NFL Week 18 best bets: Top five spread picks for premier NFL betting competition from proven expert

We're heading into the final week of the season and somehow coming off my first 3-2 week of the year in this column. Typically a three-point week is pretty standard, and you have to average a little bit better than that to finish in the money in the Circa Million. For 10 weeks I averaged exactly three points (or a 60% success rate) by mixing in 4-1 and 2-3 performances in the first six weeks then following up two bad weeks with two good ones. Things haven't gone so well down the stretch, but at least we know what a 3-2 week looks like once again.

Week 18 is, of course, the toughest week for spread betting as several games are miles from where they would be if a team that's locked into a playoff spot had more to play for, and others have questionable motivation from one or both teams. In fact, there are only three games where we know we're getting 100% effort from both sides, as Buccaneers-Panthers and Ravens-Steelers are both win-and-you're-in division title showdowns, while Seahawks-49ers is for the division and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

So which five teams am I backing? You can find my five best bets for Week 18 based on the Circa Million contest lines below.

Why listen to me? I'm 718-623-37 and up more than 32 units on ATS picks over the last eight years and even better with my top five picks each week, going 464-379-27 (55%) over the last 10 years in the Las Vegas ATS contests. 

So which NFL contest picks am I making for Week 18? ... Join SportsLine right now to see NFL ATS best bets from the expert who's 718-623-37 on ATS picks from 2017 to 2024, returning more than 32 units!

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