Tag: Week 17

Seahawks have not played well in rematches over the past 2 years

The Seattle Seahawks have not played well in rematches over the past two seasons and the trend may continue in Week 17 against the 49ers.

The Seattle Seahawks have not performed well in rematches over the past two years. This trend may continue in Week 17 of the 2019 season against the San Francisco 49ers.

It began in 2018 when Seattle played the division rivals 49ers, Rams and Cardinals, along with the Cowboys twice, including the postseason. The Seahawks were 3-1 in the first matchups and 1-3 in the rematches.

This season, Seattle defeated both the Rams and Cardinals the first time around but fell to both opponents the second time. They were also blown out in both rematches this year, a rarity in the Pete Carroll era. They were victorious over San Francisco in Week 10, but they barely scratched that one out.

With the return of 49ers’ George Kittle and several key players still missing from Seattle’s defense despite the return of Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin, the Seahawks could see themselves lose the NFC West crown to their bitter rivals.

Of course, there is a chance that the Seahawks will upset the 49ers. The phrase “any given Sunday” rings true every season and 2019 is no different. However, despite concerns about the 49ers’ pass defense, Carroll and his team will likely have to put on their best performance of the season to overcome San Francisco with Kittle this time around.

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Jason Garrett will cook up one last Week 17 special

Finishing where he started, Jason Garrett will go down guns blazing to get the Cowboys back to 8-8.

The Cowboys’ 2019 regular season finale may feel anticlimactic, but chances are the potential sendoff to yet another disappointing season will have some fireworks. If this really is the end of the line in Dallas for Jason Garrett, expect the King of Moral Victories to go out on a high note.

In this most recent era of Cowboys football, optics are seemingly the most important thing. The perception and buzz surrounding this team often takes precedence over all else, leading to disappointing on-field results and many to wonder where it all went wrong. The tea leaves point to major upcoming changes in Dallas, but Garrett will be afforded at least one more opportunity to deliver one of his signature coaching performances.

Teams are often remembered for what they didn’t achieve rather than what they did. There are no awards given for regular season, but that doesn’t stop Garrett from often going for the gold. The quintessential example is Week 17 last year, when the Cowboys went all-out against New York with nothing to play for besides reaching 10 wins solely for posterity’s sake. The division was wrapped up, Dallas had an upcoming playoff game, and there was Dak Prescott, scrambling for his life and playing for all the Week 17 marbles.

The highlight will live forever, but so will Garrett’s likely legacy of never advancing past the divisional round in the playoffs.

In the last of game of the 2017 season, a downtrodden Cowboys team defeated Philadelphia in a 6-0 snoozer. The win to move them to 9-7 and clinch back-to-back winning seasons for the first time (and likely only) time in Garrett’s Cowboys coaching tenure. Philadelphia would go on to win the Super Bowl.

Garrett and Kellen Moore also went down in a blaze of glory in the 2015 season finale, losing 34-24 to cap of a 4-12 season to the Redskins. Moore was starting the third and final game of his playing career, and threw the ball 48 times, good for 435 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. One team was certainly trying that day, at least.

So while nothing may technically be on the line besides Dallas’s slim playoff hopes, that won’t stop Garrett from putting his best foot forward. A Week 17 win will provide a nice bit of symmetry, fittingly locking the Cowboys into another 8-8 finish. The theme of a .500 record followed Garrett through his first five full seasons as coach, a stretch in which his Dallas teams went 40-40 and earned one playoff victory. If Garrett’s fight is finally finished, at least it’ll be remembered for its consistency.

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How to watch and stream Broncos’ game against Raiders

When will the Broncos’ game against the Raiders start? What channel will the game be on? Is there a live stream? View the answers here.

The Denver Broncos (6-9) will host the Oakland Raiders (7-8) at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2:25 p.m. MT in Week 17 of the 2019 NFL season. The game will air on CBS and in-market fans can stream the contest using FuboTV (try it free).

Andrew Catalon (play-by-play) and James Lofton (analyst) will call the game for CBS. There won’t be a sideline reporter this week.

On the radio, the game will air in English on KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and on The Fox 103.5 FM. The contest will also air in Spanish on KNRV 1150 AM.

Oakland owns a 64-52-2 advantage in the all-time series and has won both of their last two games against the Broncos. The Raiders still have a chance to reach the playoffs so Denver will be looking to play spoiler on Sunday.

