Welcome to the penultimate week of the 2023 NFL regular season. It flew by, didn't it? All eyes are on the playoff picture. Can the Houston Texans bounce back with CJ Stroud under center? Will the Indianapolis Colts get back to winning ways at home and retain their spot in the playoffs? Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stay atop the NFC South? There are many storylines to break down.
Like every week, we've collected the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine and put them in one place so you can get tips against the spreads from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for every game, including plays from the best SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, our staff's best bets, survival tips and more. Ready? Let's get in.
All NFL odds via SportsLine Consensus Odds.
What picks can you make with confidence in Week 17? And which Super Bowl contender will be eliminated? Visit SportsLine, whose incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and has returned well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception.
Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (Fox), streaming on fubo (try for free)
Open: Eagles -9.5, O/U 48
Recommended Game | Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals
“You would think this would be the perfect spot for the Eagles. They're at home at Lincoln Financial Field for the second straight year, facing a Cardinals team that was just in Chicago, flew back to Arizona, and now has to fly across the country back to Philly for this game. It's a bad place for the Cardinals from a travel standpoint, but I think Philly continues to leave the back door wide open as it has done all year and continued to do so last week against the Giants with a late 70- Yard touchdown. Kyle Murray's offense is averaging 8.7 points in the fourth quarter over the last three weeks (fifth-best in the NFL) and the Eagles are allowing 7.6 points in the fourth quarter overall this season (28th). Philly wins this game, but Arizona makes it a little sharp down the stretch.
Tyler Sullivan wants the Cardinals to cover the number in Philly this week. To see his best bets for Week 17, click here.
Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS), streaming on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Bears -3, O/U 37
Recommended Game | Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons
“The Bears have come alive in recent weeks and shown that they are a team to watch next season. The Falcons are still alive in the playoffs. However, that will be a difficult task against a team that plays loosely. Look for Justin.” Fields has to outplay Taylor Heinicke to win.
CBS Senior Writer Pete Prisco wants the Bears to report on the number against the Falcons this week. Click here to read Prisco's breakdown of every game in Week 17.
Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS), streaming on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Jaguars -8, O/U 39.5
Recommended Game | Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers
Former lead writer for Cover and The Linemakers, Larry Hartstein combines an extensive network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach honed while working for Pro Football Focus. He finished 52nd (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest with a 53-34-3 ATS record. These picks form the basis of his weekly SportsLine NFL Best Bets, which are 68-41-2 since the start of last season, including a 13-2 record over the last five weeks.
Now, Hartstein has secured three confident bets on the best NFL bets of Week 17, including using the Panthers as cover against the Jaguars. If you use his tips successfully, you can expect a payout of almost 6:1. To see his other top picks this week, visit SportsLine.
Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (Fox), streaming on fubo (try for free)
Open: Rams -6.5, O/U 42
Recommended Game | New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams
“The Rams are real and we’re going to keep playing with them here. This isn't some West Coast finesse team that lives in domes. The Rams went to Baltimore early to start in the rain and put them in a good position from the first drive to the end of regulation. They can and will continue to run the ball to anyone. They have too many in-form receivers to cover and the defense will take away Saquon Barkley. Los Angeles has an extra break and did not have to play or practice on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Sean McVay will have his team ready to play. Matthew Stafford is currently a top-five quarterback. The Rams have been a top-three rushing team since their bye, while the Giants are allowing 4.7 yards per game, the second-worst mark in the NFL this season. The Rams’ physical offensive line will wear them down.”
SportsLine expert Jason La Canfora wants the Rams to overwhelm the Giants this week. To see his other best bets for Week 17, visit SportsLine.
Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS), streaming on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Colts -3.5, O/U 43.5
Recommended Game | Indianapolis Colts vs. Las Vegas Raiders
“The Raiders are on the road for the second week in a row and have slight playoff chances in the game. The Colts need this for their playoff hopes. The Raiders defense is playing at a high level, as we saw against the Chiefs on Monday. I think that will be the case. “Go on here against Gardner Minshew and pull off the upset.”
CBS Sports senior writer Pete Prisco is betting on the underdog to win this matchup outright. To read his breakdown of all of this week's games, click here.
Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS), streaming on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Ravens -3, O/U 46.5
Recommended Game | Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins
Before you place your NFL bets and NFL winnings for Week 17, you need to see what the SportsLine projection model has to say. The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has gained well over $7,000 on top-rated NFL picks since its launch for $100 players. The model enters Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season with an incredible 178-129 record on top-rated NFL picks dating back to the 2017 season. They are also 32-21 among top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.
