NFL Week 18 arrives in an exciting fashion with critical division matchups, and NFL betting lines show some intriguing underdogs.
Before you make your picks on the NFL underdog betting lines for visiting teams, check out my favorite bets for Week 18 below.
Steelers (+5.5) at Ravens
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 9
- Time: 1:00 P.M. EST on CBS
- Venue: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense came up huge against the Cleveland Browns Monday night. Pittsburgh sacked Baker Mayfield nine times and intercepted him twice to win 26-14.
Najee Harris carried most of the load with 28 carries for 188 yards and one touchdown on offense. Ben Roethlisberger went 24 of 46 for 123 yards and one touchdown in his final home game.
The Baltimore Ravens allow the fewest rushing yards in the NFL, so Pittsburgh may not have as much success on the ground in this game. The Ravens pass defense is 32nd in yards allowed per game. I believe the Steelers will have to win this game through the air instead of relying on Harris to carry the offensive load.
Baltimore’s 20-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams was their fourth loss in their past five games by two points or less.
Pittsburghs’ defense excels at getting after the quarterback. They have more sacks (52) than any other team in the NFL. In their last three games, they’re also seventh at passing yards allowed per game (170). Pittsburgh’s run defense is in the bottom half of the league, while Baltimore’s running game averages 139.4 yards per game (5th).
I believe Baltimore will try to run the ball and control the clock in this game, while Pittsburgh will rely on the arm of Big Ben to keep this game close. Considering that Baltimore hasn’t won a game by over six points since Week 6, I’m taking Pittsburgh as one of my best underdog bets to cover in Week 18.
San Francisco (+4.5) at Los Angeles Rams
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 9
- Time: 4:25 P.M. EST on FOX
- Venue: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA
The Rams are riding a five-game winning streak with a chance to clinch the NFC West. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers are fighting for a wild card spot.
The difference in this game might come from the 49ers’ defense. San Francisco is 5th against the pass (206.8 per game), 9th against the run (106 per game), and 4th in total yards allowed per game (312.8). While the Rams have the fifth-best passing offense this season (277.6 per game), they’ve only averaged 235.3 in their past three games. They’re also 24th in rushing yards per game.
In their 31-10 win over the Rams earlier this season, the 49ers ran 44 times for 156 yards.
Jimmy Garoppolo continued to keep the Rams’ defense off balance in that game. He went 15-19 for 182 yards and 2 TDs. The 49ers’ defense held the Rams to only 52 yards on the ground.
Last week, the Rams escaped with a 20-19 win over the struggling Baltimore Ravens. They needed 13 fourth-quarter points to win and rushed for only 73 yards.
It might be worth waiting until Friday’s injury report, but if Garoppolo plays, I believe the 49ers can win again or keep this game close enough to cover the spread.
Week 18: NFL Underdog Betting Lines
With so much on the line in a historic NFL Week 18, playoff implications are massive for underdog bets. Which NFL underdog betting lines do you like this weekend?
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