Category: NFL News

The NFL is nothing if not unpredictable. Week 17, after all, delivered quite a few surprises, from the New York Giants stunning the Indianapolis Colts to the Kenny Pickett-led Philadelphia Eagles trouncing the Dallas Cowboys. So who, exactly, might be a safe bet for the upcoming Week 18 slate?

We’ve collected all of the best picks and gambling content from CBSSports.com and SportsLine and put them in one place, so you can get picks against the spread from our CBS Sports experts as well as additional feature content for each game, including plays from top SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model, best bets from our staff, survivor picks and more. Ready? Let’s jump in.

All NFL odds via SportsLine consensus odds.

Which picks can you make with confidence in Week 18? And which Super Bowl contender goes down hard? Visit SportsLine, as its incredible model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up almost $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception.

Browns at Ravens

Time: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC), stream on fubo (try for free)  
Open: Ravens -5, O/U 46.5

Mike Tierney is 154-124-9 in his last two seasons as a SportsLine NFL expert, returning $1,586 to $100 players (every bet 1 unit) during that time. He’s also got a special pulse on the Ravens, who are already locked into the playoffs, going 53-25-2 (+2522) on his last 80 picks involving Baltimore. Check out Tierney’s full breakdown of this AFC North clash, plus his ATS projection, right here.

Bengals at Steelers

Time: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC), stream on fubo (try for free) 
Open: Bengals -1, O/U 43.5

NFL expert R.J. White, a Fantasy and gambling editor for CBS Sports, has gone 643-543-34 on his ATS picks from 2017-23, returning more than $4,600 to $100 players. He’s also got a distinct feel for the Steelers, going 70-40-4 (+2545) in his last 114 picks…

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Shanahan lauds 49ers rookie Pearsall’s fight throughout 2024 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Kyle Shanahan loves the fight 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has shown in his first season with the team.

The San Francisco coach explained the turbulent start to the season that Pearsall endured.

“What people don’t know about Ricky is he got about two OTA practices and then got hurt in OTAs, pulled his hamstring when he was away for the summer,” Shanahan said Thursday on KNBR. “And he came back and was out the first week of training camp and then when he got right back into training camp, he hurt his shoulder on the first practice.

“He never got any OTAs or training camp. So, if you go back to his time at Florida, he probably had about three NFL practices before he got shot in the chest. So, all of those injuries happened, and he gets back a week before we’re going to open up against the Jets and he two and a half practices in and then gets shot the next day.”

The 24-year-old was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco’s Union Square. Miraculously, Pearsall was not seriously injured and returned to the team after only a month, something Shanahan was impressed with.

“Fortunately, he was able to come back and only miss a month,” Shanahan said. “But when he came back, those were really his first practices and we needed him to play also. I was also proud of Ricky that he’s been able to handle this year. He’s been able to get through it. His body, when you don’t get all of that stuff in a training camp, usually your body doesn’t make it through the season. He’s fought through some wear and tear and gotten through it. I’m just really proud of the guy.”

The rookie wideout has flashed brilliance at times this year, though he has been unable to sustain any consistency from week to week. Part of that is due to the offense’s inconsistency as a whole, with subpar play and injuries contributing to a…

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The final week of the regular season is upon us and Week 18 culminates with a head-to-head battle between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings with the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket on the line. The Lions are three-point favorites in the latest Week 18 NFL odds. Meanwhile, there is one playoff spot available in both conferences, with the Broncos (-10.5), Dolphins (-1), and Bengals (-1.5) vying for the AFC opening and the Buccaneers and Falcons in contention for the NFC South title.  

Who should you back in those games with playoff implications and how should you handle all your NFL money line, NFL over-under and NFL against the spread spread picks? Before you make any Week 18 NFL picks and Week 18 NFL score predictions, you need to see the NFL against the spread, NFL over-under, and NFL money line predictions powered by the self-learning SportsLine AI.

Built using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques by SportsLine’s Data Science team, AI Predictions and AI Ratings are generated for each game. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each team’s historical data and then quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponent’s defense by assigning a numeric value out of 100 called a matchup score.

