Where did the time go?
NFL Week 18 is here, starting today with two games with playoff implications: Panthers-Bucs (4:30 ET, ESPN) and Seahawks-49ers (8 ET, ESPN).
As you probably know by now, the Panthers have two ways to win the NFC South: A victory over the Bucs, who are favorites of -3 at DraftKings and -2.5 at Circa. Or a Falcons victory over the Saints on Sunday.
Zach Cohen breaks down the matchup:
The Panthers are far from perfect, but the Buccaneers have lost four straight games and seven of their last eight. They’re also 0-8 against the spread in their last eight games. Also, since the start of Week 9, Carolina has a stronger statistical profile.
In the nightcap, the NFC West title and the conference’s No. 1 seed are on the line. The Seahawks are favorites of -1.5 at DK and -2.5 at Circa.
Writes Zach:
This 49ers team has genuinely been one of the worst defensive teams in the league, putting a lot of pressure on the offense to deliver. Fortunately for San Francisco, Brock Purdy and Co. have been up for it. In fact, since Week 11, the 49ers are the No. 2 offense in the league in terms of EPA per play (0.197).
Other Best Bets columns
👉 Pauly Howard (kicking props)
Josh Appelbaum will post his NFL Sharp Report this morning.
Other NFL resources
>Fantasy Points WR/CB Matchup Tool
FYI: Handy guide to player incentives heading into Week 18.
>DraftKings/Circa Betting Splits
>Weather: Chance of rain for both games today.
VSiN Pro subscribers have access to the plays from hosts and guests on our NFL picks page.
NFL Week 18 updates
Here are some key injury/rest updates heading into NFL Week 18:
Steelers: T.J. Watt (lung) will play vs. Baltimore. Lamar Jackson (back) will start for Ravens (-4.5).
Vikings: JJ McCarthy will start vs. the Packers, who will go with Clayton Tune even though Jordan Love is out of concussion protocol.
Eagles: Tanner McKie will start vs. the Commanders, who will go with Josh Johnson.
Bills: Josh Allen (foot) will start vs. the Jets, who will go with Brady Cook.
Raiders: Geno Smith (ankle) is out and the team will play Kenny Pickett and Aidan O’Connell vs. the Giants.
Chargers: Trey Lance will start at Denver with Justin Herbert resting.
ICYMI: Makinen’s insights on what happens in Week 18 when starters are rested.
Everything we do on Week 18 will be posted here, including Makinen’s Analytics Report.
Circa Friday Football selections
Matt Youmans announced 56 picks from 8 contestants on the Circa Friday Football Invitational show.
The picks are posted on VSiN.com.
Quick Hits
NBA: Zach Cohen‘s Best Bets and Steve Makinen‘s Analytics Report will hit around mid-morning on our NBA page. Our Opta AI NBA player props projections are here.
College Basketball: Greg “Hoops” Peterson has his Best Bet for today’s menu. Look for picks from Adam Burke mid-morning on our college hoops page.
Get real-time steam alerts from the DonBest Screen. Sign up now for a 7-day free trial at go.donbest.com. Use the promo code VSIN10 for 10% off your initial subscription.
NHL: VSiN hockey analyst Jonathan Davis will post his Best Bets around mid-day.
Soccer: VSiN soccer analyst Nigel Seeley offers his top plays for weekend EPL.
