NFL Odds Week 18: Betting Tips after Friday's Injury Reports and Practice News
We've reached the final week of the NFL season, which means the schedule will be a mixture of critical and utterly meaningless games.
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, for example, will do battle on Sunday night in a game that will decide the AFC East. Earlier in the day, though, the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals will face off in a game that means nothing. Cincinnati has already been eliminated, while Cleveland is locked into the No. 5 seed.
Some teams with nothing to play for will rest injured stars in Week 18, while others will play them in an attempt to finish on a high note. Below, we'll dive into some of the matchups, latest injury information and practice reports to identify three wagering opportunities to consider, based on the latest odds.
Check the latest lines at DraftKings.
Bengals -7 Versus Browns
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The Browns are set to rest quarterback Joe Flacco, along with injured players like Amari Cooper and Joel Bitonio. The Bengals, meanwhile, are looking to field any top player willing to suit up. That includes No. 1 receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury.
"Ja'Marr said he's good physically and will play Sunday," Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Tee Higgins is doubtful, but Chase, Jake Browning and Joe Mixon should make plenty of positive strides against whatever shell of its defense Cleveland decides to trot out on Sunday. The Bengals defense should also shine against third-string quarterback Jeff Driskel and a collection of reserve receivers.
Cincinnati held Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to only one touchdown in Week 17.
While a win over the Browns won't mean a ton, it will ensure that Zac Taylor's squad finishes above .500 for the third straight season. Expect the Bengals to give their fans one last bright moment by beating the Browns' backups convincingly at home.
Lions -3.5 Versus Vikings
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The Detroit Lions don't have a ton to play for in Week 18. Detroit has already clinched the NFC North, and it only has a slight chance of winning the NFC's No. 2 seed—a feat that would require losses by the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
However, the Lions aren't planning on resting starters this week.
Starting standouts like Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs will give Detroit an opportunity to finish the regular season strong. That could be beneficial after last week's controversial loss to the Cowboys.
The Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, are going back to Nick Mullens at quarterback While the Vikings still have the slightest of chances to make the postseason—they need a win and losses by three other teams—they may not have the offensive talent needed to keep pace with Detroit.
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison should be up for this one, but star tight end T.J. Hockenson is out for the year with a torn ACL. Mullens can sling it well enough to keep things interesting early, but he's too turnover-prone to keep Minnesota in it.
The Lions beat the Vikings by six two weeks ago, and they should win by at least that many here.
Eagles and Giants over 42 Points
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Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles should put up points against an underwhelming New York Giants defense this weekend. However, Philly's defense has collapsed over the second half of the season and could allow New York to keep things very close in a potential track meet.
That's what we saw last week when the Arizona Cardinals stunned Philadelphia in a 35-31 upset. The in-season switch to Matt Patricia as the defensive play-caller hasn't improved things on that side of the ball, and players are still adjusting.
" That's what the higher-ups here felt was needed to get done in order to try to make a change and get some things corrected. As players, we've got to go out there and do our best to perform," pass-rusher Haason Reddick said, per Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Don't expect a sudden defensive surge this week, especially with players like Jordan Davis and Darius Slay on the injury report during the week—Slay has already been ruled out. The last game between the Giants and Eagles produced 58 total points. The rematch should be similar.
*Injury information from NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
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