over the past four weeks — we view him as a huge value at these odds. Colt McCoy will need the back to establish the run to take pressure off the pocket, and Atlanta has surrendered 173.3 rushing yards over its past six games.
Saints at Eagles: Andy Dalton OVER 0.5 interceptions (-105 on BetMGM)
The Eagles not only rank first in the NFL in sacks per game (4.1), but they are also tied for first in interceptions per game (1.1). New Orleans, meanwhile, has averaged 0.9 picks per game, with Dalton accounting for eight of them across 12 starts. In enemy territory against a potent defense hungry to lock up the top seed in the NFC, expect the Red Rifle to get stifled.
Buccaneers vs. Panthers: Leonard Fournette OVER 42.5 rushing yards (-115 on BetMGM)
Fournette appears to have retaken the lead role in Tampa Bay’s backfield, just in time for “Playoff Lenny” to shine for his fans and fantasy owners. In the Bucs’ OT win last week, the veteran out-snapped rookie Rachaad White 49-29 and out-carried him 20-7 on his way to 72 rushing yards. Fournette now has 30 total carries for 116 yards over the past two weeks, and White has amassed under 40 ground yards in three of Tampa’s past four games. In four career games against Carolina, Lenny has averaged 62.3 rushing yards. The Panthers also rank among the 12 most generous rushing defenses in terms of yards allowed. Go get ’em, Playoff Lenny.
Lions vs. Bears: Detroit OVER 28 total points (-139 on Caesars)
The Lions have been one of the best surprise offenses in the NFL under Ben Johnson, ranking top five in both scoring and total yardage. Detroit will be looking to get back on track after a miserable Week 16 loss to Carolina, and facing the Bears at home sounds like a good set-up for a “get-right game.” Chicago has surrendered the second-most points in the NFL and has allowed an average of 32.6 points per game over its past eight games. Go off, Jared Goff.
Week 17 DFS: Best values
Chiefs vs. Broncos: Travis Kelce OVER 71.5 receiving yards (-115 on BetMGM)
We quite like Kelce’s anytime TD prop (-165) as well, but we’ll go with the better potential payout. Denver has been superb at defending wide receivers, allowing the fewest yards and second-fewest TDs to the position, but their tight end defense has been much less proficient, with only three teams surrendering more yards to TEs this season. Kelce remains the best tight end in football, and one more stud performance likely seals the deal on his fourth All-Pro selection. Fire up Killa Trav in a divisional battle at Arrowhead.
Patriots vs. Dolphins: New England OVER 21 points (-139 on Caesars)
New England gets a juicy matchup with a poor Miami defense and a Mike McDaniel offense that will be without starting QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion). With Bill Belichick and the Patriots essentially needing to win out to make the playoffs, expect a balls-to-the-wall performance from top-to-bottom from the Pats. The end-of-game disappointment felt by Patriots Nation the past two weeks will at least temporarily shift, as Mac Jones does just enough through the air and Rhamondre Stevenson tears the ‘Phins apart on the ground. We have the Patriots winning 24-23, and BetQL projects the Pats to win 23-19. With the Pats averaging 23 points over their past three games, OVER 21 in a must-win week seems like a reasonable bet.
Giants vs. Colts: Saquon Barkley anytime TD scorer (-165 on BetMGM)
Barkley has scored a touchdown in each of the Giants’ past two games and in four of the past five overall. He now has 10 TDs, one off from his career high back in his 2018 Rookie of the Year season. The Colts have ceded 18 rushing TDs on the season, sixth most in the NFL. The G-men are battling for their right to a playoff berth, and all signs point to Barkley finding the end zone this weekend. The juice is worth the squeeze.
Commanders vs. Browns: Brian Robinson Jr. anytime TD (+110 on BetMGM)
How can we not trust the rookie in a matchup this juicy with plus odds? The Commanders are in the playoff hunt, and Cleveland has allowed the fifth-most rushing TDs (19). The Browns have also surrendered a whopping 162 ground yards per game over the past three weeks. Gobble, gobble, B-Rob.
