The Best NFL Underdogs For Week 18

The final week of the NFL regular season marks one last opportunity for teams to clinch a postseason berth and improve their seeding. While football pundits are already discussing Wild Card Round matchups, some NFL underdogs intend to shake up the landscape in Week 18.

We are breaking down and highlighting the best NFL underdogs picks to lock in at NFL betting sites for Week 18.

Best NFL Week 18 Underdogs

The following NFL underdog odds are courtesy of Bovada:

NFL Underdog Pick #1: Seahawks at Cardinals (+3.5)

The Seattle Seahawks remain in the NFL Playoff race, but they do not control their own destiny after a 30-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. That was the Seahawks’ best chance. Now, they will have to depend on the Green Packers losing to Chicago at home, and a win over the Arizona Cardinals.

That is not an impossible task given how well the Bears have been playing as of late. That being said, the Cardinals suddenly aren’t the easiest assignment. Arizona is coming off an incredibly impressive 35-31 upset over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles needed that win to preserve their standing for the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but the defense couldn’t get a stop. With Kyler Murray and James Conner finally getting some time on the field together over the last month, the Cardinals’ offense has been in solid shape.

Conner is running hard and with a purpose. The 28-year-old is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, for a total of 890 yards rushing in just 12 games. In his last four games, Conner has scored six all-purpose touchdowns¹.

The issue for the Seahawks in this matchup is their run defense. Pittsburgh gashed the Seahawks on the ground, and so have other teams. The Seahawks rank 30th in the NFL, with an average of 134.1 yards rushing yielded per game². Conner should be able to control the time of possession on the ground.

The Seahawks are statistically alive for the NFL Playoffs. However, judging by their body language last week, the loss against the Steelers was the end of the road. The Cardinals have been a solid bet at 4-3 against the spread (ATS).

Going on the road following a demoralizing loss at home should be tough for the Seahawks. For our first NFL underdogs pick, we like the Cardinals as a home underdog.

NFL Underdog Pick #2: Cowboys vs Commanders (+13.5)

The Dallas Cowboys travel to Washington with an NFC East crown on the line. If the Cowboys our victorious, then they win the NFC East division. In the process, that’ll cash our futures bet on the Cowboys to win the NFC East.

The Cowboys have to keep their focus and not get ahead of themselves. They were the beneficiaries of a botched flag call against the Detroit Lions in Week 17.

Despite holding on, Dan Quinn’s defense laid down the red carpet for the Lions on the game’s final drive to concede six points and almost lose the game. The big sack from Micah Parsons that Cowboys fans were anticipating never materialized.

Nevertheless, the schedule works out for the Cowboys, as they have a chance to clinch the division against an inferior Washington squad as 13.5-point favorites.

The Commanders dropped to 4-12 on the season following a 27-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. They are losers in seven straight games, with their most recent win over the New England Patriots on November 5. This surely is an auto-loss against the Cowboys, right?

It’s important to keep in mind that the Cowboys haven’t exactly been on fire as a road team. They went undefeated at home this season, but are just 3-5 on the road. At AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys averaged 425.8 yards per game. Meanwhile, as a visitor, they’ve averaged just 308.9 yards per contest³.

That is a significant difference between their home and away production. As much talent as the Cowboys have on the offensive side of the ball, they’ve gone into sleepwalk mode on the road this year. If they go into Washington thinking that the Commanders are a free win, this game could get interesting.

The Cowboys are 3-5 ATS and have been a losing bet against the spread on the road. They should win to clinch the NFC East. However, laying roughly two touchdowns on a team that struggles to finish on the road isn’t the best value.

NFL Underdog Pick #3: Eagles at Giants (+5)

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl 58 stock has plummeted down the stretch this season. They’ve lost four of their last five games after an entertaining OT win over the Buffalo Bills on November 26.

The Eagles had a clear path to win the division, though their odds have evaporated with the Cowboys a win away. There is a chance that they tumble down to the No. 5 seed and concede the No. 2 spot to the Cowboys.

This isn’t a must-win game for the Eagles. At 11-5, they’ve already clinched an NFL Playoffs berth. For the Eagles’ psyche and locker room outlook going into the postseason, head coach Nick Sirianni needs this team to come together in Week 18.

Currently, the Eagles are out of sorts and need a mistake-free game entering the NFL Playoffs. The 5-11 Giants have nothing to play for this season, but frustrating a divisional rival seems like a nice consolation prize to go into the season with at home.

