Against The Spread: Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders
One of the most bet-on games at the top NFL betting sites could be this one. It’s essentially a playoff game for both teams — with a win-and-you’re-in-the-postseason scenario for each. At 2.5 points, it’s also one of the closest against-the-line spreads of the weekend.
Back in its week 4 meeting in LA, the Bolts beat the Raiders convincingly 28-14. At the same time, Las Vegas feels nothing like the team that showed up that night — and not necessarily in a good way. That week 4 iteration still had Jon Gruden and Henry Ruggs in the mix. There’s no way you can objectively argue Las Vegas is better without those two dynamic figures on offense.
Though, you do have to credit the Raiders for their resiliency. Many NFL teams would’ve collapsed after those two fiascos involving its head coach and big-play receiver — yet here they are in playoff position. This likely explains why the betting line is 2.5 points only despite the prior meeting being one-sided.
In the end, we’re still riding with the Bolts betting line. Its offense ranked fourth league-wide, will simply outpower the Raiders. Las Vegas has only scored more than 20 points twice in the last nine games. That lack of offensive output won’t be nearly enough to hang close with the Chargers.
Over/Under 44 points: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
Here’s an interesting game pitting one of the NFL’s best teams versus one of the worst. The spread is a measly 1.5 points, favoring Detroit, but we’re more enamored with the over/under total of 44. If we’re being honest, it feels a tad too low.
The first thing is first, the Packers are expected to sit a large cast of players. They’ve locked up the NFC’s No. 1 seed no matter what happens, therefore, it’s not worth risking any injuries. That’s actually good for the over — not bad as the best online sportsbooks seems to think given the low point total.
Good because Green Bay’s best defensive players could be out against Detroit, which makes scoring all the easier for the lowly Lions. Look out for two players to do damage to the Cheesehead reserves — DeAndre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Both have shown big-play potential this season and look like they could be real franchise pieces for head coach Dan Campbell if paired with the right quarterback.
It’s also good because Jordan Love will get the starting nod ahead of MVP frontrunner Aaron Rodgers. The will-he-stay, will-he-go drama of Rodgers since Love was drafted two years ago has “infected” all parties — including the second-year quarterback. We can’t help but think Love is motivated to show his quarterback abilities and he’ll have a golden opportunity against one of the NFL’s most abysmal defenses.
We’re slapping the over in this game. Love will impress and so will the never-say-die Lions. Expect this game to be a back-and-forth affair between the offenses.
Against The Spread: New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
For our final pick of Week 18, we’re clinging to this Patriots-Dolphins spread. Why? Because both teams are eerily similar to one another. You see, the Patriots are winners of 10 games and already in the playoffs. The Dolphins have won eight, but are already eliminated. But both of these teams have benefitted from easy schedules. New England has only three wins against teams with .500 or better records, while Miami has two (one of which against these Patriots in week one).
But the similarities don’t stop there. Both are led by young quarterbacks from Alabama. Two signal callers that mostly “dink and dunk” the football — rarely airing it out. These quarterbacks aren’t very turnover-prone and are complemented by stout defenses.
Oh, and how about this: Miami’s head coach, Brian Flores, is also a disciple of Bill Belichick. Flores spent his entire NFL career (2004-2018) with the Patriots before joining the Phins. You can almost guarantee the two ball coaches will know each other’s tendencies (especially since they’ve been division rivals for three seasons now).
Given all these similarities, we sense this game will be closer than the 6.5-point spread indicates. The Dolphins have nothing to lose, which should embolden them to be more aggressive with its play-calling. We think Miami loses the matchup but covers the spread in the process.
How To Bet NFL Week 18?
You won’t have this many NFL betting opportunities in a single day again until the 2022 season returns in September. Therefore, you don’t want to sit out Week 18 betting. To capitalize on the season finale, check out one of the bookmakers listed below.
These betting sites have bets for all 16 matchups — spreads, moneylines, over/unders, props, and everything in-between. There are also big-money sign-up bonuses for new players that pay out hundreds to thousands in free play. Reference the table below to get started!
