NFL Week 18 betting tips, points spreads, accumulators and best bets
Ross Williams scours Sunday's Week 18 coupon for three bets, including in-form Demarcus Robinson to score a touchdown.
NFL betting tips: Week 18
3pts Justin Jefferson (Vikings) over 92.5 receiving yards at 5/6 (Sky Bet)
2pts Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4.5) to win at 10/11 (Sky Bet)
1pt Demarcus Robinson (Rams) to score a touchdown at 9/4 (bet365)
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
- Sunday, 2125 GMT
The 49ers and Rams are set to ring the changes on Sunday, with playoff spots secure for both teams. There’s little reason to take on the match betting market with the line-ups so unusual, but a game like this should provide some value in the back-ups.
It’s already been confirmed that Cooper Kupp won’t be lining up for the Rams on Sunday, so the Los Angeles receiver unit will look a little different from the start.
With Puka Nacua on the brink of breaking rookie records for both receptions and receiving yards, he’ll likely start for the visitors, but Sean McVay will surely pull one of the league’s young stars once he’s made his little piece of history in the first half.
That will leave Carson Wentz’s receiving options a little on the makeshift side for the remainder of the contest, but it’s a great opportunity for DEMARCUS ROBINSON to build on an excellent last few weeks.
Robinson didn’t catch a ball until Bonfire Night, but he’s steadily put together a very handy season since and become a key, third-choice target for the Rams. Since his first catch of the year, he’s caught 25 more across seven games, accumulating a cool 371 yards and, crucially, four touchdowns.
That quartet of scores have all come within the last five games and, although he didn’t score last week, he did have his most-productive game of the campaign, attracting ten targets, six receptions and 92 yards.
He’s earned plenty of trust down the stretch and in a game with little on the line, we can expect Wentz to find him often. Receiving yardage lines can be hard to come by, but I’d take any number for Robinson within reason on Sunday.
In the meantime, his price to find the endzone looks like value.
Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
- Sunday, 1800 GMT
The Detroit Lions are enjoying their finest season of modern times but, with the division title wrapped up, a drop-off in the final week before the playoffs would be more than understandable.
With that in mind, we can expect the fragilities that Detroit have shown so far to be amplified as the Vikings come to town. Minnesota have a very slim chance of reaching next week’s postseason, but there’s still a chance. A win is non-negotiable.
Although they did fall to the Lions in the first fixture of the season between the pair, just two weeks ago, there were positives for Minnesota and with a result of the utmost importance, it’s fair to assume that the Vikings will seek to capitalise on what went well for them on Christmas Eve.
More than anything, they were able to utilise JUSTIN JEFFERSON with relative ease.
The star wide receiver hasn’t had the season he would have wanted due to injuries, but he’s still been excellent when on the field and the visit of the Lions produced one of his finest displays.
Just a fortnight ago, Jefferson torched the Lions secondary to the tune of six catches, 141 yards and a touchdown. It was a fabulous display from the LSU alumni, but it also shone a light on Detroit’s troubles against #1 receivers.
A week later, that light became blinding as Ceedee Lamb of the Cowboys went for 227 yards in a ludicrous display where he toyed with the Detroit defence all night.
No need to overthink this one. The Vikings need to win and they’ve generally performed well as underdogs on the road this season, covering the spread on each of those occasions. They’ll stick to what they know works and that means Jefferson has a huge chance of topping 92 receiving yards on Sunday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
- Sunday, 1800 GMT
Week 18 can be the toughest betting week of the season in some regards, but it also throws up some match-ups that look simple on paper, due to the playoff ramifications – or lack of ramifications – for certain teams.
One such example is TAMPA BAY’s trip to Carolina.
The 32nd-ranked Panthers have been in a dead rubber scenario for a while now, while the Bucs are very much in the dogfight and can clinch the NFC South title with a victory. A remarkable achievement – and testament to Baker Mayfield – as many pundits figured that Tampa would be facing a huge uphill struggle in the post-Tom Brady era.
Tampa are favoured by 4.5 points and that feels slim enough to back the favourites with a degree of confidence. Six wins separate the two sides on the record sheet, but in truth the difference between the divisional rivals this season is far wider.
The Buccaneers have won four of their last five in a run that has put them in striking distance of a home playoff tie and they rank above the Panthers in almost every relevant category.
They score 6.4 more points per game on average and concede over five points fewer per match-up. Whichever way you look at the maths, the Buccaneers look at least five points better than the Panthers and, with a divisional title with their grasp, I can see Tampa Bay running away with this one.
Posted at 1435 GMT on 06/01/24
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
MOST READ
