It isn't necessarily easy to interpret betting odds on the NFL in a regular week. That being said, all the best betting sites for the NFL are truly turned upside down during the final week of the regular season. Some teams are giving it their all; some Super Bowl contenders are resting guys to play it safe; and other bad squads are tanking to improve their 2022 NFL draft odds.
All of this makes for a wild betting landscape. Many NFL bettors, in fact, avoid the final week of the regular season altogether. Not us, though. We merely approach them in a different way. In this case, our Week 18 NFL picks are trying to figure out whether the Green Bay Packers will try vs Detroit after securing a first-round playoff bye. But we're also trying to find the best NFL bets possible—our Week 18 NFL betting locks, if you will.
Let us start, as always, by surveying the latest NFL Week 18 betting odds from BetOnline:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | -450 | +360 | Denver Broncos |
| Dallas Cowboys | -300 | +250 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Green Bay Packers | -140 | +245 | Detroit Lions |
| Minnesota Vikings | -145 | +125 | Chicago Bears |
| Indianapolis Colts | -1050 | +675 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Tennessee Titans | -525 | +420 | Houston Texans |
| Washington Football Team | -300 | +250 | New York Giants |
| Baltimore Ravens | -225 | +195 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| New England Patriots | -280 | +235 | Miami Dolphins |
| Buffalo Bills | -850 | +615 | New York Jets |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | -450 | +325 | Carolina Panthers |
| New Orleans Saints | -205 | +175 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Arizona Cardinals | -280 | +235 | Seattle Seahawks |
| Los Angeles Rams | -205 | +175 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Los Angeles Chargers | -160 | +140 | Las Vegas Raiders |
Every Week 18 NFL prediction we make will be based on NFL betting odds from Wednesday January 5. If you're placing your NFL Week 18 picks anytime thereafter, you will need to double-check all NFL betting lines for continued accuracy. And if you haven't already, consider perusing our in-depth reviews of the best online sportsbooks so you can find the top NFL betting site for all your football betting.
Best Week 18 NFL Picks for 2021 Regular Season
In addition to dropping our best NFL bets ahead of Week 18, we'll also be wrapping with an NFL parlay prediction for you to try out. This is our attempt to keep things interesting, and to put our Week 18 NFL locks to the ultimate test.
Will Green Bay Try to Beat Detroit?
Aaron Rodgers, the MVP favorite, isn't expected to play much or at all against the Lions. The Packers have already clinched a first-round bye. They have nothing to play for.
But the Lions are bad. This is a great chance to capitalize on near-even-money odds for a team in Green Bay that has more than enough to eke out a victory with or without the MVP in Week 18.
OSB Prediction: Green Bay Packers (-140)
Dallas will Hold Off Philadelphia
The Cowboys have already clinched the NFC East title, leaving them with very little to play for in Week 18. However, their first-round opponent remains very much up in the air, and the assumption is that Dak Prescott and the starters will play at least half the game.
Translation: This is good news for Dallas bettors. It's bad news for Philadelphia.
OSB Prediction: Dallas Cowboys (-300)
Arizona Looks to Clinch NFC West Title
With a playoff berth on lock, the Cardinals could technically play it safe in Week 18 and bench quarterback Kyle Murray to preserve him for the postseason. Related: They won't do that.
Arizona has a chance to clinch the NFC West with a win over the lowly Seahawks and a Rams loss to the 49ers. You better believe the Cardinals will want this one, and the home-field advantage a victory could ensure.
OSB Prediction: Arizona Cardinals (-280)
New Orleans Fights with Playoff Hopes on Life Support
Believe it or not, the Saints still have something to play for despite laboring through one of the most turbulent seasons in the league. New Orleans will punch a playoff ticket if they beat the Falcons and San Francisco loses to the Rams.
Will L.A. beat San Francisco? We're not quite sure. But the Saints will hold up their end of the bargain against an Atlanta team with nothing to compete for.
OSB Prediction: New Orleans Saints (-205)
Bills Keep AFC East Title Hopes Alive vs. New York Jets
Truthfully, with the Jets tanking, the Bills could bench pretty much everyone and probably pick up a victory. But Buffalo will be rolling out Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and the rest of the gang.
After beating the Patriots in their second meeting of the season, the Bills now control their own fate. Win against New York, and they'll be the AFC East champs. Lose, and they'll need New England to also fall to grab the divisional crown. We're betting the Bills buckle up and take down one of the NFL's worst teams without much drama.
OSB Prediction: Buffalo Bills (-1050)
NFL Parlay for Week 18
Since we ended up picking so many NFL Week 18 favorites, we urge you to consider parlaying all five best NFL bets to increase your return. Here's a review of what your parlay should look like:Green Bay (-140)
- Green Bay (-140)
- Dallas (-300)
- Arizona (-280)
- New Orleans (-205)
- Buffalo (-1050)
If all five of these NFL Week 18 picks hit, this parlay pays out roughly 5-to-1. That means, for $100 you bet, you stand to win $507.68—a profit of more than $400!
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your NFL betting:
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