How should you approach Week 17?
LAS VEGAS, NV (The Spread) – With teams resting starters or having nothing to play for, how should bettors approach betting Week 17 in the NFL?
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The philosophy that is the rule of thumb when analyzing the NFL week 17 lines in comparison to each teams power rankings is very simple.
Assess each matchup as if it is business as usual. Analyze each team as if it is Week 1, as the reality is that there are jobs on the line and upper class paychecks at stake. Yes, by Week 17 the average set of power rankings differ drastically from the first week’s opinion. But the bottom line is that the top bookmakers account for the vast lineup changes in correlation to the betting public’s perception of each team’s strength and weakness.
When evaluating each matchup, one must remember that the line reflects the current situation and individual team lineups. For example, we have a spread of -3.5 in the Giants favor against the Redskins. While this game has two teams that appear to have zero to play for, the reality is that each coach’s job is on the line and every player is playing for compensation to be paid in 2014.
Therefore the line of -3.5 resembles a line we would expect in a Week 1 matchup between the two division rivals. Remember the perception of week 17 lines in the NFL is truly in the eyes of the beholder when assessing each line.
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