NFL Week 18 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread
The NFL regular-season schedule used to come to an end with all 16 games on Sunday, but now we have two on Saturday as well. And it’s the one week of the season annually where there is no pre-set Sunday night game, but that will be Vikings-Lions.
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens, Saturday
Cleveland will be one of the most fascinating teams this offseason simply for what it may do with QB Deshaun Watson and that untradeable contract. Coach Kevin Stefanski is likely safe. The Browns do have a few big upsets this year, including 29-24 over the Ravens in Week 8. Baltimore is in the playoffs regardless and wins the AFC North with a victory or Pittsburgh loss/tie vs. Cincinnati in the second game Saturday.
Pick ATS: Cleveland
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday
Pittsburgh is in the playoffs most likely as a wild-card team but would win the AFC North with a Baltimore home loss earlier Saturday to Cleveland and then a victory here. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin surely will rest his starters if the Ravens win. The only way Cincinnati gets the final AFC wild-card spot is with a victory here, Denver loss vs. Kansas City and Miami loss at the New York Jets. Those aren’t all happening. Pittsburgh won, 44-38, in Cincinnati in Week 13.
Pick ATS: Cincinnati (alternate line of -2.5)
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons had a two-game winning streak end Sunday in a 30-24 OT loss in Washington, which means Atlanta must win this game and have Tampa Bay lose at home vs. New Orleans, which isn’t likely, to win the NFC South. Otherwise, no playoffs for a seventh straight year. The Panthers were clobbered in Tampa on Sunday. Atlanta won at Carolina, 38-20, in Week 6 when Andy Dalton and Kirk Cousins were the starting QBs. You shouldn’t see either here barring injury. Cousins’ one-year Falcons career is almost surely over.
Pick ATS: Atlanta
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas is playing out the string without Pro Bowl receiver CeeDee Lamb, who was shut down ahead of Week 17 with a shoulder injury. And this surely will be the last game as Cowboys coach for Mike McCarthy. Washington likely will rest its starters because the Commanders are locked into a wild-card spot. QB Jayden Daniels will win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year even sitting out a game. Dallas upset Washington, 34-26, in Week 12 in one of the wilder games of 2024.
Pick ATS: Dallas (alternate line of +3.5)
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Green Bay has dominated the NFL’s oldest rivalry for years and tries for another sweep as it won 20-19 in Chicago in Week 11 as the Bears’ potential winning field goal of 46 yards was blocked as time expired. That’s basically how this season has gone for Chicago, which tries to avoid ending the season on an 11-game losing streak after a 6-3 home loss to Seattle on Thursday in Week 17. Down two starting offensive lineman, the Bears managed just 179 yards and QB Caleb Williams was sacked seven times. Green Bay lost in Minnesota on Sunday and may rest starters here locked into a wild-card spot.
Pick ATS: Chicago
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
It might be the last game as Titans coach for Brian Callahan, and the struggling franchise probably will be looking at a quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Really no reason for Houston to play starters here as it has clinched the AFC South title for the second year in a row and can’t improve its seeding for Wild-Card Weekend. The Titans were 32-27 upset winners in Houston in Week 12. The Texans’ Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 28-yard field-goal attempt wide left with a chance to tie and under two minutes remaining.
Pick ATS: Tennessee
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville almost certainly will have a new head coach and general manager among many other changes for next season. Indianapolis was eliminated from playoff contention with an unacceptable 45-33 loss at the New York Giants on Sunday. Colts starting QB Anthony Richardson was out injured, but that’s still not a reason to lose that game. The Jags beat the visiting Colts, 37-34, in Week 5 on a 49-yard field goal with 17 seconds left.
Pick ATS: Indianapolis
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
New England could be looking for a new head coach this offseason as not much went right under first-year coach Jerod Mayo, including some questionable in-game decisions. That said, rookie QB Drake Maye has shown some promising signs. The Patriots would pick first in the 2025 NFL Draft if they lose this game. Buffalo will surely be resting QB and MVP favorite Josh Allen and most if not all starters with the AFC East clinched and locked into the conference’s second seed. Buffalo edged New England, 24-21, just two weeks ago.
