NFL Week 18 Pick’em Pool Predictions (2024)
Week 18 is always a tough week to pick because of varying motivations and resting players. For example, the Denver Broncos are favored by 11 points over the Kansas City Chiefs since they have everything to play for, and the Chiefs are resting all their key players. But for as many lopsided games as we have, there are other games where teams are playing for everything. The Cincinnati Bengals need to win to have any chance of making the postseason, but their opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, needs a win for better seeding. And then, on Sunday night, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings battle for the NFC North and the NFC's number-one seed.
Here is our best NFL pick-em advice for Week 18.
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NFL Week 18 Pick’em Pool Predictions
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Even with a win, the Bengals may be on the outside looking in once all the dust settles after Week 18. And while the Steelers defeated the Bengals 44-38 in Cincinnati earlier this season, these are two teams heading in very different directions.
The Steelers have lost three games in a row. Yes, those games were against three of the best teams in the league, but every loss was by at least 14 points, and they didn't score more than 17 once. Meanwhile, the Bengals have won four in a row, and Joe Burrow has thrown three touchdown passes in six consecutive games.
This game is being played in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers simply aren't as good as the Bengals right now. Over the last few weeks, the Steelers have shown they can't play with the league's best, and right now, the Bengals are just that. Burrow throws the Bengals to a victory and gives his team a chance to enter the postseason if enough breaks their way.
The Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys
A win would be huge for the Commanders, as a victory would ensure they secure the sixth seed and set up a matchup with either the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers rather than the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round. But can the Commanders beat a team they gave up 34 points against at home earlier this season?
While the Cowboys won the first meeting between these two teams, the Commanders led by six until late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the two teams exploded for 41 points, and had it not been for a missed extra point from Austin Seibert, the game would have gone to overtime, and the Commanders may have been playing for nothing this week.
Jayden Daniels has performed better in his second game against the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles than he did in his first. I expect that trend to continue against the Cowboys, a team he threw for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions against in the first meeting. The Commanders win their fifth consecutive, as the Cowboys' defense lets them down to end the season.
The Pick: Washington Commanders
Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets
If the Dolphins win and the Broncos lose, then the Dolphins are going to the postseason. And while they end the year against the lowly Jets, the Dolphins may be without Tua Tagovailoa again. That wasn't an issue for them last week, but for as bad as they've been, the Jets aren't the Cleveland Browns.
Aaron Rodgers will start Sunday's game, and it would be wise to assume that he's going to play from start to finish as the Jets try to end the year on a positive note and enter the last year of Rodgers' contract with some hope.
While the Dolphins' pass defense has been solid this season, so has the Jets'. And if this game comes down to quarterback play, Rodgers is the clear choice over Tyler Huntley if Tua can't go. And even if Tua plays, the Dolphins needed a last-second field goal and overtime to beat the Jets the first time. The Jets play spoiler and set up the Bengals to make the postseason if the Broncos lose.
The Pick: New York Jets
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions
The NFL schedulers couldn't have asked for a better scenario. The 14-2 Lions are battling the 14-2 Vikings with the NFC North and the top seed in the NFC on the line. The Lions are small favorites in this game, but their defensive troubles have been on full display in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the Vikings beat down the Green Bay Packers in a game with a final score that looks much closer than the game really was.
The Lions defeated the Vikings in Minnesota earlier in the season, but it was a thriller, and the Lions had a much healthier defense. Can the Lions' defense make enough stops to pull off the victory, or will Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson, and the rest of the Vikings carve up this defense?
While the Vikings have been impressive this season and deserve way more credit than they've gotten, I refuse to take them over the Lions in a shootout. The Lions' offense is playing on another level, and with the Vikings' weakness being their pass defense, I expect Jared Goff to continue his impressive play against a team he threw just three incompletions against earlier this season. The Lions win a one of the most entertaining games of the year.
The Pick: Detroit Lions
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.