Bold NFL Betting Predictions for the Rest of the 2017 Regular Season

There are four weeks left in the 2017 regular season in the National Football League. There are two division races that are all but over, as the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles just need a win or a loss by Buffalo and Dallas (respectively) to win the AFC East and the NFC East (respectively). In the NFC, it’s still possible that you could win 10 games and not makes the postseason, while the AFC West champion might struggle to win eight games and make it to the .500 mark. We have some predictions for what you will see the rest of the way. Hold on tight — and don’t forget to check out all of our NFL betting articles.

Bold NFL Betting Predictions for the Rest of the 2017 Regular Season

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The Dallas Cowboys will win out

In the wake of that Thanksgiving debacle against the Los Angeles Chargers, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys were done. They failed to hit double figures in three consecutive games for the first time in the 58-year history of the franchise. That includes that awful 1-15 campaign in the early Jimmy Johnson era, and it also included that 0-11-1 season that started the team’s history. However, they figured things out against Washington, putting up 38 points in a rout. Now they face a two-win Washington team, an Oakland team that doesn’t play much defense and has seen its offense implode, a Seattle team with a decimated secondary and no running game (and they get to play them in Dallas — few teams are as different on the road as the Seahawks) — and then finish in Philadelphia against an Eagles team that will likely rest their starters in preparation for the playoffs. That would leave the Cowboys at 10-6. But would they make the playoffs? They would lose tiebreakers with the Rams, the Packers or the Falcons, so they would definitely need some help if they want to become an NFL betting pick for the Playoffs.

No one will win the AFC West (just kidding). The Chargers will win the AFC West

That’s right — Derek Carr and that amazing Oakland offense, who roared to a 12-4 record last year, will finish below .500. The Kansas City Chiefs, who started 5-0 but couldn’t even beat the New York Jets last week despite putting up 31 points, won’t win the division either. Instead it will be the Chargers, who have returned to life behind Philip Rivers, who has stopped throwing backbreaking interceptions at just the wrong time, and behind Joey Bosa, who anchors a badass defensive line that stops the run and harasses opposing quarterbacks.

Jacksonville will win the AFC South

It sure looked like Houston was going to roll to an AFC South title. However, J.J. Watt went down with a tibial plateau fracture back in Week Five, and then quarterback Deshaun Watson blew out an ACL to end his season. After that, Tom Savage came back on to lead the Houston offense and things have just been dreadful since then. Now the Texans sit at 4-8, four games behind Tennessee and Jacksonville. Why will Jacksonville win, while Tennessee will not? The Jaguars have a legitimate defense — did you know that Tennessee has a -18 point differential despite having won two out of every three games they have played? Blake Bortles has shrugged off the interception bug and looks like a team who can lead his team in the playoffs — but how far can he take them?

San Francisco will finish 4-12

This is a team that looked like they were headed to a winless campaign. Then, two things happened. The New York Giants came to town, a team that may have more problems that the 49ers do. San Francisco won by 10 despite having C.J. Beathard at quarterback. Then, New England sent backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco for draft picks, and the Niners had a potential franchise quarterback, all of a sudden. Beathard remained the starter until he got injured against Seattle, and then Garoppolo came on and led the Niners on a quick touchdown drive, building the fans’ hopes. Then the Niners beat Chicago on the road last week, giving them two wins. Now San Francisco finishes with games at Houston (a projected win), at home against Tennessee (another projected win) and then with Jacksonville at home (projected loss) and then at the Rams (another projected loss — unless the Rams decide to sit their starters, but I don’t see them getting a bye). That would be a nice finish for a team that needs some hope, but they are definitely not a good NFL betting pick.