We have another massive week of NFL action and our free NFL picks have sorted through the best five games of the weekend for you!
The final week of the NFL regular season is here and playoff races are all but clinched up. This week 18 slate includes a few old rivalries and some major storylines as teams look to make a late-season playoff push.
Our NFL picks help find who that might be and provide you with our best bets from five of Week 18’s games.
Saturday, January 8th
Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos – 4:30pm ET
This AFC West divisional matchup is sort of lackluster. As one team is locked into the playoffs but only playing for home-field that they are unlikely to get, and one team is out of the running completely. As the Kansas City Chiefs come into this one at 11-5 and the Denver Broncos come in at 7-9 as the longest regular season in NFL history is coming to a close in Mile High for these two teams.
Michael Lantz
The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a big loss against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, in a game that had major playoff implications. The Chiefs looked dominant on offense in the first half, to the point where it seemed like the upstart Bengals had no chance of catching up. But then, in the second half, the Bengals went on a 17-3 run, edging out the Chiefs with a last-second field goal. Kansas City luckily already has the AFC West in the bag, but they would still love to have the first overall seed in the AFC. In order to gain that, they’ll need to beat division rivals the Denver Broncos, and hope for the Tennessee Titans to suffer a loss to the Houston Texans (which might be a lot to ask).
Denver, on the other hand, is eliminated from the playoffs, after losing their last three games and currently sitting at 7-9. Still, the Broncos showed a lot of promise this year, as they had one of the NFL’s top defenses, and a promising young running back in Javonte Williams. While it might seem like the Broncos have nothing to play for, this up-and-coming team will want to end this season on a positive note, as they look ahead to a bright future. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they’ve had some bad injury luck in recent weeks, which has led to their dissolve. Teddy Bridgewater was put on the IR a couple of weeks back, and the team will also be without a couple of key members of their secondary (Ronald Darby, Pat Surtain II). With the Chiefs hungry to grab that one-seed and after their rough loss last week, I expect them to come out throwing in this one and give the Broncos a tough time on both sides of the ball.
Michael’s NFL Pick: Kansas Chiefs -10.5 (-110)
Mike Su
In the final game of the season, the Chiefs take on the Broncos to potentially decide the number 1 seed in the AFC. The Chiefs are trying to bounce back from a tough loss against the Bengals who beat them with a last-second field goal. Outside of that loss, the Chiefs were on an 8 game winning streak which saw them beat a handful of worthy contenders as well as a win against the Broncos. The Chiefs looked as strong as ever on offense and Mahomes played a relatively good game with no turnovers, however, the defensive issues popped up again as the Chiefs allowed a 6-minute long drive to end the game and allow the game-winning field goal. The Secondary was the biggest issue as they allowed Jamarr Chase to have 266 yards receiving including 2 huge plays which both went to the house. The Chiefs defense will have an easy opponent this week against the Broncos who have been very bad this year offensively averaging less than 20 points a game.
Next stop: a mile high 🏔 pic.twitter.com/qkEGsQSYYB
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 7, 2022
The Broncos started the season decently but have now been on a poor run. This includes 4 losses in their last 5 games and their only win coming against the weak Detroit Lions. With nothing to play for this season, the Broncos will likely field a squad of relative unknowns to see what they have for next season. The defense will remain a strength in this game but will see some turnover as they try out the younger and more unproven players. The Chiefs should destroy the Broncos here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mahomes was benched by halftime due to a blowout.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Kansas City Chiefs 1st Half Spread -6.5 (-120)
Tony Battalio
The Kansas City Chiefs started the 2021 national football league season on a slow cruise. Then they started to heat up about midway through the season and became the team that we are expected to see. After a loss to Cincinnati, this week 18 finale is a very high-stakes match-up against the Denver Broncos. Although it is not the Denver Broncos they need to be worried about as they are tied with the Tennessee Titans for the top seed in the AFC. Another issue is Buffalo, Tennessee, and Cincinnati all hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs so they do not control their own destiny. So they will need a win to knock out the Bills and Bengals, and a Titans loss to regain the number one seed in the AFC.
