NFL Week 18 Takeaways & Picks update
The 2021 NFL regular season ended with a wild OT game between the Chargers and the Raiders to determine the final playoff team or teams. The rare situation in which both teams would make the playoffs with a tie was in the universe. The Chargers and Raiders came very close to ending in a tie, but the Raiders won yet another OT game (fourth OT game this year!). The Raiders win allowed the Steelers to get in due to them having a tie. So now the first round of the AFC playoffs looks like this:
1) Titans - BYE
2) Chiefs vs 7) Steelers
3) Bills vs 6) Patriots
4) Bengals vs 5) Raiders
The NFL re-seeding after every round is the best idea, I wish other sports would take. The Wild Card round of the playoffs always has unbelievable finishes and upsets. Home field doesn’t help very much in the wild card round, as I believe road teams have a winning record the past few seasons. The NFC bracket is below:
1) Packers - BYE
2) Bucs vs 7) Eagles
3) Cowboys vs 6) 49ers
4) Rams vs 5) Cardinals
In the NFC, the 49ers beat the Rams, but the Cardinals lost to the Seahawks, allowing the Rams to win the division and the 49ers to make the playoffs. The Eagles had already clinched along with the Cardinals, so those matchups weren’t very eventful. I can’t wait to watch these playoff games and bet on them.
NFL Week 18 Picks Update (Spread)
Saturday, Jan. 8:
Chiefs @ Broncos — ESPN, 4:30 p.m. ET - Broncos +11.5 - ✅ - +$7.63
Cowboys @ Eagles — ESPN, 9:15 p.m. ET - Eagles +3.5 - ❌ - lost $4
Sunday, Jan. 9:
Packers @ Lions — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - Lions +4 - ✅ - +$7.63
Colts @ Jags — CBS, 1 p.m. ET - Jags +14 - ✅ - +$7.63
WFT @ Giants — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - Giants +5.5 - ❌ - lost $4
Bears @ Vikings — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - Vikings -3.5 - ✅ - +$7.63
Titans @ Texans — CBS, 1 p.m. ET - Texans +10.5 - ✅ - +$7.47
Steelers @ Ravens — CBS, 1 p.m. ET - Ravens -3 - ❌ - lost $4
Bengals @ Browns — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - Browns -6.5 - ❌ -lost $4
Niners @ Rams — FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET - Niners +3 - ✅ - +$7.80
Panthers @ Bucs — CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET - Bucs -10 - ✅ - +$7.63
Seahawks @ Cardinals — FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET - Seahawks +5.5 - ✅ - +$7.63
Patriots @ Dolphins — CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET - Patriots -6 - ❌ - lost $4
Saints @ Falcons — FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET - Falcons +4.5 - ❌ - lost $4
Jets @ Bills — CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET - Jets +15.5 - ❌ - lost $4
Chargers @ Raiders — NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET - Chargers -3 - ❌ - lost $4
$4 on each game - $64 invested and $61.05 returned
NFL Week 18 Picks update (Straight)
Saturday, Jan. 8:
Chiefs @ Broncos — ESPN, 4:30 p.m. ET - Chiefs - ✅ - +$4.66
Cowboys @ Eagles — ESPN, 9:15 p.m. ET - Eagles - ❌ - lost $4
Sunday, Jan. 9:
Packers @ Lions — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - Lions - ✅ - +$10.60
Colts @ Jags — CBS, 1 p.m. ET - Colts - ❌ - lost $4
WFT @ Giants — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - WFT - ✅ - +$5.70
Bears @ Vikings — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - Vikings - ✅ - +$6.10
Titans @ Texans — CBS, 1 p.m. ET - Titans - ✅ - +$4.76
Steelers @ Ravens — CBS, 1 p.m. ET - Ravens - ❌ - lost $4
Bengals @ Browns — FOX, 1 p.m. ET - Browns - ✅ - +$5.50
Niners @ Rams — FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET - Rams - ❌ - lost $4
Panthers @ Bucs — CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET - Bucs - ✅ - +$4.84
Seahawks @ Cardinals — FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET - Seahawks - ✅ - +$11.80
Patriots @ Dolphins — CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET - Patriots - ❌ - lost $4
Saints @ Falcons — FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET - Falcons - ❌ - lost $4
Jets @ Bills — CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET - Bills - ✅ - +$4.32
Chargers @ Raiders — NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET - Chargers - ❌ - lost $4
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
$4 on each game - $64 invested - returned $58.28
