UPDATED Teams Resting Starters in Week 18 – Are Packers, Eagles, Chargers Resting Starters?
By Sascha Paruk in NFL News
Published:
- Several NFL teams are expected to rest starters in Week 18
- See game-by-game information on which teams are resting starters
- How have the Week 18 odds shifted after coaches announced starters?
It’s the final Sunday of the NFL regular season and several NFL teams are locked into Wild Card-berths or division titles, leaving little to play for in the final week before the postseason.
Week 18 always presents a conundrum for both coaches and bettors, as the former decide whether to give key starters the week off and the latter wait with bated breath to pounce on soft lines.
The table below lists all Week 18 matchups and states whether the visiting and/or home teams are expected to rest starters on Sunday, Jan. 4.
Teams Resting Starters in Week 18
The information in the table above will be updated throughout the week as more coaches make personnel announcements.
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Packers vs Vikings Line Movement
The Packers opened as sizable 6.5-point underdogs to the Vikings as sportsbooks figured Green Bay – which is locked into a Wild Card – wouldn’t go all out. With QB3 Clayton Tune announced as the starter, the line ballooned.
The Vikings are now 10.5-point home favorites against Green Bay’s skeleton crew.
New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills Line Movement
Oddsmakers were confident enough that the Bills would play their starters in Week 18 that they opened Buffalo as an 11.5-point home favorite. After news came out that Allen would start (to keep his NFL-leading streak alive) but likely not play more than one series, the Jets/Bills spread plummeted all the way to Buffalo -7.0, a 4.5-point move in the Week 18 NFL odds.
The line ticked back up a point after buy-back on the Bills and now sits anywhere from BUF -8.5 to-7.5. The current NFL public betting splits show 94% of moneyline handle and 74% of ATS handle on Buffalo.
Los Angeles Chargers vs Denver Broncos Line Movement
The biggest line movement of the week so far comes from the Chargers/Broncos matchup in Denver. The Broncos opened as touchdown favorites at home and that has been bet up all the way to DEN -12.5.
The seven-point line already baked in the likelihood that the Chargers would rest starters. With that confirmed and likely to include a ton of regular starters, bettors have pounded the Broncos, who have all the motivation in the world. Denver will clinch the AFC #1 seed and the lone bye to the divisional round with a win.
Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants Line Movement
The Dallas Cowboys opened as heavy 5.5-point road favorites against the New York Giants, whom they have beaten nine straight times.
Credible reports that Dak Prescott and others won’t play the entire game have led to the line dropping two full points to DAL -3.5.
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Managing Editor
Sascha has been working in the sports-betting industry since 2014, and quickly paired his strong writing skills with a burgeoning knowledge of probability and statistics. He holds an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.