Fans in the green areas on the map below will get the game on local CBS stations, according to 506sports.com.

(506sports.com)

Those in the red will see the Tennessee Titans face the Houston Texans and fans in the blue will watch the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens. Those in the yellow will see the Indianapolis Colts face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Oddsmakers believe the Broncos are slight favorites this week.

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Report: Tyron Smith expected to be out for Cowboys vs Redskins

The star left tackle is in danger of missing a third game of the season for the fourth-straight year.

The Dallas Cowboys may have to make a run at the NFC East title without their star left tackle. Tyron Smith has missed practice this week with a bad back flare-up that has been underlying for much of the last several seasons.

Listed as questionable on the final Week 17 injury report before the club takes on the Washington Redskins, Smith will try to give it a go in pre-game warmups on Sunday, but the NFL Network’s Jane Slater is reporting he is not likely to make it into the afternoon’s game.

Dallas (7-8) has just a 28% chance of making the playoffs, needing both a win and a Philadelphia Eagles’ loss to the New York Giants. Both games kick off at 3:25 p.m. Central time.

Smith, 29 and a nine-year veteran, missed Weeks 5 and 6 already making Week 17 the third game he’s missed in the 2019 season. He has only been on the field for 13 games each of the previous three seasons.

Cameron Fleming would start in Smith’s place, and the club has UDFA rookie backups Mitch Hyatt and Brandon Knight on the 53-man roster. One would likely be made active if Smith were made inactive as the new swing tackle. Hyatt was promoted from the practice squad last week to prevent another NFL club from poaching him, so the duty would likely fall on Knight to be active.

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Arizona Cardinals at L.A. Rams odds, lines, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Cardinals at Rams NFL matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Arizona Cardinals (5-9-1) and Los Angeles Rams (8-7) close their seasons this weekend, both without anything to play for other than pride as both have been eliminated from postseason contention. The Cardinals travel to Southern California for a Sunday afternoon kickoff (4:25 p.m. ET) at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, the final game the Rams will play there.

Cardinals at Rams: Week 17 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • The Rams have beaten the Cardinals in five straight contests, outscoring them 164-32 and scoring more than 30 points in each game.
  • The Cardinals have won two straight games and are coming off their best defensive performance of the season, beating the Seattle Seahawks 27-13 on the road and holding them to only 224 total yards.
  • The Rams are allowing an average of 169.4 rushing yards in their last five games. The Cardinals have averaged 151.8 yards on the ground offensively in the same period, including more than 225 yards in each of their last two games.
  • Cardinals RB Kenyan Drake has rushed for 303 yards and six touchdowns in his last two games.
  • Cardinals QB Kyler Murray was sacked six times by the Rams in their last matchup on Dec. 1.
  • Rams QB Jared Goff passed for 424 yards in the 34-7 win over the Cardinals and has had two touchdown passes in each of his last four games.

Cardinals at Rams: Key injuries

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (hamstring) is questionable for the game and will be a game-day decision.

Rams CB Jalen Ramsey (knee) has been ruled out of the season finale. T Andrew Whitworth (knee) did not practice until Friday but does not carry an injury designation.

Cardinals at Rams: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 2:10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Rams 23, Cardinals 20

Moneyline (?)

The Rams are heavy favorites at –286. Considering their dominance over the Cardinals the Rams seem like a lock, even with no value. Arizona at +225, on the other hand, would provide a big payout.

However, you should AVOID this bet. The Cardinals are playing their best football and are still focused despite their record. The Rams could be flat after getting eliminated from postseason contention and may rest some veterans for some younger players.

New to sports betting? A $10 successful wager on the Rams to win outright would return a profit of $3.50.

Against the Spread (?)

The Rams are favored by nearly a touchdown at home at –6.5 (-110). The history between the two teams suggests the smart money is to take L.A. to cover that spread. But the Cardinals lean on a running attack led by a rejuvenated Kenyan Drake and are playing better defensively. Arizona has been an underdog in 14 of their 15 games this season but covered the spread nine times. The Rams have covered the spread in 10 of 15 games.

With the Cardinals still trying to prove themselves and the Rams having little to play for and expected to play younger players, take the CARDINALS +6.5 (-110) — even if Murray can’t go.

Over/Under (?)

