National Football League

NFL odds: Best teams against the spread and more Week 17 betting trends

Updated Dec. 29, 2021 5:17 p.m. ET

Nothing quite makes time fly faster than watching an exciting football season play out from beginning to end. And with NFL Week 17 here, the 2021-2022 regular season is almost over.

With this weekend's games having potential playoff implications, let's take a look at Week 17 from a gambling perspective. Here are the best teams against the spread this season and important betting trends you need to know.

When it comes to winning records, the Detroit Lions' abysmal 2-12-1 record is the antithesis of success. However, bettors who have taken the Lions against the spread (ATS) this season have been able to pocket some cash. With a 10-5 record ATS, they have proven that winning straight up (SU) isn't everything and that even a team that's perpetually rebuilding can give you a return on investment.

The Lions' latest matchup was a 20-16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, they were 7.5-point underdogs, so even though they added another L to the loss column, they added a W against the spread.

Let's see if they can keep their league-leading ATS record intact this weekend against Seattle.

Like the Lions, the Indianapolis Colts are also 10-5 ATS this season. Despite missing key players due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols, the Colts have managed a 9-6 overall record and are very much in the hunt for a wild card spot.

Indianapolis is coming off an impressive 22-16 victory over Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals, a team that was at the top of the Super Bowl futures just weeks ago.

Can the home team Colts take their 11th ranked defense and ride a three-game winning streak into a Week 17 win against the Las Vegas Raiders? Indianapolis is favored to win by 6.5 points.

Perhaps the most compelling betting trend for this penultimate regular season week includes one that highlights Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury's success as an underdog.

This week, the Cardinals are dogs against the Dallas Cowboys. Per FOX Sports research, Kingsbury's record ATS when he's an underdog is 17-8-1. He's also 12-4-1 ATS as a road underdog. And the Cardinals are 8-1 ATS and 7-2 SU as road underdogs of 3 to 6 points under Kingsbury. Juicy!

The Cardinals started this season strong with an 8-0 overall record. However, a late-season three-loss skid has fans and bettors wondering if the early-season Cards were just a ruse. But even if you're skeptical about wagering on Arizona against the Cowboys this weekend, generally taking Kingsbury as an underdog is a good bet.

And speaking of the Cowboys, from their iconic uniforms to their remarkable stadium, the Dallas Cowboys have long been in the business of trendsetting. So it should be no surprise that when it comes to this week's best betting trends, the boys from the Lone Star State are a part of this conversation.

With an overall record of 11-4 and sitting at first place in the NFC East, the Cowboys' ATS record is almost as good as their record on the field. They boast a spectacular 11-3-1 ATS record through 15 games.

In Week 16, Dallas routed the Washington Football Team 56-14. According to FOX Sports research, teams that scored at least 50 points are 10-9 ATS and 15-4 SU the following week (since 2015).

Can the Cowboys' offense keep it rolling?

The last team's betting trend that fans should look into is Green Bay's. The Super Bowl favorites are 12-3 overall and an outstanding 11-4 ATS. The Packers enter the matchup with Minnesota as 6.5-point favorites.

You can expect Week 17's Sunday Night Football game to be another thrilling event for Packer backers because Aaron Rodgers, throughout his career, is extraordinary at Lambeau. And the star QB has been even better against his NFC North rivals.

Betting-wise, Rodgers is 64-36-1 ATS and 82-18-1 SU as a starter at home during the regular season. The QB, who moonlights as a game show host and insurance pitchman, is also 25-12 ATS and 29-7-1 SU as a starter in home games versus NFC North opponents. Pretty, pretty good.

With Kingsbury leading the way in Week 17 betting trends, which of these matchups are you putting your money on? Head over to FOX Bet to get in on the action now!

*All records above are from regular season games

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