Every week billions of dollars are wagered on the NFL. The most popular type of bet is the spread. Each week there are a few games with an appealing spread and others with an ugly spread. To help bettors figure out which spreads they should bet on and which to avoid, two of our NFL writers, Mike Fanelli and Dale Money, give their take on every spread for each of this weekend’s games.
To recap, last week, Mike finished with a 7-9 record while Dale finished 8-8. For the year, Mike is 111-125-2 while Dale is 126-110-2. Let’s take a look at their picks for Week 18.
Spreads are provided by Jazz Sportsbook. Please bet responsibly.
Be sure to check out our NFL betting advice article each week.
|
Game |
Mike |
Dale |
|
Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos +10.5 |
KC -10.5 |
DEN +10.5 |
|
Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles +4 |
PHI +4 |
DAL -4 |
|
Washington Football Team vs New York Giants +7 |
WAS -7 |
WAS -7 |
|
Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns -6 |
CIN +6 |
CLE -6 |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens -3.5 |
PIT +3.5 |
PIT +3.5 |
|
Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions +3.5 |
GB -3.5 |
DET +3.5 |
|
Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars +15.5 |
JAX +15.5 |
JAX +15.5 |
|
Chicago Bears vs Minnesota Vikings -5.5 |
CHI +5.5 |
MIN -5.5 |
|
Tennessee Titans vs Houston Texans +10 |
TEN -10 |
TEN -10 |
|
New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons +3.5 |
NO -3.5 |
NO -3.5 |
|
Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals -6.5 |
SEA +6.5 |
SEA +6.5 |
|
New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills -16 |
BUF -16 |
BUF -16 |
|
Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers -8 |
TB -8 |
CAR +8 |
|
New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins +6.5 |
MIA +6.5 |
NE -6.5 |
|
San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams -4.5 |
SF +4.5 |
SF +4.5 |
|
Los Angeles Chargers vs Las Vegas Raiders +3 |
LV +3 |
LAC -3 |
The Team to Bet
Mike: Miami Dolphins +6.5
While the Dolphins have been eliminated from the playoffs, Brian Flores won’t let this team quit. The New England Patriots are in the playoffs but need a win and a Buffalo Bills loss to win the AFC East. More importantly, the Dolphins have historically played well against the Patriots in Miami. Over the past nine years, the Dolphins have outright won six of those games against the Patriots in south Florida. Furthermore, they have covered the spread in seven of those games. More importantly, the Dolphins haven’t been heavy underdogs much this season. In the Week 1 matchup against the Patriots, the Dolphins were 3.5 point underdogs but came away with the outright victory. Don’t be surprised if they come away with the outright victory again tomorrow.
Dale: Minnesota Vikings -5.5
With Kirk Cousins on the field, this Vikings team is entirely different from the one that took a beating from Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers last week. More importantly, Cousins led the Vikings to a respectable 17-9 win over the Chicago Bears a few weeks ago. David Montgomery failed to contribute much for the Bears in that game, gaining only 60 yards on the ground. Furthermore, Andy Dalton will start with Justin Fields on the Covid-19 list. As the game moves into the fourth quarter, Cousins will provide an effective fourth-quarter touchdown drive connecting with Justin Jefferson for the late score, covering the spread for the Vikings.
The Team to Avoid
Mike: New York Jets +16
After a hot start this season, the Bills cooled off. However, they have recently gotten back on track. They have won three games in a row, winning by an average of 14.3 points per game. Furthermore, they have been 13.5 points or more favorites in two of those three games, covering the spread in both. More importantly, the Bills are 4-1 against the spread this season when favored by 13.5 or more points. In the Week 10 matchup against the Jets, the Bills were 13.5 point favorites. They went on to win that game 45-17. Meanwhile, the Jets will be without several offensive players tomorrow because of injuries. While the Jets want to play spoilers, the Bills will come out focused and win by at least 21 points.
Dale: Las Vegas Raiders +3
The Raiders have won their last three games and played solidly enough. However, they have not won any of those games convincingly. Their biggest win came against the Denver Broncos, where they won by just four points. Hunter Renfrow will continue to carry the Raiders’ receiving corps, so he’s crucial. If Los Angeles Chargers can shut down Renfrow, Derek Carr will be hard-pressed to find a receiver that can exploit their defense. On the other side, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles offense will be too much for the Raiders’ defense to handle. The winner of this game makes the playoffs, and Herbert will not let that opportunity slip away. Take the Chargers minus the three points.
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