Jaguars at Texans: Evan Engram anytime TD (+165 on BetMGM)
Engram has gone bananas in the home stretch, leading many fantasy teams to the hallowed grounds of the championship round. He has 31 catches (on 40 targets), 367 receiving yards, and three TDs over the past four weeks! Sure, the Texans have been strong against receivers, but they have allowed 73 catches, 799 yards, and five TDs to tight ends. We’re riding with EE and rooting for a plus-odds windfall!
49ers at Raiders: San Francisco -12.5 alternate spread (+120 on Caesars)
The 49ers boast the best defense in the NFL in terms of points and yards allowed, and now they get to face Jarrett Stidham in his first career NFL start. San Francisco should have a field day on both sides of the ball, as the Raiders’ defense sits among the 10 worst in terms of scoring D and forces the second-fewest turnovers in the league. Screw -9.5 at -110 — we’re going -12.5 for the plus odds so we can rake!
Seahawks vs. Jets: Geno Smith OVER 0.5 interceptions (+125 on BetMGM)
Smith emerged as possibly the “Most Improved Fantasy Player” over the first 13 weeks of the season, earning the first Pro Bowl selection of his nine-year career. However, he’s hit the skids the last few weeks, tossing two interceptions against Carolina in Week 14 and one in Kansas City this past weekend. He actually has seven picks over Seattle’s past nine games, a stark contrast from his two picks over the first six games of the campaign. So, we find it odd that we’re getting plus odds on an interception prop against his old team, which happens to be one of the top secondaries in the NFL. Defensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Sauce Gardner has been electric, and fellow cornerback D.J. Reed has also impressed. With Tyler Lockett (finger) and Marquise Goodwin (wrist) both banged up, tight end Will Dissly (ankle) out for the season, and rookie RB Kenneth Walker III also dealing with an ongoing ankle issue, Smith’s arsenal is a shell of what it was earlier in the season. The Jets D could feast in Seattle this weekend.
WEEK 17 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Packers vs. Vikings: Aaron Rodgers OVER 235.5 passing yards (+115 on BetMGM)
Rodgers has endured an unspectacular campaign with Davante Adams now in Las Vegas and Green Bay’s receiving corps banged up all season. The reigning MVP’s per-game passing yardage (221.1) and QB rating (91.3) are the lowest of his 15 years as the Packers’ starting QB. Rodgers should be able to close out the season strong, though, with tilts against QB-friendly Minnesota and Detroit on the horizon. The Vikings have surrendered the most passing yards in the NFL this season (296.06), and Rodgers should have Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, and Robert Tonyan all suiting up even if Christian Watson (hip) is out. Give me the four-time MVP at home against the softest secondary in the pros.
Chargers vs. Rams: Justin Herbert UNDER 1.5 passing TDs (+140 on BetMGM)
It feels crazy to be betting against a strong Herbert performance in the Chargers’ penultimate regular-season game, especially against a Rams squad five games under .500. However, Herbert has been low-key bad lately, registering zero TDs over the past two weeks. He has not thrown multiple TDs in a game since Thanksgiving weekend and has one TD or fewer in a whopping nine of L.A.’s 15 games. Not helping matters, the Rams have also been good against the pass over the past few weeks, allowing just 187.6 passing yards per game and two total TDs in that span. The value is too good to pass up here.
Ravens vs. Steelers: Baltimore wins by 1-6 points (+265 on Caesars)
Baltimore’s spread is -2.5 here, but we’re actually increasing our potential payout and covering our butts in case Pittsburgh makes this game even closer. Hey, the Steelers haven’t been half-bad lately! We do expect the Ravens to prevail, so we’re taking the “custom winning margin” gamble. BetQL has this one projected 20-16, and I have 21-17. Let’s go!
Bills at Bengals: Josh Allen OVER 242.5 passing yards (-115 on BetMGM)
Everything about this game tells us to smash Allen’s OVER, starting with the 49.5-point projected total. The Bengals have been strong against the run lately, surrendering the seventh-fewest rushing yards on the season and under 72 total ground yards in three of their past five games. Most important, Cincinnati has allowed 267 passing yards per game over the past three weeks. If Allen wants to keep Buffalo atop the AFC — and keep himself in the running for the sport’s highest individual award — he’ll have to show out against the defending AFC champions. In maybe his final prime-time game of the regular season, we’re betting he will.
