NFL Week 18 Odds & Picks: Best Early Bets (2024)

There’s a lot at stake heading into Week 18. We’ve got a battle between the Lions and Vikings for the No. 1 spot in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can hold onto the top spot in the NFC South with a win this week.

Furthermore, the Baltimore Ravens can keep the AFC North with a win in Week 18. Additionally, the Cincinnati Bengals still have a chance to make the playoffs with a win this weekend and a Broncos loss.

With this in mind, I’ve added my two favorite bets for Week 18 in the NFL.

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    NFL Top Early Week Picks (Week 18)

    (Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)

    Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

    The 8-8 Cincinnati Bengals will take on a 10-6 Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. If the Bengals win, they’ll have to wait until Sunday to see if they’ll make the playoffs.

    Cincinnati has been on a tear as of late. The Bengals have earned four consecutive wins, including a massive 30-24 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos. In those four games, Joe Burrow completed more than 70% of his passes in each game and totaled 1,304 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

    He has 4,641 passing yards on the year and leads the NFL in passing touchdowns (42) and passing yards. He’ll take on a Steelers defense that has had its hiccups over the last few weeks. The Steelers have lost three consecutive games and have allowed at least 27 points in all three matchups. The players are calling each other out, saying there’s a defensive player who isn’t on the same page.

    It’ll be tough for the defense to get on the same page against this Cincinnati defense right now. I’ll take a chance with the Bengals to earn Saturday’s win. I have an inkling they’ll come close to making the playoffs.

    Pick: Cincinnati Bengals -3 (+100)


    Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

    The Denver Broncos control their destiny. With a win over the Chiefs, Denver will move on to the playoffs under Sean Payton. If not, the Broncos could miss the playoffs and allow the Bengals to sneak in.

    Must wins don’t always mean a team will win. While, yes, the Chiefs will bench their top players, Kansas City should still have a capable quarterback under center and a bunch of players who are cultural fits. Meanwhile, the top players will sit. But the Chiefs likely want to be careful not to sit everyone. At the end of the day, the Chiefs won’t play another game for 24 days. That’s a long time for some players not to see the field.

    We saw Chad Henne lead the Chiefs to a playoff victory a few years back. Kansas City still has that winning culture. So, at +8.5, I’ll gladly take Kansas City to cover against the spread, even on the road, without some of their starters.

    Pick: Kansas City Chiefs +8.5 (-110)


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