The total is set at 44.5 points. Arizona’s games have gone under the total three of the last four times, while Rams games have gone under the total nine out of 15 times this season. Expect a lower-scoring game than normal from both teams. It will be close, but take the UNDER 44.5 (-106).

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Seahawks get Jadeveon Clowney, Shaquill Griffin back in Week 17

The Seattle Seahawks are set to return two key starters on defense, Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin, on Sunday against the 49ers.

The Seattle Seahawks will head into Week 17 with a relatively healthy squad, which includes the return of two key defensive starters, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and cornerback Shaquill Griffin.

“That’s huge,” coach Pete Carroll said on Friday. “It’s a huge deal. I mean, our top cover guy and a top rusher. That’s a big deal. It’s great to have those guys back out.”

Seattle is without two pieces of their offense, receiver Malik Turner and left tackle Duane Brown, and will probably be without safety Quandre Diggs – barring a miracle – but the return of Griffin and Clowney is a huge boost to a defense that has struggled the past few weeks.

Clowney missed Seattle’s last two games with a core muscle injury, an injury that also kept him out in Week 12. His return is certainly not a welcome one for San Francisco, who saw him record five solo tackles, five quarterback hits, one sack and one fumble recovery for a touchdown in the Week 10 overtime thriller between these two squads.

“He was unbelievable that game,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told Seattle media members on Tuesday. “We know he’s going to bring that type of effort and talent this time on Sunday and we’ve got to make sure we’re at our best so we try to limit some of the plays he makes.”

Griffin is in the midst of a Pro Bowl caliber season, with 59 combined tackles and 13 passes defended. He had six of those tackles and two of those passes defended against San Francisco in Week 10.

Having both Griffin and Clowney back in the mix for Seattle gives them a much better chance of sweeping the 49ers and winning the NFC West outright, giving them a top three seed in the NFC playoffs.

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No surprise here: 100% of NFL experts pick Saints to beat Panthers

Week 17’s NFL expert picks favor the New Orleans Saints by a landslide over the Carolina Panthers, while other games are much more close.

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The New Orleans Saints have a lot going their way ahead of Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers. For one thing, the Panthers will be starting their third-string quarterback — Will Grier, a rookie out of West Virginia. On top of that, he’ll be without his best wide receiver (D.J. Moore, who was ruled out with a concussion) and a keystone piece on defense (linebacker Shaq Thompson, who is also injured). That makes for a tall order for Grier against a team with Super Bowl aspirations, despite the Saints’ own losses in the secondary (starting safeties Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams, and number-two cornerback Eli Apple were ruled out).

According to the experts surveyed by NFL Pickwatch, Grier and the Panthers don’t have much a shot at upsetting Drew Brees and the Saints. 100% of the picks sampled from around the NFL media sphere are expecting the Saints to march out of Charlotte with a win, which is one of only two unanimous decisions of the week. The Green Bay Packers are also receiving 100% certainty in their chances at defeating the Detroit Lions.

A few other teams came close, such as the Kansas City Chiefs (98% over the Los Angeles Chargers), the New England Patriots (98% against the Miami Dolphins), and the Dallas Cowboys (95% versus the Washington Redskins). But on the whole, Week 17 is shaping up for a competitive slate of games. Here’s hoping the Saints beat the Panthers while the Seattle Seahawks beat the odds to overcome the San Francisco 49ers (who were picked to win by 73% in Seattle). It sure would help the Saints’ playoff standings.

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Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Browns at Bengals NFL matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Cleveland Browns (6-9) and host Cincinnati Bengals (1-14) will tangle at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (on Fox). We analyze the Browns-Bengals sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 17 matchup.

Browns at Bengals: Week 17 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • The Bengals wrapped up the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft with their overtime loss last week in Miami.
  • The Browns topped the Bengals 27-19 in Week 14, covering as 6.5-point favorites as the Over (43) connected.
  • The Browns are 0-5 against the spread in the past five road outings and 3-7-1 ATS in the past 11 games overall. They’re also 2-5-1 ATS in the past eight as a road favorite, and 1-4 ATS in the past five on the road against a team with a losing home record.
  • The Bengals are 1-4 ATS in the past five games overall, and 1-4 ATS in the past five inside the division. They’re also 1-5 ATS in the past six against teams with a losing record, and 1-6 ATS in the past seven at home.
  • The over has connected in four in a row for the Browns against losing teams.
  • The under is 12-3-1 for the Bengals in the past 16 as an underdog, and 10-4-2 in the past 16 vs. AFC.

