X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Free NFL Betting Picks for Week 18 - Best Bets, Expert Odds and Predictions

Detroit Lions Defense, Aidan Hutchinson - Fantasy Football DST Rankings, Streamers, IDP Sleepers

Mitch Blatt gives his picks against the spread, over/under, and on the moneyline. These are the best bets for Week 18. Who will win in the game of the week? Who will win on Monday Night Football? Who should you bet on?

Cowboys wide receiver and novelist Peter Gent remarked in his book North Dallas Forty that the most desirable trait of a football player is the ability to endure pain. When you get late into the season, then "a player who the trainers thought needed rest or even surgery found himself shot full of Novocain facing a grinning Deacon Jones."

Get late enough into the season, and some players on some teams can finally rest. If their team has earned it by either winning or losing enough for the first 17 weeks. There are a lot of games that don't matter for much, like the Ravens' and Lions' home finales, but I still think the Ravens and Lions are in the mood to win, and I picked them here. Others, like Baker Mayfield and his Bucs teammates, will be shot full of dopamine and put it all on the line for a playoff berth.

By now, everyone has experienced their share of pain, even if it's all in your head, whether as a bettor, a fantasy manager, or a fan. If your team misses the playoffs, at least you'll be able to sit back and watch the postseason with detached interest and avoid the pain that's coming to fans of all but one team. Be sure to check out our other betting picks articles and betting and props tools as well.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Week 18 NFL Betting Picks - Against the Spread  

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions (DET -3.5 / DET -189)
Sunday, 1:00 pm | O/U: 45.5

The NFC North champion Lions are a solid pick in this Week 18 game against a Vikings team that is circling the drains. Yet, the line keeps moving against the Lions, making them an even more attractive pick. At the beginning of the week, Detroit was a 5.5-point favorite. Now, they are only favored by 3.5.

The Lions can't improve their playoff seeding by winning, but they aren't resting their starters. That's not how a Dan Campbell-coached team plays the game. They play to win -- perhaps to a fault (going for two from the 7-yard line and then again from the 3.5-yard line last week were questionable calls). Last season, the Lions knocked the Packers out of the playoffs in Week 18.

This season, they can prevent the Vikings from achieving a pseudo-.500 record. They are still seething with anger that they got called for throwing to an ineligible receiver on that first two-point attempt they claim the refs messed up. They will take their rage out against the Vikings.

The Vikings have only won one of their last six games. They scored three points in that win over the Raiders. They were held to 10 points in two of the losses and haven't scored more than 24 points in a game since Week 10. The Lions have scored 30 or more points in three of the past five games.

Pick: Lions -3.5 (-110)

 

Week 18 NFL Betting Picks - Over/Under

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Commanders (DAL -13 / DAL -919)
Sunday, 4:25 pm | O/U: 47

 The Cowboys need this game to win the division and secure home-field advantage in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. And home-field advantage is a big advantage for the Cowboys. The Cowboys are 8-0 at home this season and just 3-5 on the road.

Their road struggles predate this season. In the past two seasons, the Cowboys have averaged a 15.6-point differential per home game, but they have just a 1.6-point differential per game on the road. They have scored 10 fewer points on the road than at home. Dak Prescott is averaging 50 fewer yards on the road, more interceptions, fewer touchdown passes, and a completion percentage 10 points lower on the road than at home.

The problem for the Cowboys is that this game against the Commanders is on the road. Commanders coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Sam Howell are fighting for their careers. I'm not saying the Cowboys are going to lose -- although I would certainly laugh if they did -- but I am saying that Dallas will score fewer points than expected and probably not win by 13.

The Cowboys' scoring will be down from its usual highs, but their defense will still show up and shut down the Commanders. Washington can't get things together. They benched Sam Howell after his struggles continued, but then were forced to start him again because of an injury to Jacoby Brissett. Howell takes too many sacks and throws too many interceptions. The Commanders have scored 20 or fewer points in five of their past six games and seven of the past 10.

Pick: Under 47 (-110)

 

Week 18 NFL Betting Picks - Moneyline

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (BAL +3.5 / BAL +153)
Saturday, 4:30 pm | O/U: 35

The Ravens are still being disrespected. They were 6.5-point underdogs against the San Francisco 49ers. They won by 14. Then they were only three-point favorites the next week against the Miami Dolphins. They won by 37.

Now, they are 3.5-point underdogs at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers! All because Lamar Jackson, Odell Beckham Jr., guard Kevin Zeitler, maybe safety Kyle Hamilton, and a couple of other players are sitting out because they already locked up the number one seed in the AFC. But the Steelers are also missing their starting quarterback. Mason Rudolph will have to start again.

Tyler Huntley has proven to be a capable backup for the Ravens. Last season, he completed 67.0% of the passes he attempted and had a 3-2 record in games he played.

