Seventeen weeks of football have come and gone which means it’s the home stretch of the regular season. Only one week remains before some teams advance to the playoffs and the rest head home to watch it on TV. With that said, Week 18 is unlike any other week in the regular season. Teams that have solidified their playoff spot will likely sit some of their starters to avoid injuries before the playoffs. That makes some of the games difficult to predict, so let’s take a look back at Week 17 and then get into what to expect in Week 18 along with our NFL best bets.
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Week 17 Headlines
Week 17 was a rollercoaster. It had multiple games on Christmas, the most boring Thursday Night Football game of the season and some thrilling endings. Here are a few of the biggest things that happened last week.
An Unexpected And Costly Giants Win
The New York Giants had lost 10 straight games and held the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. All the Giants needed to do to remain in that slot was to lose their last two games of the season, but they messed that up too. New York upset the Colts 45-33 as Drew Lock had his best game of the season and also knocked the Giants down to the #4 pick in the Draft at the same time. He threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns on just 17 completions and Malik Nabers showed out with seven catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
The Giants are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback and Lock might have jeopardized their chances of getting their first or second choice. It’ll be interesting to see how New York finishes in the NFL Draft order after Week 18.
Bengals Keep Their Playoff Hopes Alive
Joe Burrow and the Bengals needed to win in Week 17 in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, Cincy was hosting the Broncos, who also needed to win in order to guarantee their spot in the playoffs. That led to a very exciting game with an even more dramatic ending. A one-yard touchdown run by Burrow with a minute left in the game put the Bengals up a touchdown and seemed like the game-winning score. But Bo Nix led the Broncos downfield and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-1 to tie the game with eight seconds left.
The game went to overtime and both teams had an opportunity to possess the ball. But finally, Burrow found Tee Higgins for his third touchdown of the game to win it for the Bengals and stay alive in the playoff race.
Vikings Win A Thriller Over Packers
One of the best games of the week was a divisional matchup between the Packers and Vikings. Sam Darnold was having an incredible first season in Minnesota and he needed to lead the Vikings to a win in order to keep them in the race for the NFC North. Darnold dominated in the spotlight as he completed 33 of his 43 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns. It was enough for the Vikings to hold on for the 27-25 victory and improve to 14-2 on the season.
Heading into Week 18, the Vikings and Lions are both 14-2. In a perfect ending to the season, the two teams will play each other on Sunday Night Football to decide the winner of the NFC North.
Week 18 Storylines
There is plenty to discuss ahead of Week 18. Here are just a few of the biggest things happening this week.
Saquon Barkley Will Not Break The Rush Record
Saquon Barkley has had a historically good season in his first year in Philadelphia. He continued his fantastic campaign with 167 rushing yards on just 31 carries in last week’s thrashing of the Cowboys. Barkley sits just 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s record for most rushing yards in a single season. That seemed very plausible considering he’s run for at least 101 yards in six of the last seven games.
However, the Eagles have announced that Barkley will rest in Week 18. That means Dickerson’s record is safe for another year and the next time we see Barkley will be in the playoffs.
Could This Be Aaron Rodgers’ Last Game For The Jets… Or Ever?
Could this be the last time that Aaron Rodgers starts for the Jets? It’s certainly possible, but an even bigger question that came up after last week’s loss was if this could be his last game ever. The Jets lost to the Bills 40-14 last week which dropped their record to 4-12. After the game, Rodgers admitted that he knows this could be his last season with the Jets after the lackluster year.
He also acknowledged that his 241st start could be his last if he decides not to return next season. We probably won’t know his decision for a while, but it could be the end of the line for an all-time great quarterback in Week 18.
Lions And Vikings Battle For Divisional Title On Snf
The NFC North has been absolutely incredible this season (except for the Bears). The Lions and Vikings are tied at the top with a 14-2 record and the Packers are not far behind with an 11-5 record. It’s the only division in the league that has 3 teams with at least 10 wins. There are even two divisions without a single team at 10 wins, which demonstrates just how impressive the NFC North has been.
The race for the NFC North will end on Sunday Night Football. The Vikings and Lions are playing each other with the division title on the line for this week’s edition of SNF and the final game of the regular season. Oddsmakers have listed the Lions as 2.5-point favorites.
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Week 18 Best Bets
For our NFL Week 18 best bets, we’re targeting a pair of teams that have plenty of motivation to win.
Cincinnati Bengals -1.5 Over Pittsburgh Steelers (-110)
Three things need to happen for the Bengals to make the playoffs. First, they need to beat the Steelers. Second, they need the Dolphins to lose to the Jets. And third, the Broncos need to lose to the Chiefs. Burrow and the Bengals are up first as they play Saturday night and I’m expecting Cincinnati to come out motivated to win. The offense looked unstoppable in the second half against the Broncos last week and the below-average defense stepped up in a big way in big moments. Back Burrow to lead the Bengals to a win.
Minnesota Vikings +2.5 Over Detroit Lions (-110)
The biggest game of the week will feature Sam Darnold and the Vikings against Jared Goff and the Lions for the NFC North title. The expectation is that this game will be decided by one possession, and I think that’s very possible. However, I can’t put my faith in the Lions’ defense right now. In the last four games, Detroit has allowed 34, 17, 48 and 31 points. The Lions obviously have a fantastic offense, but that’s not their issue. I think the Vikings have the edge on defense which will be the difference in this game, so I’m taking the points with Minnesota.
