Ricky Dimon
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Sunday Night Football in Week 17 of the NFL season pits the Atlanta Falcons against the Washington Commanders. It is a massive matchup for both teams, which is why it got flexed into a primetime slot. Atlanta (8-7) is atop the NFC South but has the same record as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Washington (10-5) currently occupies the third wild-card spot in the NFC and is still in mathematical contention to win the NFC East.
Here is my Same Game Parlay for the festivities, which get underway at 8:20 pm ET on NBC. Also be sure to check out our full Falcons vs Commanders predictions.
Falcons ML (+176)
Drake London to score a touchdown (+150)
Terry McLaurin to score a touchdown (+105)
Parlay odds: +1061
Part of the value in a Same Game Parlay, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is some of the plan here, as Atlanta receiver Drake London finding the endzone would obviously work well with a win by the Falcons. At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That is the case with also backing Washington receiver Terry McLaurin to score a touchdown. But even if Rush does, there is no reason why the visitors can’t pull off an upset. Let’s break down each of the 3 legs.
Falcons ML (+176)
The 2024 NFL campaign has been a roller-coaster ride for the Falcons. They were up, down and are now up again. Can new QB1 Michael Penix Jr. extend their winning streak from 2 games to 3 and keep them on track for the NFC South title? Penix was not exactly spectacular in his first NFL start last weekend after replacing Kirk Cousins, but he was solid – and more than good enough to wallop the lowly Giants 34-7. The southpaw out of Washington should be in line or more success this weekend against a generous Commanders secondary. In fact, head coach Dan Quinn’s entire team is a bit underwhelming despite its 10-5 record – especially on the defensive side of the ball. It has been giving up a ton of points and Jayden Daniels has not been as red hot during the second half of the season as he was in the first. As such, it has become tougher or Washington to overcome its defensive flaws. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Atlanta win this one outright.
Drake London to score a touchdown (+150)
Penix is still searching for his first touchdown pass in the league, but he has made only 1 start. Based on his respectable performance in Week 16, it should be coming soon. In fact, it will likely come at the Commanders’ expense. After all, Washington has surrendered 24 TDs through the air this year. Just 8 teams have allowed more. As for London, he has scored 7 touchdowns this season to go along with 978 receiving yards on 83 catches and 127 targets. London most recently scored in Week 15 at Las Vegas and should have another great opportunity on Sunday.
Terry McLaurin to score a touchdown (+105)
To say that McLaurin has been stepping up in the most important time of the year – both for the Commanders and for fantasy owners – would be a gross understatement. He has scored 6 touchdowns in the last 4 games, including 2 against both Tennessee and New Orleans to begin December. McLaurin has been targeted 30 times during this stretch and he has eclipsed the 100-yard mark on five occasions this season. The Ohio State product is a force all over the field, but – with 12 touchdowns in total throughout the 2024 campaign – he is especially dangerous in the red zone. McLaurin now faces an Atlanta defense that has given up 28 TDs through the air this year. Only the Houston Texans have allowed more. At plus money, McLaurin has great value to score on Sunday Night Football.