The Denver Broncos do not have anything of their own to play for in this one, however, they can always play spoiler. As they would love to spoil their rivals’ plans to get a week of rest. It has been a bad season for the Broncos as they traded away one of the best players in team history in Von Miller. Also, there has been a ton of QB controversy surrounding Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. Look for them to try and lean heavily on the run game in this one as they try to keep the high-powered Chiefs’ offense off of the field. However, as for the result of this game, I can’t see them winning this one, as I have the Kansas City Chiefs winning this one on the road.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Kansas City Chiefs (-500)
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles – 8:15pm ET
Both of these teams have their playoff dates locked up for this season. However, at the current moment destinations are unknown. It is always a good one when these two hated rivals get together and I expect more of the same this week. As the 11-5, Dallas Cowboys meet the 9-7 Philadelphia Eagles.
Michael Lantz
The Dallas Cowboys had a great season, as they clinched the NFC East and had one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses. They lead the league in points per game and came in a close second for yards per game (only behind Tampa Bay). They’ll hope that offense can lead them past their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday and a deep run into the playoffs.
The Eagles also had a successful season as they found their way back into the NFL playoff picture, thanks in large part to quarterback Jalen Hurts and an always reliable defense that was top ten in both opposition points and yards per game. When these two teams last faced off in Dallas, the Cowboys had no problem bullying the Eagles around, as they won 41-21 in Dallas. As much as we’d like to see a full-fledged rematch, we likely won’t see it this week. Both teams are expected to rest a majority of players, due to both having playoff spots and Dallas having clinched the division. If we get an official rematch it’ll be in the playoffs. So for the regular season closer, both teams will mainly be showing off their depth. When it comes to that, the Cowboys probably have the advantage. But imagining Hurts sits most of, if not all of, the game, the Eagles do have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Gardner Minshew. I’ll go with an upset pick here and take the Birds at home.
Michael’s NFL Pick: Philadelphia Eagles (+166)
Mike Su
The Cowboys have been on a run with 4 wins in a row but this came to an end with their loss by just a field goal against the Cardinals, who have been one of the best teams in the league with Kyler Murray. The Cowboys will take on an Eagles squad who have clinched a playoff berth but will be playing for seeding to try to avoid playing the Buccaneers in the first round. The Cowboys have had a relatively easy run lately destroying their division rivals as well as the quarterback-less Saints. In their last game, the Cowboys had 4 interceptions on Taysom Hill and locked down the passing attack. Trevon Diggs added another pick to his strong defensive 2nd-year performance.
The Eagles on the other hand are currently on a 4 game winning streak. However, before the streak, they lost an easy game to the Giants. This loss was nothing short of embarrassing as the Giants are one of the worst teams in the league. Jalen Hurts was an issue as he had 3 interceptions but carried much of the load with his feet. The 4 win streak the Eagles are on was against the Jets, WFT, and the Giants who are all horrible. I think the Cowboys pull out a win here as they try to secure a 12 win season. Look for Diggs to potentially add another pick to his stats as well.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Dallas Cowboys -3.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Dallas Cowboys may have their best shot at a super bowl winning team this season. As a healed Dak Prescott has done nothing short of wreak havoc on the National Football League. The Cowboys quarterback is one of the frontrunners for the Comeback Player Of The Year Award along with Bengals QB Joe Burrow. Dallas has already won the NFC East, and they are coming into this game with a record of 11-5. With a victory and a Los Angeles Rams loss, the Cowboys could very well move in the number 3 spot in the NFC standings.
