As the NFL regular season comes to a close, Week 18 brings high stakes and intriguing betting opportunities, especially in the teaser market. From teams fighting for playoff spots to players chasing personal milestones, this week's slate is filled with drama and potential value. We’ve zeroed in on two standout teaser plays, including Seattle’s favorable matchup against a depleted Rams squad and Pittsburgh’s gritty AFC North clash with Cincinnati. Let’s break down the top teaser picks for Week 18 and why these combinations offer excellent betting value.
Seahawks ML & Jets +7: -120, DraftKings
Seattle is a -6.5 favorite this weekend, so a 6-point teaser essentially gives us Seahawks ML. I bet them at -3 pretty much as soon as the game opened, taking a gamble that the Rams were going to rest a lot of their starters with nothing to play for in the game. Luckily, I was right about that and now the line has shot up to where it is now. That isn’t to say that the Rams can’t still win the game, but we have quite a big advantage here since they will have their starters in the game while the Rams will not. It would be pretty embarrassing for them if they lost, even on the road to a team without starters playing.
I also bet on the Jets again, maybe because I just love being hurt by them on a weekly basis, but also because I can’t possibly back Tyler Huntley even in a must win spot. I know the Dolphins still have something to play for while New York has long been eliminated, but this could very well be Aaron Rodgers final game, and certainly his final performance with Davante Adams. It seems very unlikely to me that a Huntley-led Miami team is going to win by more than a touchdown against most teams.
I like both of these teams to win this weekend, so this is one of my favorite teasers as well.
Steelers +8.5 & Packers -4: -120, DraftKings
Pittsburgh has just as much of an incentive to win this game as the Bengals do, and I think this is going to be an epic game. Everyone and their brother is betting on Cincinnati as they have become the “team that no one wants to see” for this year. However, this seems like a perfect Mike Tomlin spot. Historically, he has been incredible as a division home underdog. When Tomlin is listed as an underdog vs. a divisional opponent, the Steelers are 22-16 SU, 26-10-2 ATS. Tomlin hasn’t finished a season under .500 ATS in this spot since 2014 and is 2-1 ATS in 2024 so far.
As a Bears fan, no one has to tell me how horrendous we have been against the Packers for years. We have lost an insane 11-straight games to Green Bay, and haven’t won a game at Lambeau Field in nearly a decade. It’s very sad to see such a historic rivalry that was very close for years become so one sided because of terrible incompetence by Bears ownership, but they have made a mockery out of the NFL’s charter franchise.
On top of that, the Bears haven't won on the road on a Sunday in three full calendar years now, 20 straight games. The last QB to win in this spot for Chicago was Nick Foles in December of 2021. In this span, every other team in the NFL has at least three SU road wins on a Sunday. I don’t see any way we are even competitive in this game, as we are the biggest embarrassment in football.
Related