The Giants didn’t quit last week against a playoff team. They went down to the wire in a 26-25 loss to the LA Rams at home. The offense has been under decent control, with QB Tyrod Taylor running the show.

Taylor’s dual-threat ability has opened up the Giants’ offense just a bit. Wide receiver Darius Slayton certainly appreciates having Taylor on the field.

The 26-year-old had his first 100-yard performance of the year against the Rams. This was after a season high one week earlier against the Eagles⁴.

The Giants’ defense has had a different look at home this season. They’ve yielded less than 300 yards, as opposed to over 400 yards per game on the road⁵. The defense should have some extra motivation to step up against Jalen Hurts.

At 4-2-1 ATS, the Giants are a profitable bet at home this season. They are 4-0-1 ATS in their previous five games at home.

Additionally, the Giants are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall, and 4-1 ATS as an underdog. We like the Giants on our Week 18 NFL underdogs card.

NFL Underdog Pick #4: Browns (+6.5) at Bengals

The Bengals were eliminated from the NFL Playoffs with a 25-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Bengals’ backup QB Jake Browning gave it a solid go over the last month. They didn’t lose at Arrowhead due to Browning’s effort.

The offensive line didn’t give Browning much of a chance. It’s imperative that the offensive line protects with an inexperienced QB in the pocket. That didn’t happen, and now the Bengals will finish the season against the best defense in the NFL.

Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski hasn’t been transparent regarding his Week 18 strategy. Stefanski will likely keep starters on the bench in some capacity, but the defense should perform at a high level regardless.

Overall, the Browns have the best team defense in the NFL. They’ve yielded an impressive 165.9 yards passing per game for the best secondary⁶. With 266.6 yards allowed as a team, the Browns are the best statistically by a considerable margin.

Jim Schwartz’s aggressive defensive philosophy won’t regardless of who is on the field. This will be up against a spotty Bengals’ offensive line, which has allowed 2.9 sacks per game for 26th in the league⁷. It wouldn’t be shocking to see this defense lead the Browns to the AFC Conference Championship.

As soon as Ja’Marr Chase returned to the field, wide receiver Tee Higgins suffered a hamstring injury this past week. Higgins’ status for Week 18 is currently unknown.

The Browns may turn to their second-team offense, but the Bengals can’t be too excited for this matchup. For all intents and purposes, the Bengals’ season ended last week against the Chiefs. They probably aren’t the most motivated team to play this week.

In their last seven meetings, the Browns have thoroughly dominated this inter-state rivalry series against the Bengals at 6-1. Also, the Bengals are 0-7 ATS in their previous seven matchups versus AFC North opponents.

Consider including the Browns for your NFL underdog picks at sports betting sites in Week 18.

NFL A.I. Underdog Picks For Week 18

Our NFL A.I. picks engine has consistently delivered winning NFL bets throughout the season. As we approach the end of the regular season, we hope to add more winning NFL picks to our profitable campaign.

In Week 17, the NFL A.I. picks had yet another profitable performance. At 10-6 ATS (62.5%) and 14-2 (87.5%) on moneyline wagers, we added more units to our growing bankroll in the NFL. Access our NFL A.I. picks update page to view our season-long results.

Featured NFL Week 18 A.I. Underdog Picks

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (+5)

• Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (+5)

• Atlanta Falcons (+3.5) at New Orleans Saints

• Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (+5)

• Chicago Bears (+3) at Green Bay Packers

NFL Parlay for Week 18 Underdogs

Cap off your Week 18 card with NFL parlay picks at Bovada. We are playing a four-team parlay against the spread, and then taking a long shot on an underdog moneyline parlay.

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Week 18 Underdogs Parlay #1:

The following NFL underdogs parlay against the spread offers a potential payout of $1,149.21 on a $100 wager at Bovada:

• Arizona Cardinals +3.5 (-120)
• Washington Commanders +13.5 (-115)
• New York Giants +5 (-110)
• Cleveland Browns +6.5 (-110)

Week 18 Underdogs Parlay #2:

The following NFL underdogs moneyline parlay includes potential winnings of $13,856.98 on a $100 wager at Bovada:

• Arizona Cardinals (+130)
• Washington Commanders (+575)
• New York Giants (+190)
• Cleveland Browns (+210)

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