NFL Week 18 Totals: Last Week of Regular Season Games
Rain, Snow in the Forecast For Some Games
The final week of the NFL regular season is upon us. As is always the case in these late-season games, the weather could affect the outcome.
New England and Baltimore look to be the two home teams where weather will come into play. The final week of games can be a bit tricky. Some teams are resting NFL players.
Others have pretty much checked out for the season and are looking to next year. We’ll take a look at several of the games and try to come up with a few winning plays in this week’s NFL Week 18 totals article.
Broncos vs Raiders 
Day/Time:
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
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The Denver Broncos visit Las Vegas in a game neither team is probably mainly interested in. The Broncos can finish with a winning record, while Las Vegas is 7-9 coming into the game. Both NFL teams are already ready to head home for the offseason, making today’s NFL results on this game for draft position and little more.
The Broncos made the switch to Jarrett Stidham at quarterback and will stick with him here. Russell Wilson was certainly better than he was a year ago. But Denver isn’t about to risk Wilson being injured, causing his 2024 salary to kick in. So, Denver is playing Stidham with an eye towards 2024. The team is expected to bring back Ben DiNucci at quarterback. But who knows if Denver will trade for a quarterback or try to move up in the NFL Draft.
Stidham won last week, although he wasn’t great. The Broncos threw for 224 yards and a touchdown. But more importantly, Denver didn’t make any turnovers. That goes a long way in determining wins and losses in today’s NFL.
Denver’s defense has been decent for the most part. It’s had a couple of brutal games, allowing a combined 112 points to Miami and Detroit, but have allowed 18.6 points per game over the last 11 NFL games. The run defense has left a lot to be desired, with Denver allowing 5.0 yards per rush.
Raiders Have Been Inconsistent
Las Vegas looks good some weeks. The Raiders also look pretty bad other weeks. Nowhere was this more evident than their 3-0 loss to the Vikings, followed by a 63-21 win over the Chargers four days later. It’s been that type of season for Las Vegas. But the NFL spreads have the Raiders favored by 3 (-105) in this one.
The Raiders are a little below average offensively and a little better than average on defense. As a result, Las Vegas is 5-11 in totals this season and there’s no reason to think we’ll see a lot of points in this one. The first of the NFL Week 18 totals plays will be on the under 37 in this game.
Seahawks vs Cardinals 
Day/Time:
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
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The Seattle Seahawks will have one eye on the scoreboard when they take on the Arizona Cardinals. Seattle needs to win and hope Chicago can knock off Green Bay in order to make the playoffs. The Bears have won four of their last five, so it’s not impossible. The NFL scores and odds have Green Bay and Seattle both favored by three points. But Seattle has to worry about this game first or what the rest of the teams do makes no difference.
The Seahawks are coming off a 30-23 loss to Pittsburgh in a game which saw them lose control of their destiny. Seattle’s defense was horrible, allowing more than 200 yards rushing and passing. The Seahawks have allowed more than 150 rushing yards in each of their last four games. Seattle will have its hands full with Arizona’s rushing attack, which has gotten better with the return of Kyler Murray.
Seattle’s offense has to be a little better, scoring a high of 23 points over the last four games. The Seahawks aren’t running the ball very well, having hit 100 yards just once in their last seven games. Seattle is 2-5 in those games. The Seahawks are 6-0 when rushing for at least 100 yards.
Murray Helping Cardinals Win
Arizona has gone 3-4 since Murray returned to the line-up. Considering the Cardinals were 1-8 without him, that’s not bad. His numbers aren’t all that great, but he commands respect from the defense.
The Cardinals have run the ball better since he returned, with the Cardinals rushing for 150 or more yards in three of the last four games. Murray is due to make $37 million next season, so the Cardinals have to figure out if they’ll move forward with him or look to the draft.
But Arizona also needs defensive help, as the Cardinals allow 27.1 points per game. Arizona doesn’t defend the run or the pass very well. There should be a fair number of points scored in this game, so the second of the NFL Week 18 totals plays will be on the over 47.5 in this game.
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