Sports

The Scout: NFL Week 17

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots

The Jaguars (2-13) have lost seven in a row and now must travel to take on the New England Patriots (9-6) who have been handed two straight defeats and will be looking to get back to winning form before the playoffs.

It’s impossible to see how Jacksonville has any motivation to win anymore as they are on track to receive the number one pick in the 2022 Draft. With former coach Urban Meyer out of the picture, the Jaguars are giving Trevor Lawrence more freedom, but he may face his toughest task yet against Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense.

The Patriots have one of the best defenses in the NFL but have slipped recently resulting in back-to-back losses to the Colts and Bills. Belichick will not accept a third defeat and his defense will be ruthless against a struggling Jaguars and the rookie quarterback Lawrence.

New England will swarm the Jaguars on the defensive end, completely nullifying their offense and will comfortably take care of business. This is a perfect spot for the Patriots to get some much-needed confidence going into the playoffs.

Suggested Bet: Patriots -15.5 (Line) @ $1.91*


Kansas City Chiefs @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) are officially back to their best, after a slow start to the season they have now won eight in a row and are heating up at the perfect time. The Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) have won two matches in a row including an impressive 41-21 win over Baltimore which show cased the potential of their offensive weapons.

Joe Burrows showcased his ceiling with a historic performance against the Ravens with a franchise breaking record of 525 passing yards. Combined with Burrows passing ability is the run game of Joe Mixon which creates a very reliable and potent offense.

Eventually the Chiefs are going to slip up as they have been putting in near perfect performances for eight straight weeks. Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrows creates an exciting matchup which will see the pair go back and forth exchanging points.

The Chiefs might have the better side, but the Bengals have proven they can hang with the best off the back of their impressive offense.

Suggested Bet: Bengals +5 (Line) @ $1.91*


LA Rams @ Baltimore Ravens

The Los Angeles Rams (11-4) are rolling and finding form at the perfect time two weeks out from the playoffs as they have won four straight matches. The Baltimore Ravens (8-7) are struggling and are looking unlikely to make the playoffs as they have lost four games in a row.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams can learn from Joe Burrows and the Bengals who destroyed the Ravens last week. The game plan perfectly suits Stafford and the Rams as he already likes to look downfield for deep passes to his receivers. Cooper Kupp is having a fantastic season and will be the biggest beneficiary for this strategy and he will put up big numbers.

Baltimore does not have many weapons outside of Mark Andrews who has been near unstoppable in recent weeks. Unfortunately, in big games against elite sides a one-man offense is not going to cut it and the Ravens will struggle to put up a winning score against Los Angeles.

This is a must win game for the Ravens if they want to stay in touch with potentially playing in the post-season however they simply do not have the weapons to beat the Rams who are one of the best teams in the NFL.

Suggested Bet: Rams -3.5 (Line) @ $1.91*

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