Pick: Ravens  ML (+153)

 

Recap

Last Week: 1-0 on Moneyline, 0-1 Against the Spread, 0-1 on Over/Under Picks

Season-long Record: 7-8 on Moneyline, 8-15 Against the Spread, 11-6 on Over/Under Picks



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Weekly DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Patrick Cantlay42 mins ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Reynaldo López48 mins ago

Reynaldo Lopez To Undergo Right-Shoulder Surgery
Gary Woodland51 mins ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia57 mins ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti1 hour ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
NFL1 hour ago

Tush Push Unlikely To Be Banned For 2025 Season
Xavier Legette1 hour ago

Dave Canales Compares Xavier Legette To DK Metcalf
Brett de Geus1 hour ago

Phillies Claim Brett de Geus Off Waivers From Marlins
New York Giants1 hour ago

Ty Summers Re-Signs With New York
Nick Mears2 hours ago

Beginning Rehab Assignment At Triple-A
Aaron Civale2 hours ago

Plays Catch On Tuesday
Masataka Yoshida2 hours ago

Resumes Swinging
Sam Ehlinger2 hours ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Denver
Liam Hendriks2 hours ago

Resumes Throwing
Guerschon Yabusele2 hours ago

Out Against Knicks
Kutter Crawford2 hours ago

Hasn't Faced Hitters
Karl-Anthony Towns2 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Arizona Cardinals2 hours ago

Calais Campbell Returns To Arizona
Lucas Giolito2 hours ago

To Make A Rehab Start On Wednesday
Jevon Carter2 hours ago

Ruled Out Tuesday
Dalen Terry2 hours ago

Unavailable Against Raptors
Brayan Bello2 hours ago

To Make Rehab Start On Tuesday
Julian Phillips2 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Alexis Díaz2 hours ago

Alexis Diaz Throws Live BP On Tuesday
Jalen Smith2 hours ago

Available Against Raptors
Max Scherzer3 hours ago

Day-To-Day After Getting Cortisone Shot
Lonzo Ball3 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
Freddie Freeman3 hours ago

Likely Out Until Friday
Kevin Huerter3 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Matchup
Willson Contreras3 hours ago

Taking First Day Off
Josh Giddey3 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Dalano Banton3 hours ago

Starting Against The Hawks
Royce O'Neale3 hours ago

Unavailable Against Bucks
Jerami Grant3 hours ago

Out Again On Tuesday
Bradley Beal3 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Ron Holland II3 hours ago

Tagged With A One-Game Suspension Tuesday
Anfernee Simons3 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus The Hawks
Trae Young3 hours ago

Officially Available Tuesday
Marcus Sasser3 hours ago

Suspended For One Game On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo3 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Jimmy Snuggerud3 hours ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Edouard Julien3 hours ago

Making First Start Of The Season
Isaiah Stewart3 hours ago

Suspended For Two Games On Tuesday
Jacob Trouba4 hours ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga4 hours ago

Ruled Out On Tuesday
Troy Terry4 hours ago

On Track To Play Tuesday
Dylan Crews4 hours ago

Not Starting Against Blue Jays
Jaylen Brown4 hours ago

Questionable Versus Miami
Jonathan Marchessault4 hours ago

Remains Out Against Blue Jackets
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.4 hours ago

Sitting Out In New York
Alex Laferriere4 hours ago

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Paul Goldschmidt4 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff Again
Jonathan Aranda4 hours ago

Christopher Morel Sitting Against Pirates
Luke Schenn4 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Jose Siri4 hours ago

Making Another Start In Center Field
Dante Fabbro4 hours ago

Returns Against Predators
Brett Baty4 hours ago

Sitting Against A Right-Hander
Kyle Higashioka4 hours ago

Back In The Lineup, Jonah Heim Takes A Seat
Detroit Lions6 hours ago

Alim McNeill Could Miss Start Of Regular Season
Tennessee Titans7 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Returning To Titans
Washington Commanders7 hours ago

Brandon Coleman Moving To Right Tackle For Commanders
Raheem Blackshear7 hours ago

Returning To Carolina
Kirk Cousins7 hours ago

Not Expected To Attend Voluntary Offseason Training
NFL7 hours ago

NFL Ownership Votes To Move Kickoff Touchbacks To 35-Yard Line
Olli Määttä7 hours ago

Olli Maatta A Game-Time Call On Tuesday
Jordan Greenway7 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys7 hours ago

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons The Highest-Paid Non-QB
Jordan Staal7 hours ago

Doubtful For Wednesday
Matt Roy8 hours ago

Not Traveling With Team
Geno Smith8 hours ago

Raiders Working On Extension With Geno Smith
Chris Godwin8 hours ago

Buccaneers Optimistic Chris Godwin Will Be Ready For Week 1
Josh Norris8 hours ago

Not Traveling With The Team On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams8 hours ago

Coleman Shelton Expected To Start Again In 2025
Brady Tkachuk8 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Los Angeles Rams8 hours ago

Rams Open To Drafting A Quarterback
Kyren Williams8 hours ago

Rams To Discuss Long-Term Deal With Kyren Williams
Aaron Rodgers8 hours ago

Signs "Pointing" Toward Aaron Rodgers Signing With Steelers
Brock Purdy8 hours ago

49ers Optimistic On Getting Extension Done With Brock Purdy
Jordan Spieth9 hours ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp10 hours ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim10 hours ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood10 hours ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau10 hours ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole11 hours ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Casey DeSmith14 hours ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment14 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka14 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov14 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov15 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes15 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Sam Stevens23 hours ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA23 hours ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy1 day ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman1 day ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ilya Samsonov1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl1 day ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno1 day ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg1 day ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober1 day ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall1 day ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara1 day ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez1 day ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton1 day ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Vince Morales1 day ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.1 day ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira1 day ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez1 day ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas1 day ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez1 day ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki1 day ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim1 day ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano1 day ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones2 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry3 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win