Once a prediction is formulated, the AI rating is generated using the prediction, the matchup score, and the odds of the market. For example, you could see an A-rating on an over bet if a team is facing a poor defense, their prediction differs from the line and there are favorable odds.

In addition, SportsLine AI is the first fully automated predictive model at SportsLine. It continuously refreshes on the most recent available data and can help you spot the biggest discrepancies in the lines. SportsLine’s AI PickBot has hit a whopping 2,131 4.5- and 5-star prop picks since the start of last season.

For…

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(Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups this week. Lines according to FanDuel Sportsbook (O/U = over/under). Record last week 14-2 (.875); season 177-79 (.691). Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, the record against the spread last week would have been 9-7 (.536); season 135-119-2 (.532). Times Pacific. TV channels are Los Angeles local.

Cleveland Browns (3-13) at Baltimore Ravens (11-5)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambles against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 21. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. TV: Channel 7 (ABC), ESPN

Line: Ravens by 17½. O/U: 42½.

The AFC North is within reach, so the Ravens are going pedal to the metal. It’s going to be cold and that home crowd will be amped. Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Bailey Zappe versus Lamar Jackson?

Pick: Ravens 31, Browns 13

Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson looks to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 25. (Matt Freed / Associated Press)

Saturday, 5 p.m. TV: Channel 7 (ABC), ESPN

Line: Bengals by 1½. O/U: 48½.

There’s something at stake for both teams. The Bengals are fighting to keep their longshot playoff hopes alive. The Steelers are just playing for seeding and they’ve lost three in a row..

Pick: Bengals 24, Steelers 20

Carolina Panthers (4-12) at Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix passes against the Washington Commanders on Dec. 29. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: Channel 2 (CBS)

Line: Falcons by 7½. O/U: 48½.

Until they ran into the Buccaneer buzz saw, the Panthers were playing better. Atlanta is more explosive with Michael Penix at quarterback than Kirk Cousins, and the Falcons have a chance to win the NFC South.

Pick: Falcons 28, Panthers 20

New Orleans Saints (5-11) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield passes for a touchdown against the…

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With the AFC’s No. 1 seed already in tow, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has made a relatively easy decision entering his team’s regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos. 

On Wednesday, Reid was asked what his plans are regarding his starters for Sunday’s game. The Chiefs clinched the No. 1 overall seed for the AFC playoff by virtue of their 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. Reid confirmed that several starters will be given the day off, including quarterback and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. 

“It wasn’t a hard decision,” Reid said. “I’ve been through it before. … It gives the other guys an opportunity to grow.”

Reid’s decision will impact several franchises. The Broncos need a win in order to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Dolphins need a Broncos loss and a win over the Jets in Week 18 to make the playoffs. The Bengals need to beat the Steelers and also need the Broncos and Dolphins to lose their respective games. 

Reid’s decision is obviously understandable, but it is in stark contrast to what Hall of Fame coach John Madden did late in the 1976 season, when his Raiders hosted the Bengals with the No. 1 seed already locked up. A Bengals win would have put Cincinnati in the playoffs while eliminating the Steelers, who had beaten the Raiders in the previous two AFC Championship games. 

Despite the prospect of helping eliminate his chief rival, Madden played his starters, who defeated the Bengals while giving the Steelers a playoff berth. The decision didn’t come back to haunt Madden. It was the exact opposite, as the Raiders dethroned the Steelers in that year’s AFC title game en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl…

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How PFF graded Purdy, 49ers in prime-time loss to Lions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers came out firing on all cylinders in the first half of their loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday, but couldn’t maintain the production through all four quarters.

San Francisco’s PFF grades from the 40-34 defeat show high-powered performances from rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who had a much-anticipated breakout performance, and George Kittle, who arguably is one of the best tight ends the NFL has ever seen.

Brock Purdy was largely well protected through much of the game behind a patchwork offensive line, allowing the quarterback to place the ball downfield with several explosive plays.

The running game was less productive, even with Isaac Guerendo’s return and Deebo Samuel and Pearsall’s contributions. As a group, including scrambles from Purdy and Josh Dobbs, the offense ran the ball only 18 times for 75 yards, or 4.2 yards per carry.

