NFL Week 18 Betting Picks: Against The Spread

Jan 05, 2022

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Our first ever Week 18 is here. The expanded schedule combined with the expansion of the number of playoff teams was sure to bring us must-see football on the season’s final week, right? Right?

While it very well may work out that way in the future, the 18-week schedule did not work out that way in its first iteration. Eleven of the 14 playoff teams have already been decided. The NFC is especially drab. The 49ers and Saints are the only teams vying for an undecided Wild Card slot. The 49ers clinch that with a win. The Saints will need to win and also for the 49ers to lose.

The AFC is a bit more complex, but not much. There are two playoff spots up for grabs there. The Colts clinch one of them with a win over the lowly Jaguars. The other will go to the winner of the Chargers-Raiders game. There are other long-shot scenarios at play, but those two games are the long and short of it. Jennifer Eakins has a much more in-depth look at playoff scenarios and who's motivated in Week 18.

Week 17 Recap: It was not a good week with the plays going 1-2. The Rams missed a cover by half a point, while the Eagles were able to secure a narrow cover. The difference-maker was the Dolphins and their offense totally laying an egg in an ugly loss to the Titans.

Moving o to this week, we have once again narrowed it down to three betting plays. Let’s dive into those.