Pick ATS: New England (alternate line of +3.5)
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants will absolutely have a new starting QB next season and presumably will take one – probably Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward – high atop the 2025 draft. It remains unclear whether ownership may change its tune on keeping Coach Brian Daboll when earlier in the year it was said he would be back. But the Giants have embarrassed themselves plenty since then. The Eagles will be sitting all their starters as they are the NFC East champions and locked into the conference’s No. 2 seed. Philly blasted New York, 28-3, in Week 7.
Pick ATS: New York
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New Orleans will have a new head coach and perhaps new QB next season – maybe no franchise needs an overall reset more because the Saints are in salary-cap hell, so it’s going to take a few years if the team commits to a full rebuild. The Bucs will win the NFC South for the fourth straight year with a victory or Atlanta home loss to Carolina. Tampa Bay won, 51-27, in New Orleans in Week 6. The Bucs’ 594 yards of offence were a team record.
Pick ATS: New Orleans (alternate line of +14.5)
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
Kansas City will rest probably every starter because it clinched the AFC’s top seed with its 29-10 win in Pittsburgh on Christmas playing without injured Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones and the team’s third game in 11 days. Denver had a shot to clinch a playoff spot with a win Saturday in Cincinnati but lost in OT and simply needs a victory here for a wild-card berth. The Chiefs beat the Broncos, 16-14, in Week 10 by blocking the potential winning field goal with no time on the clock.
Pick ATS: Denver (alternate line of -9.5)
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders
It’s probably 50-50 on whether the Raiders make a coaching change in the offseason, and they already have shut several guys down. Las Vegas definitely will be addressing the quarterback position in 2025. No real reason for the Chargers to play any starters ahead of road game on Wild-Card Weekend at an opponent TBA. Jim Harbaugh did another stellar coaching job in his first season back in the NFL. The Harbaugh Era opened with a 22-10 Week 1 victory over the Raiders.
Pick ATS: Las Vegas
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams
Seattle kept its NFC West title hopes alive temporarily on Thursday in Week 17 with an ugly 6-3 win in Chicago – just the NFL’s second game in 2024 without a TD scored. The Seahawks defence dominated with seven sacks and a late pick to clinch it. However, Seattle was eliminated from West contention over the weekend when the Rams won and a few other results went against the Seahawks. Thus, West champion Los Angeles has little reason to care or play starters here. The Rams won in Seattle, 26-20 in OT, in Week 9.
Pick ATS: Seattle (alternate line -2.5)
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
We know the Jets will have a new head coach next season and perhaps a new quarterback as this season went so badly that it isn’t expected that Aaron Rodgers is back unless there are literally no better options out there. The 41-year-old might opt to end his Hall of Fame career. He looked his age this year. Miami could make a coaching change after probably missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021 but most likely keeps Mike McDaniel because he has turned Tua Tagovailoa into a top-flight QB – Tua missed Sunday’s loss injured. But this fairly high-priced roster appears to have hit its ceiling so there will be changes. The Fins still have a playoff shot but need a win and very unlikely Denver home loss to short-handed Kansas City. Miami beat the Jets, 32-26 in OT, in Week 14.
Pick ATS: Miami
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
Two eliminated NFC West teams playing out the string. One good indicator game of how it all went pretty wrong this year for the defending division and conference champion 49ers was a 24-23 home loss to Arizona in Week 5. San Francisco led 23-10 in the third quarter. It was the second time this season that the Niners blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to a division rival and lost, also in Week 3 against the Rams. The Niners lost just one division game the past two seasons.
Pick ATS: Arizona
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
This was flexed to Sunday night as it’s the biggest game of the season in the NFC, without question, as the winner is the North champion and earns the conference’s top seed and the lone first-round playoff bye. The loser is the NFC’s top wild-card team as the No. 5 seed and plays on the road next weekend. Detroit won in Minnesota, 31-29, in Week 7 on a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds.
Pick ATS: Detroit
