Week 18 NFL odds at the mercy of quarterback announcements
The Chicago Bears have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings and a little bit of help. Justin Fields popped up on the injury report with a hip issue and an MRI revealed a strain, so Nathan Peterman gets the start for Chicago on Sunday.
Peterman will make NFL history as the 65th different starting QB this season at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. That is the most all-time in a non-strike year, breaking a tie with the 2007 season.
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The line for Vikings vs. Bears is out to -8 across most of the market and will likely keep going with so much of the Bears offense tied to the legs of Fields. That is far from the only game impacted by quarterback questions or injuries this week.
Why has a record number of quarterbacks been called into action? Michael Lombardi and Ben Wilson were joined by former NFL QB Matt Cassel on Wednesday’s edition of The Lombardi Line to answer that very question.
See the latest Week 18 odds and NFL betting splits.
Texans vs. Colts odds
The Colts are sending out Sam Ehlinger at quarterback after Nick Foles suffered a rib injury last week. The reason this game is so important is because the Bears need Houston to win in order to grab that No. 1 pick. Indianapolis clearly has some incentive to lose and improve its draft positioning with Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis and other quarterbacks expected to go early in the first round.
The Colts remain -2.5 or -3 in the market. As VSiN host Femi Abebefe said on Twitter, the “Texans offense should run backwards if it has to”, so we’ll have to wait and see how invested Houston actually is with so much at stake.
Titans vs. Jaguars odds
As outlined in our NFL playoff scenarios for Week 18 article, this game is for all the marbles in the AFC South. The Titans will once again send out Joshua Dobbs at QB, as faith in Malik Willis is very low for this must-win game. Tennessee has lost six in a row, with Willis as the starter against the Texans two weeks ago and Dobbs as the starter last week against the Cowboys.
Jets vs. Dolphins odds
In another must-win game, the Dolphins have serious QB questions. Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out for Sunday. Head coach Mike McDaniel said in his Wednesday press conference that Teddy Bridgewater can’t grip a football yet. That means Skylar Thompson and recently-signed Mike Glennon are likely to be Miami’s quarterbacks on Sunday against the Jets.
The Jets are going with Mike White again this week. Zach Wilson was benched last week with White healthy enough to play. The Jets really need to figure this all out for next season, as their playoff hopes have been dashed by the current five-game losing streak.
Giants vs. Eagles odds
It looks like Jalen Hurts is ready to go as the Eagles look to lock up the NFC East and the No. 1 seed. The line has assumed that pretty much all week with Philadelphia -14 against the Giants in Week 18, but it appears we’re nearing some concrete clarification on his status. With a big spread and the Giants playing for nothing, it sure seems like he may not have to play the whole game.
If the Eagles do win and get the lone bye for the Wild Card Round, it makes sense to have Hurts get some game reps in if possible.
Cowboys vs. Commanders odds
The Commanders were eliminated from the playoffs last week, much to the surprise of head coach Ron Rivera. With nothing to play for this week, the Commanders will make a change at QB…but not to Taylor Heinicke. Instead, Sam Howell will get the start. The fifth-round pick out of North Carolina has not seen any game action yet this season, but threw for over 10,000 yards as a three-year starter in Chapel Hill with 92 touchdown passes.
This line had gradually been rising with this possibility, but the official announcement took the line out to -7.5 and I’d anticipate that it will keep going.
Cardinals vs. 49ers odds
David Blough was praised for his performance last week, as the Cardinals nearly knocked off the Falcons. He’ll get another crack this week. Kyler Murray had successful ACL surgery on Wednesday, as Colt McCoy is still dealing with concussion symptoms and Trace McSorley was demoted to Blough’s backup.
The No. 2 seed hangs in the balance between San Francisco and Minnesota, who are both 12-4. Being at home instead of going on the road in the Divisional Round is a nice perk, so the 49ers are certainly invested in getting the win, as they hold the tiebreaker.