Now it has simulated every snap of Week 17 and revealed its best parlay picks. Playing with five teams could result in a huge payout of 25:1! The Ravens covering the spread against the Dolphins is one of their top picks, but to see the other parlay legs, visit SportsLine.
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS), streaming on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Bills -12, O/U 40
Recommended Game | Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
“I won't take my chances with Bill Belichick and the Pats facing a very hungry Bills team and thinking about the playoffs. Buffalo got a close win against the Chargers, but it was a tough situation – LA just scored.” His coach, the Chargers were in a mini-bye, the Bills were traveling across the country. Now the Bills are at home, get to play a HATED division rival, and potentially clinch a playoff spot (there are about 14 different scenarios, including a tie, but five legitimate scenarios for Buffalo to clinch victory with a win). Sean McDermott's team is undefeated since a controversial bye week, and the Bills would like to put the final nail in Belichick's proverbial coffin here. McDermott and the Bills have shown a penchant for upping the score against the Pats and other division rivals late in the season, and it I wouldn't be surprised if they succeeded here too.
CBS Sports Senior Writer Will Brinson wants the Bills to cover the big number this week. To read his other best bets for Week 17, click here.
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Buccaneers -2.5, O/U 42
Recommended Game | Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
“There were about 2.5 players on the market at the beginning of the week, but this game is currently -3 at Buccaneers. I think this value could go down again as I expect the market to be with the Saints here. That's me.” I'm willing to give them a teaser if they have 2.5, as the Buccaneers defense didn't play as well last week as the final score would suggest, capitalizing on a number of turnovers, which in my opinion they cannot expect in this match. Derek Carr's play has improved now that he appears to be closer to 100%, and the Saints had their first game with 300+ net pass yards since the loss to the Rams in Week 8. I'm thinking about taking the Saints with +3, and if I miss that opportunity, I'll be more than happy to tease it here.”
SportsLine NFL expert RJ White suggests the Saints tease this week. To check out his other teaser events for Week 17, visit SportsLine.
San Francisco 49ers at Washington Commanders
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: 49ers -13.5, O/U 48.5
Recommended Game | Washington Commanders vs. San Francisco 49ers
“The Washington offense has been night and day the last two weeks with Jacoby Brissett replacing Sam Howell. You can draw your own conclusions about a Wolfpacker vs. a Tar Heel, but there is a clear difference in the experience level of the two quarterbacks. Howell.” is the future in Ron Rivera's eyes, but Rivera isn't even the future, so anything he says about the quarterback situation is largely irrelevant. Howell needs “a break” and that’s fair, he’s been beaten down badly. Brissett managed five straight TDs going for Washington and nearly stormed back to beat a good Jets defense. The 49ers will be angry, but Washington should be able to stay within two touchdowns of San Francisco's explosive offense to remind everyone why it's so good.”
This is CBS Sports Senior Writer Will Brinson explaining why he has the Commanders covering a monster stretch. To read his other best bets for Week 17, click here.
Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans
Time: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Texans -4.5, O/U 43
Recommended Game | Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans
“The Titans could have Will Levis back for this game, while the Texans will also have CJ Stroud back. This would pit the two rookie quarterbacks against each other for the first time. The Texans beat the Titans two weeks ago with Case Keenum at quarterback. It was tight. That will be the case no matter who plays quarterback for the Titans.”
CBS Sports Senior Writer Pete Prisco takes the Titans to cover the spread in their rematch with the Texans. To read his breakdown of all of this week's games, click here.
Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks
Time: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Seahawks -3.5, O/U 40.5
Recommended Game | Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
“I'm not going to say there's a QB controversy brewing with the Steelers, but there could be a QB controversy brewing with the Steelers. Mason Rudolph has only played in one game this season and he already appears to be the best QB on the roster. In the Steelers' win over the Bengals last week, Rudolph finished with a QB rating of 124, which I only note because it means , that he now has as many games with a 100 rating in the last six days as Kenny Pickett had in his career.
“Mike Tomlin knows he CANNOT send Rudolph back to the bench after how he played in Week 16, so I guess we'll see Rudolph again this week.”
“Even though the Steelers looked good in Week 16 against the Bengals, I'm not sure that really means anything, and that's largely because the Bengals are the ONLY team this season that has done it on offense “To make the Steelers look like the second comeback of the greatest.” Show on grass. In 15 games, the Steelers have exceeded 340 yards just twice, and both of those came against the Bengals. If the Steelers were playing the Bengals this week, I would be happy about their chances, but that's not the case.
