- The Dallas Cowboys’ betting spread had the biggest shift from -1.5 points to -7 points against the Philadelphia Eagles.
- The Green Bay Packers are now -3.5 point favorites against the Detroit Lions after becoming a +1.5 point underdog earlier this week.
- The Browns at Bengals spread has swung back and forth and it is now Cleveland at -3 with Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon out this week for Cincinnati.
We’re in the first-ever Week 18 in the history of the NFL and it’s going to be a unique one. There will be no game on Thursday or Monday. Instead, two games will be played on Sunday and the remaining 14 will be held on Sunday.
Other than the ‘different’ schedule, Week 18 also has several shifts in betting odds with some teams likely resting players and others sending players to the COVID-19 list.
The biggest odds shift comes in the Dallas at Philadelphia game which opened with the Cowboys as -1.5 point favorites but is now a seven-point game in Dallas’ favor at Caesars Sportsbook.
Dallas Eyeing Sweep, Eagles Looking to Move Up
The #DallasCowboys have an opportunity to go undefeated against the NFC East, while Philly aims to improve their playoff seeding. Check out what’s on the line for both teams heading into Saturday.
Big Picture | #DALvsPHI
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 4, 2022
The Cowboys still have a chance to finish with the NFC’s 2nd seed but will need help to do so. However, they will not need help to be able to complete a sweep of their NFC East rivals, which Dak Prescott says they want to do. Meanwhile, the Eagles can still finish one spot higher but will also need other teams to lose games to do so. Still, with those possibilities, this game could have meaning for either team.
However, with the Eagles sending a ton of names to the COVID-19 list on Monday, the spread grew to a touchdown in Dallas’ favor. However, the Cowboys have also been busy placing several players, starters included, in their own list. The likes of LB Micah Parsons, LT Tyron Smith, and CB Anthony Brown are out for the game.
At -7, right now, the Cowboys are one of five teams playing on the road who will be laying a touchdown in Week 18. The others are the Colts who are a -15.5 at the Jaguars, Tennessee at -10 in Houston, Kansas City at -10 in Denver, and Washington at -7 versus N.Y. Giants.
Rodgers Believes in Momentum
“The plan is to play on Sunday.. I’m a believer in momentum & I think it’s important for us to keep that momentum going” ~@AaronRodgers12#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/XUnMgDlxMm
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 4, 2022
The Green Bay Packers have the NFC in the bag and Aaron Rodgers is the heavy betting favorite to repeat as MVP at the best NFL sportsbooks. Week 18 should be a rest week for the starters, but not Rodgers and the Packers.
Green Bay opened as -11 point favorites to beat the Lions and that was an easy call to make. The line however turned 360 degrees around with the Packers becoming a +1.5 point underdog after Green Bay locked up the NFC last weekend. It’s swung back to the tide of the Packers with Matt LaFleur saying all starters who are healthy will start in the game and Rodgers talking about the need for momentum.
The other game with a significant shift is the Bengals at Browns. Cleveland opened as a -3 point favorite but the Bengals took over as a -3 point chalk after the dust from Week 17 had settled. But with the Bengals announcing they will rest Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon catching COVID-19, the odds have swung back to Cleveland’s favor and they are now -3.5 point favorites to beat Cincinnati.
