NFL point-spread favorites continued their late-season surge last week, but we hit on two of our three selections here in “Underdog Corner,” cashing with outright wins by the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills.
That upped our season record to a nice-and-profitable 31-17 (.646) with 26 outright winners.
Also see: All Week 17 odds and lines
NFL underdog predictions: Week 17
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 9:40 p.m. ET.
Cincinnati Bengals +5.5 (-112) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
This is a crucial contest for both of these AFC contenders with the conference’s No. 1 seed and a division title among the items on the line.
QB Patrick Mahomes and the 11-4 Chiefs have won eight straight (with six straight covers) to put the wraps on another AFC West crown and surge into pole position in the AFC.
QB Joe Burrow and the Bengals, meanwhile, have won four of their last six and need another victory to clinch their first AFC North crown since 2015.
The Chiefs are the better team with more big-game experience, but Burrow and Co. have more than enough firepower to keep this one close at home. Take the BENGALS (+5.5) and the points.
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Houston Texans +12.5 (-112) at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco has won five of its last seven to move into the thick of the NFC playoff chase but lost last Thursday night against the Titans and now may be without starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo due to a thumb injury.
The Texans, meanwhile, have no such postseason aspirations at 4-11 but continue to play hard behind better-than-you-think rookie QB Davis Mills and have won two straight by double digits, including last Sunday’s 41-29 upset of the 13.5-point favorite Chargers.
Given the Niners’ QB uncertainty and their 5-8 against-the-spread (ATS) record at home since the start of last season, we’re taking the TEXANS (+12.5).
Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5 (-120) vs. Cleveland Browns
The 7-7-1 Steelers and 7-8 Browns still have slim AFC chances so this is basically a de facto elimination game in the regular-season Monday Night Football finale.
Pittsburgh has had the upper hand in this series of late, going 10-3-1 straight up (SU) and 8-5-1 ATS since 2015, including a 15-10 road win in Cleveland as a 5.5-point underdog on Halloween.
But the main reason we like Pittsburgh here is that this likely will be the final home game of QB Ben Roethlisberger’s storied career, and it’s hard to imagine the STEELERS (+3.5) coming up short.
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