NFL Week 18 Odds: Best Bets to Jump on Thursday Before Regular-Season Finales

There will be no Thursday game for Week 18, but fans will be treated to a pair of NFL contests on Saturday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will visit the Baltimore Ravens in the late afternoon. While Baltimore has already locked up the AFC's No. 1 seed, Pittsburgh needs a win to continue its playoff push. The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts will face off on Saturday night, with the winner punching a ticket to the postseason.

The rest of the Week 18 slate will unfold on Sunday, with Sunday night's game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills being for the AFC East crown.

There will be plenty at stake in this year's season finales. Below, we'll dive into some of our best bets, based on the Thursday odds.

Check the latest lines at DraftKings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew a chance to clinch the NFC South in Week 17, falling flat against the New Orleans Saints and losing 23-13. Now Tampa will be on the road with a chance to clinch against the Carolina Panthers.

It's now or never for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs, and they should come out with a lot more intensity than they showed against New Orleans. Mayfield—who is dealing with a rib injury—Mike Evans and the passing attack may struggle against an underrated Panthers pass defense, but Tampa should create plays on the ground.

Carolina ranks just 23rd in run defense, and the Buccaneers have finally found a consistent running game behind Rachaad White. Expect Tampa to control the game on the ground while limiting Bryce Young and an inconsistent Panthers offense.

The Panthers offense showed signs of life against the Green Bay Packers two weeks ago before reverting to form against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week—the result was a 26-0 loss.

The Buccaneers only won by a field goal the last time these two teams met. If they can't win more convincingly this time around, the Bucs probably don't deserve a spot in the postseason.

The Dallas Cowboys won by a lot more than a field goal the last time they played the Washington Commanders. Dallas cruised to a 45-10 victory back in Week 12, and Sunday's rematch should have a similar outcome.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is playing at close to an MVP level this season, and he's built an impressive rapport with CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and the receiving corps. While Prescott and the Cowboys have been much better at home, they'll benefit from a putrid Washington pass defense.

Washington ranks 31st in both net passing yards allowed and passing yards surrendered.

Expect Dallas to make a statement in its finale. The Cowboys have struggled on the road, and a decisive road win would give them plenty of confidence heading into the postseason—Washington might not be a playoff-caliber team, but it always feels good to beat a divisional foe.

Dallas won't simply overlook the Commanders either. A win will deliver the NFC East title and the conference's No. 2 seed, ensuring that the Cowboys will kick off the postseason at home.

Given the stunning collapse of their defense over the second half of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles are no locks to beat the New York Giants in Week 18. They only won by eight in the meeting two weeks ago, and then the Eagles went on to lose to the Arizona Cardinals 35-31 on Sunday.

Philly is backing its way into the postseason, and this needs to be a "get-right" game for the defending NFC champion. Most of the Eagles starters should play, even if the team is considering rest.

"We're going to do whatever we need to do to win this game. But still, that's a consideration," head coach Nick Sirianni said, per Christian Arnold of the New York Post.

Philly can still win the NFC East with a victory and a Cowboys loss, so it's hard to envision the Eagles throwing in the proverbial towel now. Regardless, it's also hard to envision their defense stymieing Tyrod Taylor and the Giants offense.

New York should look to play spoiler, even if precious draft positioning is on the line. The first meeting between the Giants and Eagles produced 58 total points. While the rematch might not climb that high, it should hit the over.

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