“If you take out those two Bengals games, the Steelers struggled to run the ball and they struggled to pass the ball, and it's hard to win in the NFL when you can't do any of those things. The Seahawks are 7-3 this season when holding their opponents under 400 yards, and based on what I've seen from the Steelers' offense this year, I think the Seahawks can hold them under 400 yards . Additionally, the Steelers' offense has been particularly poor on the road this year, averaging just 15.8 points per game, which is a big reason they are 3-3 on the road in Pittsburgh.
“Another thing about this game is that it will be played in Seattle, a notoriously difficult place for AFC teams to play. It's already one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, and when you only play there once every eight years, it gets even tougher, which is a big reason the Seahawks are 16-4 in their last 20 home games against AFC teams.
“I think we can all see where I’m going with this choice.”
John Breech wants the Seahawks to cover the spread this week. To read his Week 17 column, click here.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), streaming on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Chiefs -3.5, O/U 50.5
Recommended Game | Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals
“The Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas, which was one of the biggest upsets of the season. The offense is looking poor as Patrick Mahomes is averaging career lows in passing yards per game (262.5) and yards per attempt (6.9) this season. However, after the loss to the Raiders, the Chiefs should be CRAZY. Plus, the Bengals are a legitimate rival.
“Mahomes has suffered three losses to the Bengals in his career, including playoffs. This is equivalent to the most defeats he has suffered against a single opponent. Joe Burrow isn’t playing, so the Chiefs should still have the advantage.”
“The Bengals are allowing a whopping 6.1 yards per play this season, which is the highest in the NFL. All they did was allow a quarterback who hasn't started since 2021 to have one of the best QB performances for the Pittsburgh Steelers in years (first Steelers quarterback to rush for 250 yards and two touchdowns since Ben Roethlisberger in 2021). threw. Give me Kansas City at home.”
Jordan Dajani wants the Chiefs to bounce back against an AFC rival. To read his Week 17 column, click here.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos
Time: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS), streaming on Paramount+ (click here)
Open: Broncos -6.5, O/U 37.5
Recommended Game | Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers
“Russell Wilson was benched after a tough home loss to the New England Patriots. This move has a lot to do with the injury guarantees in his contract, but I believe it also has to do with his performance on the field.” Score watchers will claim Wilson has been a “good” quarterback this year, but if you look When you look at the Broncos, the offense looks bad. The rules of the game seem to be off and I wonder how much trust Sean Payton has/had in Wilson. Now enter Jarrett Stidham, who may be a quarterback Payton has more confidence in.
“It's déjà vu because Stidham was promoted to starter at quarterback the week after Christmas because his contract contained injury guarantees. Last year, Stidham filled in for the Raiders against the loaded San Francisco 49ers, throwing for 365 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a three-point loss. Payton is looking for a “spark,” and I bet Stidham provides that. “I don’t want to gloss over the performance that Easton Stick and the Chargers had last week against the Buffalo Bills, but I’ll still be here at home against Denver.”
Jordan Dajani wants the Broncos to win this week with their new quarterback. To read his Week 17 column, click here.
RJ White has posted a 56.5% hit rate on his Vegas contest picks over the last eight seasons, and that run has included two money finishes, including 18th place out of 2,748 entries in 2017. This week, RJ is backing the Chargers as one of gave them his five competitive tips: “It's hard to have confidence in this Chargers offense with both Keenan Allen and Josh Palmer ruled out, but that should mean a clear focus on running the ball, where the Broncos are absolutely terrible. Not only do they have that.” The league's worst rush defense, but it's about half a yard worse per carry than any other unit “I'm playing better without Brandon Staley running the show last week. But the bigger reason is that this Broncos offense is in big trouble heading into this game.”
You can read more about this pick and all of RJ's competitive picks for Week 17 here.
Green Bay Packers at the Minnesota Vikings
Time: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC), stream on fubo (try for free)
Open: Vikings -2, O/U 43.5
Recommended Game | Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
Before you make your own Packers vs. Vikings picks, you need to see what NFL expert RJ White has to say considering his command of picks in games involving the Packers. White, a fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, regularly beats the spread picks, posting 535-450-30 odds on his ATS picks from 2017 to 2022, giving players worth $100 more than raised $3,500. He also finished the 2022 NFL season with an incredible 107-80-6 run in his last 193 against-the-spread and overall NFL picks, earning more than $1,800 for $100 bettors .
Most importantly, White knows the Packers' pulse. He is 65-26-2 (+3472) in his last 93 picks against the spread in games involving Green Bay. We can tell you he's on the lower side overall, but to see his official pick for Sunday Night Football, head over to SportsLine.