The Week 18 schedule has a couple of quirks, as the action kicks off on Saturday afternoon with the Chiefs (-8.5) heading to Las Vegas to take on the Jarrett Stidham-led Raiders. On Saturday night, the de-facto AFC South championship game takes place with the Jaguars (-6.5) looking to snap their five-year playoff drought against the Titans. We then have a jam-packed 14-game Sunday slate, headlined by Bengals-Ravens, Packers-Lions, Eagles-Giants, Bill-Patriots, and Steelers-Browns.
Keep in mind these lines will move throughout the week as we get updates on the playing status of key starters and betting limits increase. Below, we take a look at the latest odds for Week 18 from BetMGM and offer up a few early bets to consider.
NFL odds Week 18
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
NFL moneylines Week 18
NFL over/unders Week 18
NFL best bets for Week 18
Odds and analysis as of Monday 1/2
Chargers -3 (-115) @ Broncos
With the Chargers’ still vying for the fifth seed in the AFC, we’ll back them to notch a road win and cover in Denver. Los Angeles is finding its groove at the right time, as Justin Herbert has enjoyed having back a healthy Keenan Allen and Mike Williams out wide. While their offense is doing its part, it’s been their defense that’s really stepped up over their four-game winning streak. Since Week 14, the Chargers’ defense sports the second-lowest EPA/play (-0.194), which says a lot for a defense that’s suffered a slew of meaningful injuries this season. Ride the red-hot Bolts to soar into the playoffs as the fifth seed.
Steelers -3 (+100) vs. Browns
Similar to the Chargers, the Steelers are playing their best football at the right time. Pittsburgh has won five of its past six games and has a shot to sneak into the playoff field. While its offense has scored just 16 and 13 points in their past two games, respectively, it’s gotten the job done and manufactured scoring drives at opportune times. Pittsburgh’s defense also sports the ninth-lowest rushing success rate, which we think could help lead them to a home victory over Nick Chubb and the Browns.
Vikings -1.5 (-105) @ Bears
Last week, we bet against the Vikings in Lambeau, but this week we’ll back them to take down the Bears at Soldier Field. While the Vikings are out of the running for the top seed in the NFC, Minnesota’s still playing for seeding, which means we’ll likely see Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, and the rest of their starters suit up. That’s good news against a Bears defense allowing the highest EPA/play this season. While the Vikings’ defense has had its issues, as long as they contain Justin Fields’ legs, they have a shot to end the regular season with a 13-4 record. We think Chicago’s WR corps can be held in check by the Vikings’ defensive backs, resulting in a road cover for the Vikes.