On the defensive side of the ball, the theme was inconsistency. While there were several stops, pass breakups and tackles for a loss made by the defense, the group still allowed Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to gain 117 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff was sacked twice, but he completed 26 of his 34 attempts for 303 yards and three touchdowns.

Here are the 49ers’ PFF grades for Week 17:

Offense

TE George Kittle – 93.2

Kittle caught all eight of his targets for 112 yards and had two other catches for 47 total yards wiped out by penalties. Kittle’s 92.4 overall grade is the highest among all tight ends and is set to finish the 2024 NFL season in the No. 1 spot.

WR Ricky Pearsall – 78.4

The rookie receiver caught eight of his 10 targets for 14 yards and a touchdown. Seven of Pearsall’s catches were for a first down or a touchdown, and 37 of his 141 yards came after the catch.

RB Isaac Guerendo – 71.4

The rookie’s 34 rushing yards all came after contact, and Guerendo caught all…

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All season long, it was the same comments coming from fans and football analysts alike:

The Kansas City Chiefs weren’t very good, winning games but barley skating through their schedule with close victories that exposed who they were as a team.

You heard it. I heard it. We all heard it.

it was wrong.

As we enter the final week of the season, the Chiefs will rest their starters this week as they’ve locked up the top seed in the AFC. Kansas City is 15-1 and will need to win two home playoff games to get to the Super Bowl in their quest to three-peat.

Yeah, not the same team. Not any good. Not the same Chiefs.

All those who said that forgot the Chiefs aren’t about the regular season. We saw that last year when they went on the road and beat the Bills and Ravens in the playoffs on their way to winning it all.

This time, on their way to the top seed, they showed some flaws. But they still won games. That’s the sign of a good team. It’s also the sign of a team that will be playoff ready.

The Chiefs will end this season as the top team in my Power Rankings, no matter what happens this week. They earned it. It’s hard to win 15 games in the NFL.

The flaws have been there all season, but with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, this team always has a chance to win it all and always seems to right things at the right time — which is December into January. The three-peat possibility is real.

By moving left guard Joe Thuney to left tackle, the pass protection has been better. By getting Hollywood Brown back at receiver, they now have two players who can run on the outside in Brown and Xavier Worthy. That changes the dynamic of the offense.

The Kansas City defense hasn’t been as good this year, but with Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie, they have stars to carry it, and we know stars show up in the playoffs. Jones always does.

Mostly, though, the postseason will once again be about Reid and…

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‘Do anything to win:’ Despite broken ribs, Kenny Pickett leads Eagles past Cowboys originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

At first glance, it looked like a terrific, tough, gutsy performance.

We didn’t even realize till after the game just how terrific, tough and gutsy it was.

In his first start in more than a year, Kenny Pickett led the Eagles to a huge win over the Cowboys that clinched the NFC East title and No. 2 seed in the playoffs and gave the Eagles their first sweep of their fiercest rival since 2011.

And a while after the game, we learned that Pickett wasn’t just playing with sore ribs. He was playing with broken ribs.

With Jalen Hurts sidelined with a concussion, Pickett made his first start since Week 13 last year with the Steelers and he did everything you’d want your backup quarterback to do in the Eagles’ 41-7 win at the Linc.

“Yeah, of course you want to finish it out,” Pickett said. “ I left it all out there. I did everything I could to play today, stay in there as long as I could. I have no regrets or anything, leaving the stadium, we got the win. That’s all that matters. So, it was a special day for everyone in there.”

It was hard to watch Pickett run the tush push three snaps in a row just getting clobbered by a host of Cowboys on each one.

The third try finally paid off.

“The sneaks were a little tough,” he said. “All the bodies lying on top of you, and then those couple hits afterwards. Tough.

“But it’s part of the game. We love the game. Do anything to win.”

Guys love playing for someone who puts it all out on the line like Pickett did, putting the team ahead of himself.

“Oh man, it don’t go unnoticed,” DeVonta Smith said. “For him to fight through the things he was fighting through, he’s a very tough guy.”

Pickett completed 10 of 15 passes for 143 yards with no turnovers before leaving the game in the middle of the third quarter after a vicious hit from Micah Parsons. He threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to…

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