Browns at Bengals: Key injuries

Browns: DE Olivier Vernon (knee), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (illness – expected to play) and TE Ricky Seals-Jones (illness) are all listed as questionable.

Bengals: CB William Jackson III (shoulder) has been ruled out for Week 17.

Browns at Bengals: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Bengals 23, Browns 20

Moneyline (?)

The BENGALS (+125) can’t ruin their chances at the No. 1 overall pick with a win, and they showed last week in a hellacious comeback in Miami that they’re not throwing in the towel. The Browns (-154) have nothing to play for in this one and are primed for the taking.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the moneyline returns a $12.50 profit with a Bengals victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The BENGALS (+2.5, +105) are plus-money at home, and therefore a pretty nice value. The Browns (-2.5, -129) haven’t been terribly consistent this season, and they’re especially erratic on the road.

Over/Under (?)

PASS. The 44.5 total is going to be close. If there was a lean, it would be to the under, which is actually 41-14-3 in the past 58 in December for Cleveland and 12-3-1 in Cincinnati’s past 16 as a ‘dog.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Ravens vs. Steelers odds: ATS pick, props and betting preview for Week 17

The Baltimore Ravens will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, giving a wealth of great NFL betting options for those looking.

It’s Week 17 of the NFL season and while it will not have the typical circumstances we have come to expect in this rivalry, the Baltimore Ravens will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale.

Baltimore has already locked up the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and several starters will not play against the Steelers. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh still has an outside chance to sneak into the final AFC playoff spot. Even with quarterback Robert Griffin and the rest of the backups expected to get the majority of the playing time, you absolutely know that the Ravens would love to end the Steelers season definitively by beating them.

The Ravens opened as a one-point favorite but the line has since moved to have the Steelers as 2.5-point favorites now. Baltimore enters the contest on an 11-game winning streak, but the decision to rest the starters has made sportsbooks adjust accordingly. So who should you back this week? Continue on for this week’s best bets.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Money line: Ravens +110

These are two teams with different goals this week. The Ravens are resting up for their playoff run, while Pittsburgh is basically in a must-win game. They can lose and still get in, but the scenario is unlikely.

Baltimore will be without Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram and Marshal Yanda on offense, but Pittsburgh has injury issues of their own. Mason Rudolph is out for the season with a shoulder injury, and both Maurice Pouncey and James Conner have already been ruled out for this week. So why are the Steelers the favorite in this one?

Pittsburgh’s defense has been spectacular since the addition of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick but they’re coming off an embarrassing loss to the Jets. Baltimore is having its way with teams this season and it’s not as if Griffin, Gus Edwards, and the Ravens’ second team haven’t gotten a lot of playing time this year. They’ve played a lot for backups thanks both to injuries and Baltimore’s blowout wins giving them playing time in the fourth quarter.

We have only gotten three other games (Chiefs, Seahawks, and Patriots) this season in which the Ravens were the underdog. Considering Baltimore has won 11 straight, it seems like an easy choice to pick the home team again this week to keep it rolling.

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Broncos injuries: 3 offensive linemen ruled out for Week 17

The Broncos have ruled out three offensive linemen for Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

Three Denver Broncos offensive linemen — tackle Ja’Wuan James (knee), guard Ron Leary (concussion) and tackle Elijah Wilkinson (ankle) — have been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders, coach Vic Fangio announced Friday.

With those three offensive linemen unavailable this week Denver’s starting lineup will likely be Garett Bolles, Dalton Risner, Connor McGovern, Austin Schlottmann and Jake Rodgers.

Elsewhere on the Broncos’ injury report, defensive end Dre’Mont Jones (ankle) has been cleared to play. Jones played through his ankle last week and totaled two sacks, earning him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

For the Oakland Raiders, guard Richie Incognito (ankle) and running back Josh Jacobs (shoulder/illness) are listed as doubtful. Everyone else on Oakland’s injury report — including guard Gabe Jackson (knee), wide receiver Tyrell Williams (foot) and guard Rodney Hudson (ankle) — have been cleared to play.

Sunday’s game will begin at 2:25 p.m. MT and will air on CBS (view the TV map). In-market fans can stream the contest using FuboTV (try it free).

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