Much like Dallas, the Philadelphia Eagles already have a playoff spot locked up as well. So there is not too much to play for in this game outside of seeding purposes. The Eagles are coming into this game with a record of 9-7 as they turned things on after a slow start to the season. The likely destination for Philadelphia in the wildcard round will be Los Angeles or Tampa Bay, which is practically just picking your poison. As for the result of this game, it’s a hard one to call because no one is sure if both teams will be at full strength yet, however, I’m going with the Eagles to pick up the victory in this one, as they get the added benefit of playing at home in a cold, windy Lincoln Financial Field.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Philadelphia Eagles (+166)
Sunday, January 9th
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens – 1pm ET
This old-fashioned AFC North smashmouth football rivalry is going to renew another chapter on Sunday. As both of these teams are still fighting for a playoff spot heading into the final week of the season. The Steelers come in at 8-7-1, while the Ravens are 8-8 and will be without star Lamar Jackson once again. This is also likely to be the final game for Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger.
Michael Lantz
Two playoff hopefuls and fierce division rivals kick off Sunday’s slate of games, as the Pittsburgh Steelers journey to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. In what appears to be Ben Roethlisberger’s final season, the Steelers hope to send their beloved quarterback out with one final playoff run. Steelers fans are also breathing a bit easier after Dionte Johnson was removed from COVID protocols after one day, as it appears he’ll be suited up on Sunday. Pittsburgh will need to win this one and hope the Indianapolis Colts miraculously fall to the Jacksonville Jaguars; the latter is an unlikely situation, but the NFL can always surprise.
Meanwhile the Baltimore Ravens will need even more help than the Steelers if they want to sneak into the AFC playoffs. They’ll need to beat the Steelers and hope for losses from the Colts, Chargers, and Dolphins. While that combination is highly unlikely, it still is very mathematically possible. So, Baltimore will go out there and give it their best and if anything tries and deny their rivals from making the playoffs too. The only issue for Baltimore is they’ll once again be without quarterback Lamar Jackson. Tyler Huntley will be behind center and try to give the Ravens a shot. Regardless, the Ravens have to be pretty pleased with their season. They’ve been plagued by injuries since before the season when running back J.K. Dobbins went down with a season-ending injury. Since then they’ve also lost Pro Bowl talent including Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, and Lamar Jackson. While they still have a fighting chance on Sunday, I’ll pick the Steelers to take care of business in this one.
Michael’s NFL Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers (+158)
Mike Su
After surprising the Browns with a win, the Steelers won Big Ben’s final game at Heinz field by a decent margin. Now they face the Ravens, who are 8-8 and along with the Steelers, are technically in the running to make the playoffs. Both teams would need the Colts, Chargers, and Raiders to all lose to make the dream a reality but I expect both teams to leave their hearts on the field as they try to do what they can to make the playoffs. This is especially important for the Steelers who may want to give Big Ben a send-off in the playoffs. The Steelers defense was insane last week with TJ Watt securing a career-high 4 sacks. TJ was an absolute beast and this Steelers defense has shown real potential when they can get to the passer. The Steelers did beat the Ravens in their last matchup 5 games ago, but this was only by 1 point and largely due to the fact the Ravens went for 2 to try to win the game at the end.
Ready for the Ravens. #HereWeGo
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 8, 2022
The Ravens on the other hand have had a disastrous slide losing 5 in a row, largely due to an injury to Lamar Jackson. This season turned from one with potential as they sat at 8-3, to one where they likely won’t make the playoffs. Will the slide continue with the Ravens losing another? I think so. I think the Steelers take the win here.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers (+158)
Tony Battalio
It will be the end of an era for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the season ends. As a long-time heart and soul of the team, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is likely going to step away from the game of football completely or at least step away from the Pittsburgh organization. This franchise will be heavily motivated to get him one final Super Bowl ring first things first he has to get them to the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, it’s just not as simple as winning as they will need tons of help to reach the postseason. The Steelers have had an up and down year and come into this one with a record of 8-7-1. It is a must-win for them as well, against their most hated rival of the last 15 years.
