Online betting on games from the last week of the NFL’s regular season brings some special challenges. Some teams have locked up their playoff positioning, and so they will rest some or all of their starters. For example, in the NFC, Green Bay has already sewn up the top seed. Will Aaron Rodgers play in Week 18? He has announced that he will, along with wide receiver Davante Adams, but how long will they stay in what should be a laugher against Detroit? Could the Lions climb back in for a backdoor cover in the second half? The Dallas Cowboys are basically locked into the fourth slot in the NFC; if that position is completely locked by the time the Cowboys face the Eagles on Saturday evening, will Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott take the field, or will Dallas roll with backups? These are factors that you will want to check for updates before you lock in your wagers; at this writing, though, these are some NFL picks for Week 18 that we feel are no-brainers.
NFL News: Week 18 Lock Picks
San Francisco 49ers (+5.5) at L.A. Rams (O/U 44.5)
Sunday, 4:25 pm ET, FOX
San Francisco won the home game in this NFC West series, using physicality and a bruising running game to shut down the Rams. This time around, it looks like the 49ers will have to start Trey Lance, as Jimmy Garoppolo remains questionable with a finger injury on his throwing hand. Lance threw for 249 yards in a 23-7 home win over Houston, as Brandon Aiyuk picked up 94 receiving yards and Elijah Mitchell ran for 119.
The Rams got a huge comeback win in Baltimore, as Matthew Stafford threw for 309 yards in a 20-19 squeaker, finding Odell Beckham Jr for a touchdown as time wound down in the fourth quarter. The San Francisco secondary is not elite, so Stafford should find opportunities to throw the ball to the likes of OBJ and Cooper Kupp, but why can’t the 49ers bring that same combination of factors the second time around?
49ers to cover : Bet the Game Today
New Orleans Saints (-4.5) at Atlanta Falcons (40.5)
Sunday, 1:00 pm ET, FOX
Carolina took down New Orleans on the road last week, despite 222 yards out of Saints quarterback Taysom Hill. Atlanta went into the locker room up by a point in Buffalo, although they had no answer for 15 unanswered points in the second half. Both of these teams play grinding wars of attrition at this point, as the Saints are run-first with their offense, whether they use Hill or Alvin Kamara, and the Falcons occasionally get a throwback effort out of Matt Ryan. I see the Falcons putting up maximum effort to deny the Saints a slot in the postseason.
Falcons to cover : Bet the Game Today
Dallas Cowboys (-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (41.5)
Saturday, 8:15 pm ET, ESPN
The Cowboys might end playing Philadelphia again in the wild card round, and they also could end up facing the Arizona Cardinals, who won in Dallas last week. No matter what, as NFC East champions they will host the wild card game, and given how poorly Dallas has played against teams outside the NFC East, giving their all in Week 18 in Philadelphia doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
The Cowboys have announced that they will play their starters, including quarterback Dak Prescott, in the finale. The Eagles have not made a similar announcement, and Jalen Hurts has struggled with ankle issues this season. Both teams might give their key starters some rest, but the Cowboys need a good showing more than the Eagles do. With that pressure, the Cowboys tend to fold, so I’m going with the value – and with the team that has nothing to lose.
Eagles to cover : Bet the Game Today
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