NFL odds, lines, picks, spreads, best bets, predictions for Week 18, 2021: Model backing Buccaneers, Seahawks

The calendar has flipped to 2022, however the 2021 NFL season will proceed on Sunday with the primary ever Week 18 after the league expanded the season to 17 video games through the offseason. The variety of groups to make the NFL playoffs was additionally expanded from 12 to 14, and it has saved issues extremely thrilling all yr. Proper now there are three postseason spots up for grabs and 7 groups vying for them, together with the Colts as they tackle the Jaguars on Sunday in a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Colts narrowly squeaked by the Jaguars in Week 10 (23-17), however they’re 15.5-point favorites within the newest Week 18 NFL odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Nevertheless, the Colts aren’t the biggest favorites of the week with the newest Week 18 NFL traces itemizing the Payments as 17-point favorites over the Jets. All the Week 18 NFL traces are listed beneath and SportsLine’s advanced computer model has all the NFL betting advice and predictions you need to make the best Week 18 NFL picks now.

The mannequin, which simulates each NFL sport 10,000 instances, is up over $7,200 for $100 gamers on top-rated NFL picks since its inception six-plus years in the past. The mannequin enters Week 18 of the 2021 season on an unbelievable 135-96 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates again to the 2017 season.

The mannequin additionally ranked within the prime 10 on NFLPickWatch 4 of the previous 5 years on straight-up NFL picks and beat greater than 94 % of CBS Sports activities Soccer Decide’em gamers 4 instances throughout that span. Anybody who has adopted it’s approach up.

Now, it has turned its consideration to the newest Week 18 NFL odds and locked in picks for each NFL matchup. Head here to see every pick.

High Week 18 NFL predictions

One of many mannequin’s strongest Week 18 NFL picks is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cowl as eight-point favorites at house over Carolina on Sunday. The No. 1 seed within the NFC is out of attain, however the Buccaneers are nonetheless battling with the Rams to climb as excessive as No. 2. Coach Bruce Arians has already introduced that Tampa Bay will not be resting its starters.

Meaning we should always see Tom Brady underneath middle, and even with some points at vast receiver, we have seen repeatedly that Brady can elevate ancillary receivers when wanted. In the meantime, the Panthers have fallen aside after beginning the season 3-0. They’ve misplaced six video games in a row and have solely managed two wins of their final 13 video games and so they have an identical 2-11 document towards the unfold throughout that span.

The mannequin predicts that the Tampa Bay protection data three sacks and forces a few turnovers to assist restrict the Panthers to 19 factors. It additionally tasks that Brady throws for over 275 yards and averages 2.30 touchdowns to assist the Bucs cowl the unfold in almost 60 % of simulations, whereas over 41.5 hits 70 % of the time.

One other one in every of its Week 18 NFL predictions: The Seahawks (+6.5) keep inside the unfold towards the Cardinals on the highway. Seattle has excelled in latest weeks within the one space the place Arizona has a real weak point and that is the run sport. Seattle’s Rashaad Penny leads the NFL in speeding yards (481) during the last 4 weeks and has topped 130 yards in three of his final 4 video games. In the meantime, Arizona ranks twenty first in yards per rush allowed and has allowed two of its final three opponents to hurry for over 125 yards.

Having an efficient floor sport ought to enable Seattle to manage the clock and maintain Arizona’s offense off the sphere. The Cardinals are already in a dry spell offensively, and have averaged simply 19 factors per sport over their final 4 in comparison with 28.6 over their first dozen contests. The protection additionally is not the opportunistic unit it was earlier within the yr as Arizona has simply two whole takeaways over its final 4 video games.

The mannequin has taken all of that under consideration and is projecting Penny rushes for 90 yards, whereas Seattle has almost 150 yards on the bottom as a staff. SportsLine’s mannequin has this as a more in-depth sport than what the unfold implies and it has Arizona successful by 5 factors. Thus, Seattle (+6.5) is projected to cowl virtually 60 % of the time and simulations additionally say the Beneath (48) hits in properly over 50 % of simulations.

Find out how to make Week 18 NFL picks

The mannequin has additionally made the decision on who wins and covers in each different sport on the Week 18 NFL schedule, and it is calling for a Tremendous Bowl contender to go down exhausting. You can only get every pick for every game at SportsLine.

So which NFL picks are you able to make with confidence, and which Tremendous Bowl contender goes down exhausting? Try the newest NFL odds beneath, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $7,200 since its inception, and discover out.