Nat Coombs' NFL Week 17 Tips Including Packers @ Vikings

Nat Coombs is an NFL writer and broadcaster who has been anchoring TV and radio coverage in the UK for over 15 years, working with a range of networks including BBC, TalkSPORT, FIVE, ESPN and Channel 4. 

He writes a column for The Times and also hosts his own NFL podcast The Nat Coombs Show, which has been nominated for the best American Football podcast in the Sports Podcast Awards.

Nat has joined The Panel to share his three best tips for the weekend’s NFL action using the best prices from the leading NFL betting sites.

This week's treble pays out around 4/1 with Betway.

Nat Coombs' NFL Week 17 Predictions:

• Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 1: Titans & Jaguars Over 37.5 Total Points - 5/7 With Betway
• Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 2: Sam Darnold 250+ Passing Yards - 5/8 With Betway
• Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 3: Bills -8.5 To Beat Jets - 5/6 With Betway

Titans @ Jaguars Prediction: Defensive Woes Make For High-Scoring Game 

With “Legit” Will Levis (as we call him on The Nat Coombs Show) flaming out, the Titans are going to be one of those teams looking for a new starting QB in the off-season, despite the slim pickings in both free agency and the draft. 

Levis will be an interesting back-up option for a team looking for upside, and may still have a few more chapters of his NFL career to play out. 

Given the dearth of available talent, any suggestion that Trevor Lawrence will be surplus to requirements in Jacksonville is laughable.

With the right coach, assuming Doug Pederson is moved on, Lawrence could still bring the best out of an undoubted talent. 

Neither will play on Sunday, with Mac Jones continuing to deputise for Lawrence and auditioning for one of those starting spots next year, which is conceivable, particularly in a next-gen West Coast offense.

Mason Rudolph assumes starting duties for the Titans, and whilst he’s still error prone, three picks against the Colts last time out, Tennessee have good solid receiving options with Calvin Ridley, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and the emerging Chigoziem Okonkwo, who snared nine catches from Rudolph in the loss to the Colts. 

Underpinned by a two-headed ground game consisting of Tajae Spears and Tony Pollard (the latter nursing an ankle injury), this is an offense that can exploit one of the weakest defenses in the league. 

Points Per Game Conceded

The Jags are ranked last in total yards allowed and the Jacksonville defense has been giving up 26.4 points per game. The Titans are seven from seven from their red zone visits in the last two weeks. 

Only three teams are worse than the Jags in terms of points per game and yep, one of them is the Titans. Giving up 27.8 is ranked 31st in the NFL. 

Jones has been composed since he's come in for Lawrence, with the exception being the 10-6 win over the Titans in early December.

That 16-point thriller is obviously a marker for such a low total, but I see the value for both offenses to make some hay this time around. 

Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 1: Titans & Jaguars Over 37.5 Total Points - 5/7 With Betway

Packers @ Vikings Tips: Vikings To Benefit From Darnold's Arm 

The Packers' trip to Minnesota is the biggest of the weekend, with Minnesota still holding hopes of the number one seed in the NFC, which could come down to the wire in Week 18 and a winner-takes-all clash with the Lions. 

Green Bay’s defense enters this game with swagger, having shut out the Saints on Christmas Eve in a brutal display that held rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler and the New Orleans offense to under 200 total net yards. 

The Vikes are an altogether different proposition, with quarterback Sam Darnold in red-hot form. In his last six games, Darnold has thrown 15 touchdowns and just one interception.

The tag team of Justin Jefferson - coming off his biggest game of the season - and Jordan Addison, who between them have over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns, are underpinned by the former Packers running back Aaron Jones.

Jones has over 1,000 yards on the ground and is very useful out of the backfield. TJ Hockenson is back fit and contributing and the Packers are likely going into this without their best corner, Jaire Alexander. 

In his last 10 games, Darnold has gone over 240 passing yards eight times. 

Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 2: Sam Darnold 250+ Passing Yards - 5/8 With Betway

Jets @ Bills Preview: Bills To Boost Allen's MVP Hopes

The Bills won’t be getting the number one seed, but they want to lock up the second seed, giving them homefield in the (Super) Wild Card round and divisional round should they win the former.

On top of that, Buffalo will want to see off the late rally from Lamar Jackson to lock in the MVP award for their quarterback Josh Allen. 

The success of the Bills offense is down to an improved ground game around Allen and a talented receiving corps, which has stepped up following the off-season departure of superstar Stefon Diggs.

On the other side of the ball, their defense is revitalised with the return of some key players including Matt Milano. This is a roster that’s amongst the healthiest going into the playoffs. 

In contrast, the Jets are stumbling to the end of a lacklustre season, despite the Aaron Rodgers/Davante Adams connection coming to life in recent weeks. 

Don’t be surprised if it’s Adams that is the recipient of Rodgers' 500th NFL touchdown pass, but equally don’t be shocked if this is a double-digit win for Buffalo. 

Nat Coombs' Panel Pick 3: Bills -8.5 To Beat Jets - 5/6 With Betway