Guide to NFL Week 18 Picks Against the Spread and Early Targeted Lines

• Several teams are likely to rest starters in Week 18, so the Week 18 spreads include some eye-popping lines
• The Bengals and Steelers clash on Saturday night and Cincinnati still has an outside chance to make the playoffs
• Below, see my three favorite NFL Week 18 picks to target early on

Just one more week to go in the NFL regular season and a pair of postseason berths are still up for grabs in the NFL playoff bracket, along with the #1 seed in the NFC. There are no Thursday Night Football or Monday Night Football games in Week 18. Instead, fans will be treated to two Saturday matchups (Browns vs Ravens, and Bengals vs Steelers) and 14 more on Sunday. The table below lists my three favorite NFL Week 18 ATS picks to target early in the week.

Early NFL Week 18 ATS Picks

In the Week 18 NFL odds, I’m rolling with three favorites, two of which have plenty to play for. The one that doesn’t, the Eagles, have already proven they can hang a lot of points with their backup QB and have the luxury of facing a New York Giants staff with its sights set on the #1 pick in the NFL draft. 

Odds as of Dec. 31. Claim the top NFL betting promos for Week 18 or read SBD’s guide on how to bet on NFL games if you’re new to wagering. 

NFL Week 18 ATS Pick #1: Bengals -2.5 (-120) at Steelers

The 10-6 Steelers can still technically win the AFC North ahead of the 11-5 Ravens, but that would require the 3-13 Browns to beat the Ravens in Baltimore on Saturday night, so the Pittsburgh players aren’t heading into Saturday thinking they have a realistic chance to win the division title.

The 8-8 Bengals, on the other hand, do have a slim but realistic chance to make the postseason, needing a victory over Pittsburgh plus a Denver loss to KC and a Miami loss to the Jets.

Despite a still-disappointing defense, Cincinnati has become one of the hottest teams in the league over the last month. The Bengals have rattled off four straight wins to keep their postseason hopes alive, sparked by career-best play from Joe Burrow, who leads the league in passing yards (4,641) and passing touchdowns (42) while posting the best passer rating of his five-year career (109.8).

The Steelers, meanwhile, have lost three in a row, both straight-up and against the spread, falling by double-digits to the Eagles (27-13 away), Ravens (34-17 away), and Chiefs (29-10 home).

With these teams trending in opposite directions and all the motivation on the Cincinnati sideline, I’m betting the Bengals to keep their season alive on Saturday afternoon.

NFL Week 18 ATS Pick #2: Eagles -3.5 (-110) vs Giants

My second pick is the Eagles to cover as 3.5-point chalk at home against the Giants, who just snapped an ugly 10-game losing streak in Week 17 with a 45-33 win over the Colts.

Philly has the luxury of resting whichever starts Nick Sirianni sees fit in Week 18; they’ve locked up the NFC East and cannot catch the Vikings/Lions for top seed in the conference. But backup QB Kenny Pickett has already been spelling the concussed Jalen Hurts the last two weeks, and he’s helped lead the Eagles to 74 points in that span, scoring 33 against the Commanders in Week 16 and 41 against the Cowboys in Week 17.

On top of that, Saquon Barkley (2,005 rushing yards) can break the Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record (2,105 yards) with 101 more yards in Week 18. So even if there isn’t playoff-focused motivation for the Eagles, there is record-breaking motivation for their star RB to, not only suit up, but have a big day.

It’s crossed my mind that Pickett might even get a break in Week 18 if the Eagles are certain Hurts will be able to return on Wild Card weekend (Jan. 11-13) but that notion isn’t enough to get me to back off Philly here. The Eagles absolutely dominated the Giants 28-3 when they met in Week 7, and I’m not expecting a terribly different result at The Linc, even if the Eagles’ stars are in street clothes.

NFL Week 18 ATS Pick #3: Lions -2.5 (-112) vs Vikings

The battle for top seed in the NFC – which comes with the lone bye to the divisional round – comes down to the Week 18 clash between the Vikings and Lions, who both enter at 14-2.

The Lions took the first matchup in Minnesota back in Week 7 (31-29) in a thrilling back-and-forth battle. Detroit’s defense has been decimated in the interim, and it’s really started to show the last month: Detroit is conceding 32.5 PPG over the last four games, and slipped behind the Chiefs in the Super Bowl 59 odds as a result.

But Jared Goff and the offense and playing as well as they ever have, which is saying something. Over that same four-game span, the Lions are scoring a ludicrous 37.5 PPG. Goff has passed for 300+ yards in three straight.

I don’t doubt that Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will get their yards against a susceptible Detroit secondary. But I also have faith that, at the end of the night, Goff will have out-dueled Sam Darnold and kept his Lions were they’ve been all season: at the top of the conference.

As the NFL regular season comes to a close, Week 18 presents an exciting opportunity for football fans and bettors alike. With playoff implications on the line, every game becomes crucial and the betting lines are more important than ever. In this guide, we will take a look at some of the early targeted lines for Week 18 and provide our picks against the spread.

One of the key matchups to watch in Week 18 is the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs have been on a hot streak lately, winning their last five games and looking like a serious contender in the AFC. The Broncos, on the other hand, have struggled to find consistency this season and will be looking to play spoiler in this game.

The early line for this matchup has the Chiefs favored by 6.5 points. While the Broncos have shown flashes of potential this season, it’s hard to bet against the red-hot Chiefs. We like Kansas City to cover the spread in this game.

Another intriguing matchup in Week 18 is the battle between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are fighting for playoff positioning and this game could have major implications on the postseason picture. The early line for this game has the Rams favored by 3 points.

The 49ers have been playing well as of late, winning four of their last five games. However, the Rams are a talented team with Super Bowl aspirations and we like them to cover the spread in this game.

Overall, Week 18 is shaping up to be an exciting week of football with plenty of playoff implications on the line. As always, it’s important to do your research and consider all factors before placing your bets. Good luck and happy betting!