Last-minute NFL Week 17 bets and predictions: Why Eagles and Titans are live underdogs

Make sure you lock in these bets before the games kick off in Week 17

By Tyler Sullivan

Dec 27, 2025 at 5:00 am ET • 5 min read

Baltimore Ravens v Cincinnati Bengals - NFL 2025

Jason Miller / Getty Images

If you bet favorites over the Christmas Day slate, you essentially received coal in your stocking. Every underdog was able to hang around for the NFL's holiday tripleheader despite backup quarterbacks taking over the slate. Is that a sign of things to come as we continue forward through Week 17? We sure hope so, considering that handful of our best bets for the week include a couple of underdogs not just covering but pulling off the outright upset.

Given that it's the holiday season, you've likely been neck deep in parties, gifts, and various other non-NFL related activities. If that has you feeling like you've taken your eye too much off the ball to make confident wagers this weekend, allow this to be your belated Christmas present. Below, you can find our best bets of the week along with picks for every other game remaining on the slate.

All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox | Fubo, try for free)

The Bills defense has me worried about its ability to go far in the postseason. They haven't paid for it yet, as they are 4-0 when they give up 31 points or more this season, but that's not sustainable, especially against a team like Philadelphia.

This could specifically be a game where Saquon Barkley explodes, continuing his late-season resurgence that includes rushing for at least 120 yards in two of his past three games. Buffalo is giving up 5.4 yards per carry this season, which ranks as the second-highest mark in the NFL and trails only the Giants (5.5 yards per carry). For reference, the last time Barkley faced New York, he posted 150 yards on just 13 carries in Week 8.

When you pair that mismatch with an improved Jalen Hurts (five touchdowns and zero interceptions over his last two games), Philly should have little problem moving the football. While Josh Allen and James Cook form one of the best one-two punches in the league, the Eagles defense allows just 5.0 yards per play this season, which ties for the fifth-lowest mark in the NFL. This smells like an upset.

Projected score: Eagles 27, Bills 24
The pick: Eagles +1.5

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox | Fubo, try for free)

The Bengals offense is finally looking like the unit we expected now that it is fully healthy, and it is coming off a Week 16 win over the Dolphins, where it dropped a season-high 45 points. Now, they take on an Arizona team that has lost seven straight entering Week 17 and is allowing 31.8 points per game since Week 6, the highest mark in the NFL over that span.

This sets the stage for another high-flying day of offense for Joe Burrow's unit. Even when you account for the shutout loss to the Ravens in Week 15, Cincinnati is averaging 27.7 points per game since Burrow returned from injury in Week 13.

As always with the Bengals, the concern isn't whether they can score; it's whether the defense can fend off the opponent enough to pull out the win. Against this Cardinals team, I expect it to hold up its end of the bargain. Over the last three games, the Cardinals offense has averaged just 18.7 points per game. Even if Cincinnati's defense gives up a tick more than that average, the offense is potent enough to pull out the win and cover the spread.

Projected score: Bengals 33, Cardinals 23
The pick: Bengals -7.5

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox | Fubo, try for free)

Hand up, I did not think the Jaguars were capable of going into Denver and beating the Broncos. Throughout the season, I've been skeptical about how high Jacksonville's ceiling really is, but it has proven me wrong time and time again. No more. I'm looking at them as a serious player in the AFC and treating them like one of the conference's elite clubs.

If they can go to Mile High and win, they are more than capable of pulling out a victory at Lucas Oil Stadium by more than a touchdown. Over his past six games, Trevor Lawrence is averaging 8.4 yards per attempt, has 19 total touchdowns and a passer rating of 108.7. All of those are the highest marks in the NFL over that stretch. Lawrence should be able to outduel Philip Rivers, who will be playing on a short week.

Projected score: Jaguars 27, Colts 20
The pick: Jaguars -5.5

New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS | Paramount+)

I wrote about it on Monday in my weekly Cover 32 column, but it's worth pointing out again: Cam Ward is enjoying a full-fledged breakout. Over his last three games, he's 2-1 and has Tennessee averaging 27 points per game, while he's totaled six touchdowns and just one turnover, giving him a 97.9 passer rating. While Tyler Shough has been good himself, I think Ward will have a more balanced point of attack in this game.

New Orleans' backfield is so banged up that Taysom Hill led the team with 12 rushing attempts last week, and the team as a whole dropped back to pass 50 times. That's too lopsided and creates a one-dimensional offense that is much easier to slow down. On the Tennessee side, Tony Pollard has rushed for at least 100 yards in three straight games, and Ward is getting serviceable contributions from his pass catchers like Chig Okonkwo, Tyjae Spears, and Elic Ayomannor. The Titans are live dogs.

Projected score: Titans 23, Saints 21
The pick: Titans +2.5