OddsJam’s football expert breaks down the NFL slate, giving his against-the-spread picks for every single game of football action! Find the top Week 18 odds, picks and predictions today below.
One note here is that we will not have a pick for either the Bengals or the Bills games as of right now, as we of course keep Damar Hamlin in our thoughts and prayers.
Early Saturday NFL
Chiefs (-8) vs. Raiders
Saturday, Jan. 7 | 4:30 p.m. ET
If the Chiefs win this game then they will be the 1-seed in the AFC, so this game obviously has a lot of importance for Kansas City.
On the Raiders’ end, they played much better than anybody was expecting last week against the 49ers in Jared Stidham’s first NFL start. With that said, I’m not sure the Raiders have that type of performance in them two weeks in a row, as this season as a whole has been a train wreck.
The Jaguars are one of the hottest teams in football, whereas the Titans have been cratering. The Titans will go with Josh Dobbs as their starting QB in this game, a player who hasn’t even been on the Titans for a month.
These two teams recently played a game that was a blowout in favor of the Jaguars. I foresee something similar happening in this one.
Despite officially being eliminated from the playoffs, the Saints are on a roll. They have won three straight, including a dominant performance over the Eagles last week.
The Panthers are also officially eliminated from the playoffs after a loss to the Buccaneers last week. For this game, the guess here is that it stays within a field goal either way, so I will take the points with the Panthers.
Both of these teams are in the midst of awful losing streaks, but despite that, the Dolphins are still alive in the playoff race. They will need some help even if they win this game, but, according to FiveThirtyEight, they have an 80% chance of making the playoffs with a win.
The QB situation for both teams is concerning, but the value here is on the Dolphins.
This is a meaningless game for both teams, as the Falcons are eliminated from the playoffs while the Bucs already have their spot clinched. Due to that, the Bucs are expected to rest their starters, including QB Tom Brady of course.
So, because of that, I’ll take the points with the Falcons, who will at least play the majority of their starters.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons Pick: Falcons -3 | -110 at BetMGM
Vikings (4) vs. Bears
Sunday, Jan. 8 | 1 p.m. ET
The Vikings no longer have a shot at the 1-seed, but they can still play for the 2-seed in the NFC playoffs, so the guess here is that they will play their starters.
The Bears, meanwhile, seem to have officially given up on the season. Two weeks ago they lost 34-13, and last week they lost 41-10. They have lost nine straight, and four of the last five by multiple scores.
This is the nature of the business the last week of the season, but here is another meaningless Week 18 matchup between two of the worst teams in the NFL.
The Colts won their first game under Jeff Saturday, and have been an abomination ever since, while the Texans have at least played hard in three of their last four games, including one win in that stretch.
Somehow, despite an awful, awful start to the season, the Steelers could legitimately make the playoffs. If they win, and both the Jets and Patriots lose (both are currently underdogs), then the Steelers will be in the playoffs.
The Steelers also need a win to continue the streak of Mike Tomlin never having a losing season in his entire coaching career with the Steelers, which is an incredibly impressive record. The Browns looked good last week, but unfortunately, you do not get the luxury of playing Carson Wentz every week.
The Chargers have been on a hot streak recently, with the playoffs clinched. Technically the Chargers are still playing for seeding, so the guess here is that they will not be resting their starters.
On the Broncos’ side, there really isn’t anything left to say other than thankfully this is the last time we need to watch Russell Wilson this season.
Not only do the Eagles need to win this game to clinch the top seed in the NFC, but they also need to have a good game simply to wash away the bad taste in their mouth from this two-game losing streak. Turns out, missing your MVP quarterback is a big deal!
Jalen Hurts is expected to play after missing the previous two games with a shoulder injury, while the Giants are projected to be resting their starters due to already clinching the playoffs, and their seeding will be unaffected by a win or loss.
With that said, 14 points is too much for an Eagles team that has looked sloppy and disjointed, not to mention possible rust with Hurts.
This game has some meaning for the 49ers, who would vault the Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a win and an Eagles loss. The 49ers also haven’t lost since before Halloween.
The Seahawks finally ended their losing streak with a win over the Jets last week. Now, if they win and the Packers lose, they will be in the playoffs.
The Rams have admittedly played better under Baker Mayfield than I expected, but that doesn’t change how banged up they are and the general lack of talent left on this team.
Thanks to the Eagles’ two-game losing streak, the Cowboys can clinch the NFC East AND a first-round bye if both the Eagles and 49ers lose. Unlikely? Yes, but that makes this game meaningful for the Cowboys.
On the Commanders’ side, they played Carson Wentz in a must-win game and got burned, and are officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Cowboys should win with ease, regardless of whether it is Wentz or Taylor Heinicke.
Cowboys vs. Commanders Pick: Cowboys -5.5 | -110 at BetMGM
Sunday Night Football
Lions vs. Packers (-4.5)
Sunday, Jan. 8 | 8:20 p.m. ET
Somehow, someway, the Packers will be in the playoffs if they win this game. This is the same Packers team that started the season 4-8, by the way, and they have won four straight since that start.
The Lions are also hot, starting 1-6 and going 7-2 since. They have a chance to make the playoffs as well, but they need some help. Along with a win in this game, they need the Seahawks to lose to the Rams. So, the Lions could feasibly already be eliminated from the playoffs by the time this game starts if the Seahawks are able to beat the Rams.
This game being played in Green Bay is also a big deal since the Lions play significantly better at home than on the road. The cold weather favors Green Bay as well.