NFL Week 18 Best Teaser: Once more with feeling
But that’s not going to stop us from placing one last regular-season teaser. Las Vegas looked great last week against San Francisco, and always seem to play Kansas City tough, so we love the Raiders (+15) on the teaser against the Chiefs. Josh McDaniels chose to bench Derek Carr for Jarrett Stidham last week against the 49ers, and even though Las Vegas lost in overtime, Stidham looked really good. Yes, we know Kansas City has a ton to play for on Sunday. After all, all the Chiefs just need to win to secure the top seed in the AFC, but don’t expect that to come easy.
The Raiders lost to the Chiefs by just one point back in October, and only one of their 10 losses have been by more than two scores. Even though the Raiders are 6-10, one thing is certain, they’re damn good at covering the spread as underdogs in teaser bets, and don’t expect that to change in Week 18. Three of the last five games between these two teams have been one-score games, and don’t be shocked if that’s the case again on Saturday. Ten of the Chiefs’ 13 wins this season have been by 15 points or less, and that’s what we expect to see on Saturday in this AFC West showdown.
As for the final leg of our teaser, take the Houston Texans (+8.5) via the teaser against the Indianapolis Colts. We know Houston secures the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft with a loss, but we’re far from convinced the Colts are a lock to win this one. Lovie Smith is not the type of coach who just gives away a game just because it would make the Texans better long term, and in case you haven’t seen the Colts lately, well, let’s just say they’re not very good.
Three weeks ago, Indianapolis blew a 33-point lead — the largest in NFL history — to the Vikings, and has lost its last two games by at least 17 points. And to make matters worse, the Colts have dropped six straight and are down to their third-string quarterback in Sam Ehlinger after benching Matt Ryan earlier in the season, and losing Nick Foles last week to a rib injury.
Meanwhile, Houston upset Tennessee two weeks ago, and tied the Colts back in Week 1. Look, it’s no secret both these teams are bad, but if we’re confident in one thing, it’s that this game will be a one-score contest. Predicting how many points will be scored in this one is equally as hard as picking an outright winner, but seeing how bad this season has gone for Indianapolis considering how high expectations were to start the season, we just can’t trust Indy at all.
The Teaser: Las Vegas Raiders (+9) to (+15) AND Houston Texans (+2.5) to (+8.5) (-103 odds via Barstool)
Bet $103 to win $100
