Week 18 in the NFL boasts a monster 16 game slate with some meaningful games and some not so much. Regardless, we have our betting picks for every single game across the weekend below!
NFL Week 18 Betting Picks
LA Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders
Sunday January 9th, 8.20pm (ET)
Probably the most meaningful game of the Week 18 slate sees the Raiders hosting the Chargers in the marquee Sunday night time-slot. Five playoff berths have already been clinched in the AFC, which means two are up for grabs. As it stands, the winner of this game will claim one of those two remaining spots, while the loser will be sent packing for season 21-22. To say this one has meaning to two franchises that have struggled in recent years would be an understatement.
The Raiders have won their last three in a row to give themselves a chance at making the playoffs, most recently they recorded a fantastic three point win over the Indianapolis Colts. They have covered in their last two in a row but have just a 7-9 record against the spread this season. they have been better on the road than at Allegiant Stadium this season.
The Chargers snapped a two game losing streak with a 21 point win over Denver on the weekend. They’ll be looking to replicate their 3 point win over the Raiders in their last clash, all the way back in October. The Chargers start as three point favourites on the road but I’m siding with the Raiders here. They have looked to be in slightly better form of late and i expect this to be a close game, happy to take the points on offer.
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Sunday January 9th, 4.25pm (ET)
The Dolphins were the hottest team in the NFL, coming off seven straight wins, but went down to the Tennessee Titans by a dismal 31 points on the weekend. It was just the 2nd time since October that they had failed to cover the spread, and due to the loss, they have been eliminated from playoff contention. It’s a bitter end to the season for the Dolphins, who were looking like they could have done some damage in the playoffs if they had’ve just pinched these last two games.
the Patriots were coming off back to back losses to the Colts and Bills but made a statement against the Jaguars in Week 17. They posted 50+ points for the 2nd time this season on their way to a 50-10 win, covering the 17 point line with ease to give them a 10-6 record against the spread.
Like the Patriots to get the win on the road. They have had their issues travelling to Miami in the final week of recent years, however, a lot of those issues came when they had already locked up their place atop the AFC, so they didn’t have much to play for. They can still move up and claim the AFC East, so I think they will be more focused here and should be too good for an unmotivated Dolphins team.
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Four bookmakers have already confirmed that they will launch their New York based products this Saturday. To celebrate, we have outlined the four sportsbooks below as well as written bonus previews for both of the games involving New York teams! ENJOY!
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
Sunday January 9th, 4.25pm (ET)
The Bills can lock up a division win in the AFC East with a win over the Jets on Sunday. They are currently tied with the Patriots at 10-6 but hold the tiebreaker over New England. A loss to the Jets and a Pats win over the Dolphins would see them fall to 2nd place, not what you want given some of the potential first round matchups in the AFC.
The Bills are 8-6-2 against the spread this season and start as massive 17 point favourites at home on Sunday. Interestingly, when favoured by 10+ points this season, they are 3-2-2 against the spread and they are coming off a Week 17 push against the Falcons when they were favoured by 14 points.
The Bills will win this game, no doubt about that. However, the point spread is a massive one. The Jets have been feisty over the last three weeks, going 1-2, losing their two games by a combined margin of just 11 points and covering all three games. Look for the Bills to get up by a couple of scores here and then go into cruise control to save their legs for the playoffs. I think the Jets can certainly cover here.
Washington Football Team at New York Giants
Sunday January 9th, 1.00pm (ET)
Unfortunately for both teams, New York and Washington will end their season with a dead rubber as both are already eliminated from playoff contention. At least for Washington, they have shown glimpses of competent football at times throughout the season. The same can’t be said for the Giants. At 4-12, there hasn’t been many happy moments for New York fans this season and they will likely put this season behind them the moment the final whistle blows on this game.
One thing that could make this dead rubber a bit more exciting for New York fans is the fact that they’ll be able to legally place bets on their team from within their home state for the first time in history! Sports gambling goes live in New York on Saturday, meaning we could get a bit of a skewed line here with all of the Giants hopefuls backing their team to finish the season on a high.
The Giants start as 7 point underdogs and to be honest, I love them at that line. I love them even more if you buy the extra half point to get it to 7.5 as well. Washington were in the mix for the playoffs up until last week, so will likely be a little dishevelled after being mathematically eliminated. Back the Giants to cover the spread at home.
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