NFL Betting Odds: Sure Losers Week 18

Kansas City’s upset loss in Cincinnati on Sunday means that the AFC’s eventual No. 1 seed will have at least five losses, tied for the most for the AFC’s top team since the NFL began the seeding process in 1975. The most recent such team with five losses was the 2002 Raiders, who advanced to Super Bowl XXXVII.

Check out the biggest losers for Week 18 of your NFL bets.

Sure Losers for Week 18 of the 2021 Season

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (-17)

Buffalo would win the AFC East with a victory but is in the playoffs regardless. Buffalo clinched a playoff berth thanks to their 29-15 victory over the Falcons on Sunday along with the Ravens’ loss to the Rams. That’s three consecutive trips to the postseason for the Bills under coach Sean McDermott.

The victory over Atlanta was Buffalo’s third in a row and 10th of the season. The Bills have earned 10 or more wins in three straight seasons for the first time since 1990 to 1993. McDermott is one of three coaches with 10 or more wins in each of the last three seasons, along with Kansas City’s Andy Reid and Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur.

QB Josh Allen and RB Devin Singletary became the second duo in Bills history to rush for two scores each in the same game, joining Curtis Brown and Terry Miller. Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history with six or more rushing touchdowns in each of his first four seasons and tied Cookie Gilchrist for fourth on the Bills’ all-time rushing touchdown list, with 31. Singletary posted the second 100-yard rushing day of his career, totaling 110 yards on 23 carries. His 110 yards rushing were a career high, eclipsing the 106 he had in Denver last season.

The Jets lost 28-24 at home to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Two yards away from one of the biggest upsets in franchise history, the Jets gave the wrong play to quarterback Zach Wilson on a pivotal fourth-and-2 late. Jets coach Robert Saleh said the outcome “makes you sick,” saying Wilson should’ve handed the ball to wide receiver Braxton Berrios on an end around instead of running a quarterback sneak — which was stuffed for no gain at the Bucs‘ 7-yard line with 2:12 left in the fourth quarter. The Jets, ahead 24-20, could’ve run out the clock with a first down.

Wilson completed 19-of-33 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown. Top running back Michael Carter left to be evaluated for a concussion and was declared out. Before leaving, Carter had a 55-yard run.

In Week 10, the Bills routed the Jets 45-17. Allen threw two touchdown passes, Buffalo ran for four scores and the Bills’ defense intercepted Mike White four times. It was a big day for the Buffalo secondary, which had all five starters with a turnover, including Micah Hyde’s forced fumble and recovery.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs (-9)

Tampa Bay already has clinched the NFC South but is playing for playoff seeding. The Bucs avoided a major upset Sunday, rallying for a 28-24 win at the Jets. Tom Brady led a 93-yard touchdown drive in the game’s final two minutes at MetLife Stadium to give the Bucs their first lead of the game with 15 seconds left. Sunday’s ending marked the 53rd game-winning drive of Brady’s career and his 42nd fourth-quarter comeback.

The win improved the Buccaneers to 12-4, matching the 2002 Super Bowl-winning team for the most regular-season victories. Tampa Bay also kept pace with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC seeding race, as L.A. won a one-point decision in Baltimore on Sunday to get to 12-4. Bucs coach Bruce Arians coached the game despite being away from the team all week due to a positive COVID test.

The big news, though, was when former Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown removed his jersey and pads, threw his undershirt and gloves into the stands, ran across the field shirtless and went to the locker room in the third quarter and did not return. Arians said after the game that Brown is no longer a member of the team.

Arians said that he was trying to get Brown to go into the game, and Brown refused, twice, as Arians told him to “get out.” Brown did not fly home on the team charter, either.

Carolina lost its sixth in a row Sunday, 18-10 in New Orleans. QB Sam Darnold finished 17-of-26 for 132 yards with a late interception and a passer rating of 61.7. He was sacked seven times, behind the Panthers’ 12th combination of starting offensive linemen in 16 games. The offense finished with 178 total yards.

The Panthers had CJ Henderson active but he wasn’t an active participant in the game, meaning their top five cornerbacks didn’t play. Henderson was a late addition to the injury report on Friday with knee and shoulder issues, and he was listed as questionable.

Carolina lost 32-6 at home to Tampa Bay on Dec. 26. Brady threw for 232 yards and a touchdown. Brown caught 10 passes for 101 yards. Tampa Bay had seven sacks and limited the Panthers to two field goals.