The Baltimore Ravens once again will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson as they face a must-win situation. The Ravens are coming into this game with a record of 8-8 on the year needing a victory to make the playoffs. Truthfully if I was the other six AFC playoff teams this is the last team I would want to play with a healthy Lamar Jackson under center. However, that would require them to win this game first and with it being Big Ben’s final game I have a feeling the Steelers are going to find a way to pull out the victory on the road in Baltimore.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers (+158)
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams – 4:25pm ET
This NFC West clash should be a good one as both teams have something to play for in the final week of the season. The San Francisco 49ers are needing a win to reach the playoffs, while a win for the Los Angeles Rams can make the difference between a division title and a wildcard spot and hosting a playoff game.
Michael Lantz
The Los Angeles Rams will look to clinch the NFC West on Sunday, as they face an always competitive San Francisco 49ers team in a game that will be anything but easy. The Rams are the NFL’s hottest team right now; after it looked like the Arizona Cardinals were going to run away with the division a couple of weeks ago, the Rams have won five straight and now with a win or a Cardinals loss can win this always competitive division.
The 49ers sit at 9-7, falling just short of playoff contention. San Francisco is surely disappointed they’ll be missing out on the postseason, but they still have plenty of upsides, with their defense continuing to impress despite losing defensive guru Robert Salah to the New York Jets last offseason. They also have a certified playmaker in Deebo Samuel. The Niners will look to end the season on a positive note, before what should be an active offseason, as they look to spoil the Ram’s chances at winning the division. They’ll look to have a similar performance to their November 15th matchup where they shocked the Rams, winning 31-10. It’s unlikely we’ll get a repeat performance of that, as the Rams are now at home and the 49ers are hobbling into this game with a lot of injuries. They have a handful of key players that are either listed as out or game-time decisions come Sunday. I’ll pick the Rams here—they won’t want to risk any injuries, but I still think Sean McVay’s offense will find a creative way to pull this one-off.
Michael’s NFL Pick: L.A. Rams (-205)
Mike Su
The 49ers are in a battle against the Saints to make the playoffs and need a win here to lock in their spot. The 49ers will be playing a Rams team that is surging having won their last 5 in a row. The 49ers on the other hand have won just 3 of their last 5 games but their 2 losses have come against the tough Seahawks and the potential AFC 1st seed the Titans. The 49ers destroyed the Rams in their last matchup with the 49ers scoring 31 to the Rams’ 10 points. The 49ers started fast and never took their foot off the pedal with 2 touchdowns in the first quarter. The 49ers adopted a run heavy approach to keep the Rams high powered offense off the field. The 49ers had 44 rushing attempts compared to just 10 from the Rams in that game. I think we see more of the same there.
The Rams will be looking to rely more on the running game as Stafford has entered somewhat of a slump in recent weeks. This may play into exactly what the 49ers want. Stafford has had 6 interceptions and 5 touchdowns in the last 3 weeks. This is not what we want to see heading into the playoffs. I think the 49ers get the win here as the Rams have little to play for right now sitting at 12-4 with the 1st seed out of reach.
Mike’s NFL Pick: San Francisco 49ers (+172)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Rams have transformed into a super bowl champion contender thanks to one simple move. When they traded Quarterback Jared Goff to Detroit for Matt Stafford they found the one missing piece that can win them a title. Stafford has shown for years that even on a horrible Lions team he was a top ten quarterback in the league. Now as he is surrounded by talent he is showing everyone that it’s been the truth all along. He has the Rams positioned as one of the best teams in an absolutely loaded NFC, as they come into this game with a record of 12-4 having already locked up a playoff spot and on the doorstep of winning the NFC West with a win.
The San Francisco 49ers are fighting for their playoff lives in this one, needing a victory to get into the postseason. Throughout a season of quarterback controversy, Jimmy G has managed to get them to a 9-7 record. Even with their best player out for the majority of the year in George Kittle, the 49ers are still in the hunt. However I don’t think the excitement will last long as I have the Los Angeles Rams picking up the victory in this one on the road.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Los Angeles Rams (-205)
Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders – 8:20 pm ET
This AFC West divisional game is winner take all, as the loser will be sent home for the offseason. Both teams come into this game with identical 9-7 records but very different seasons. Although they do have the same record these two squads have had two very different kinds of years. But it all comes down to this one game for one of the final playoff spots in the league.
