For just the second time in its history, the NFL will play a Week 18 in its regular season and every team will play a 17th game for the first time. The only other time there was a Week 18 in the regular season came in 1993 when the league trialed 16 games and two byes for every team. Two playoff spots are up for grabs in the AFC with the Colts, Chargers, Steelers, Ravens and Raiders still in the hunt for the remaining Wild Cards with the Chargers and Raiders facing off in a win and in game. Over in the NFC there is one spot on the line with San Francisco and New Orleans still in the mix while every other team bar Green Bay will be jockeying for seeding. With Covid, injuries and players checking out early, Week 18 promises plenty of drama across the board and we have our previews and best bets below.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
We have to back Big Ben and the Steelers here one last time in an underdog spot. The history in this rivalry means we have to love Steelers +3.5, even after losing a couple points of value. And it means we should play the moneyline too. Ravens have five losses by 1-6 points, plus 11 of their 16 games overall. The total for this game is 41, so books are expecting a low-scoring game. It makes total sense for the Steelers to win a close one.
Watt only needs 1.5 sacks to set the record, and with 21.5 sacks in 14 games, he’s averaging 1.54 per game. He also had 3.5 sacks the first game against Baltimore, plus three in two games against the Ravens last season. With no Ronnie Stanley for Baltimore, there’s no stopping Watt from this record.
Steelers’ healthy defense to come through for Big Ben in his final regular-season game.
Prediction: Steelers +3.5
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
The Titans haven’t changed their identity without Derrick Henry. They are a little less explosive, but they are an excellent, physical run-heavy team with a defense that stays relentless and is getting more help from a maligned secondary. They will run often again with former Texan D’Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard and Ryan Tannehill will continue to feed better off the energy. The Texans don’t have enough defensively or around Davis Mills to play spoilers.
Titans for the division title.
Prediction: Titans -10.5
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Both teams would probably be more than happy if the NFL decided that this game did not need to go ahead. Cleveland has had a season from hell and will be going into this game severaly undermanned due to injuries and Covid. Cincinnati has won the division and will be resting Joe Burrow while several key players, headlined by running back Joe Mixon, are on the Covid list and will miss the game. Nothing to play for with a low under totals set.
Prediction: Over 37.5
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
Both defenses are bad at what the opposing offense is good at. The Packers also have reasons to unleash their passing attack throughout this one. While Jordan Love — if he plays significant reps — is clearly a downgrade from Aaron Rodgers, the Lions passing defense is a downgrade from the rest of the league as well.
On the Lions side, their running game should do enough to put at least some points on the board against a Packers team that’s allowing 4.8 yards per carry.
Prediction: Over 44.5
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
Believe it or not, Indianapolis has not won in Jacksonville since 2014. That includes multiple puzzling defeats, like the 2018 loss with Andrew Luck at quarterback that ended 6-0, and the Gardner Minshew game to open the 2020 season — Jacksonville’s only win last year. When these two teams met in the same spot last season in Indy, the Jaguars were within a score for almost the entire game until the Colts pulled away late to win by 14.
Earlier this year, the Colts raced out to a 17-0 lead and held on for dear life, winning 23-17 after a strip sack of Trevor Lawrence on the final drive.
The Colts offense isn’t good enough to be laying 15 on the road against anyone, and the trends are there for teams coming off of a blowout loss like Jacksonville is from last week.
Prediction: Jaguars +15
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Just before Christmas these teams played out a dire 17-9 Vikings win in Chicago and now comes time for the rematch in Minnesota.
Kirk Cousins will return to the lineup after missing their loss to Green Bay and the efforts of Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond in that game made sure there was no pressure on his starting job.
There is a decent chance that this will be the final game for both head coaches and the potential for a game between two teams ready for a change is high.
Chicago had planned to turn to Justin Fields before the rookie wound up on the Covid list, meaning it will be Andy Dalton once again and if he can just avoid any major mistakes, they’ll be fine.
Prediction: Chicago Bears +4.5
Washington Football Team at New York Giants
New York has become one of the biggest disasters in the NFL with a roster devoid of difference makers and a head coach unravelling more and more with every press conference.
Last week was the low point (so far) with an utterly inept performance against a Bears team that is hardly a playoff contender.
Washington does not strike fear into anyone in their current form but if anyone can make them look like a Super Bowl favourite, it’s the Giants.
Prediction: WFT -6.5