Week 18 is a weird time in the NFL season. Most teams that have already clinched a playoff berth will sit several players to avoid injuries in Week 18. For example, here is a short list of quarterbacks that have already been ruled out: Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford and Lamar Jackson. That makes Week 18 a hard slate to handicap, but I’ve found 3 underdogs with a lot of value to create a 12/1 NFL mega parlay at FanDuel Sportsbook. Let’s dive in, but make sure you also check out our NFL picks for every game as we look to add to +58.7 units of profit this season.
Jets ML (+108)
Rams ML (+166)
Chiefs ML (+146)
NFL parlay odds: +1261
New York Jets ML over New England Patriots (+108)
At this point in the season, the Patriots are not interested in winning. Despite Bailey Zappe trying to win over the Patriots’ front office, there is no reason for the Patriots to win in Week 18. New England is currently slotted at the #3 pick in the NFL Draft and could get either Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Marvin Harrison Jr. based on their spot. If the Patriots are victorious in Week 18, there’s a chance they could move out of the top 4 picks altogether. The Cardinals did the Patriots a favor by winning in Week 17, and the last thing New England needs right now is a win. However, Bill Belichick might make it difficult since he announced no plans to rest any starters.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for the Jets. The Aaron Rodgers saga is finally over, and it’s been Trevor Siemian’s team recently. There have been a few silver linings to New York’s season, like the improvement of Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Plus, New York still has one of the best defenses in the league. As short underdogs, the Jets are worth taking to get their first win over New England for a few years.
Check out our full New York Jets vs New England Patriots predictions
Los Angeles Rams ML over San Francisco 49ers (+166)
Never would I ever think I would be betting on the 49ers to lose this season. However, this will be a much different-looking team in Week 18. Kyle Shanahan has already ruled out Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey from the season’s finale. Plus, several members of the defense will also nurse injuries. And for the players that do suit up, like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, they will likely only play the first quarter or first half. That means it will be Sam Darnold with a lot of backups for the majority of the game.
The 49ers have nothing to play for, but the Rams can move up from the 7th seed to the 6th with a win. That’s good enough for me to give the Rams a chance. Matthew Stafford has already been ruled out, which means Carson Wentz will get another shot in the NFL. Besides Stafford, no offensive players have been ruled out. That means we could see Kyren Williams, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua for a decent amount of the game — or until the Rams are winning.
Kansas City Chiefs ML over Los Angeles Chargers (+146)
Even if the Chargers don’t rest a starter, I’m content fading them. It’s been a rapid downward spiral for Los Angeles since Justin Herbert got hurt. Easton Stick has not been good, Keenan Allen has been dealing with an injury and Austin Ekeler looks like a shell of himself. The Chargers lost to Jarrett Stidham and the Broncos in Week 17, and the Bolts weren’t even able to find the end zone in 4 quarters. At this point in the season, the Chargers don’t deserve to be favorites over anybody right now.
The Chiefs will be sitting several starters as they get ready for the playoffs. One of those players is Patrick Mahomes, and that means Blaine Gabbert will get the start in Week 18. The longtime backup quarterback will make just his second appearance of the season in Week 18. And at the time of writing, Andy Reid has not ruled out any other key offensive players. With the majority of the Kansas City offense and defense suiting up, I’ll happily take their plus-odds price over the Chargers.