Michael Lantz
In the NFL’s final regular season game for the 2021 campaign, it’s another matchup between division rivals and playoff hopefuls, as the L.A. Chargers head to Sin City to take on the Las Vegas Raiders. Whoever wins this one gets in—period.
The Chargers must win, whereas the Raiders either need to win, or hope for losses from Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Las Vegas, will hope to continue their impressive end of the season run, as they’ve won three straight games. They’ll hope the fourth can be the charm and send them to the playoffs, after what has been a pretty turbulent year after starting 3-0, before Jon Gruden was fired. After the Gruden firing the team would go 3-7 in their next ten including a 48-9 pounding from the Kansas City Chiefs. That might’ve been the kick they needed, as the team has buckled down in their last three to give them a postseason shot.
On Sunday night they’ll play a Chargers team that’s being led by the impressive play of second year quarterback Justin Herbert. About a month ago things were looking very promising for the Chargers: they were 8-5 and just one game out of first behind the Kansas City Chiefs. Then in their matchup against the Chiefs they lost a heartbreaker in overtime and followed that up with an inexcusable loss to the Houston Texans—one of the NFL’s worst teams. Luckily a bounce back win against the Broncos last weekend saved their playoff hopes from complete disaster. Neither of these teams have astonishing defensive units; the Raiders maybe have a small edge in most team categories, but it’s nothing that should be that much of a difference-maker. This one will likely be a shootout, but in the end I’ll go with the Raiders who seem to be getting hot at the right time.
Michael’s NFL Pick: Las Vegas Raiders (+140)
Mike Su
The Chargers are looking to secure a playoffs spot and need this with a win against the Raiders. The Raiders are on somewhat of a roll with 3 straight wins but prior to that they got destroyed by the Chiefs 48-9. The Raiders have come a long way since the mid-season drama that occurred and have done well this season regardless of making the playoffs or not. The Raiders are making a legitimate run though with wins against the Browns, Broncos and Colts in the last 3 games. However the Raiders defense has been a key weak point with 25 points allowed per game. This will be an issue against the high powered Chargers offense.
Who’s ready? ☠️🦅@CrosbyMaxx | #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/Z0KDwkpXiN
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 8, 2022
The Chargers will also be looking to lock up the final playoff spot as they also sit at 9-7. The Chargers offense has been red hot with 5 games scoring 28 or more. However the defense has also been horrible, allowing 41 points to the Texans just 2 weeks ago. This will be a high scoring matchup, with the winner heading to the playoffs.
Mike’s NFL Pick: Over 48.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Los Angeles Chargers are coming into this game in a must win situation if they want a spot in the 2021 NFL Playoffs. They are coming into this game with a record of 9-7, after a fast start to the year. About midway through the season they cooled off in a huge way, but have managed to scratch and claw their way back into playoff contention. Justin Herbert has shown all season long he is likely a future Most Valuable Player award winner and that he is going to last a long time in the league. If the Chargers can get into the playoffs they have all the weapons they need to make a lot of noise.
The Las Vegas Raiders are also coming into this game in a must win situation if they want a spot in the 2021 NFL Playoffs. They are coming into this game with a record of 9-7, after a fast start to the season as well. However there season has taken a much different path than the Chargers as well. As it has been filled with turmoil and losing their head coach. However Derek Carr and put them in a position to make a playoff appearance of the season and that should not be understated as he has performed like a top quarterback. However as for the result of this game I don’t have the Raiders winning I just think they do not have enough to get over the hump and I have the Chargers in the playoffs when the final horn sounds.
Tony’s NFL Pick: Los Angeles Chargers (-162)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
