With the NFL regular season finale upon us, the NFL Week 18 slate offers fans and bettors alike multiple opportunities to watch teams in need of a win to make the playoffs. With many divisional rematches on tap, bettors can cash in using previous matchups to guide their betting strategy.
Last week, three of the four picks this author suggested scored, giving bettors a 250% margin on all three player prop bets. Can we finish out the regular season as strong as we began by hitting on another three player prop bets? We’ll reveal our “four sure” anytime NFL TD scorers for Week 18 below.
Tampa Bay WR Mike Evans (+112) (BetRivers)
With QB Baker Mayfield showing his potential this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been a threat all season long to score through the air. The top recipient of those TD passes has been veteran WR Mike Evans. On the year, Evans has caught 76 of 128 targets for 1,233 yards and 13 receiving TDs.
This week – with the divisional crown up for grabs – Evans and the Buccaneers face off against the Carolina Panthers. In their previous matchup on December 3, Evans caught seven passes for 162 yards and a score.
Expect Evans to have a repeat performance this week, notching at least one TD to cover this player prop bet.
Seattle Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf (+125) (DraftKings)
Late season struggles led Seattle to start QB Drew Lock over Geno Smith. Yet Smith found his way back into the Seahawks starting lineup by relying on WR D.J. Metcalf to carry the offensive load.
This year, Metcalf has recorded 65 catches, 1,104 yards and eight TDs to lead Seattle in two of those three categories. In the first matchup between the Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, Metcalf was not available.
Despite his absence, Smith notched two TD passes against a Cardinals’ defense that yielded 15 scores to WRs this season. With Seattle’s postseason hopes on the line, expect Metcalf to be targeted often and score once to cover this player prop bet.
Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert (+150) (FanDuel)
With Bears QB Justin Field’s return to action, the Chicago rushing attack has been revitalized. The Bears have recorded a 100-yard rusher in back-to-back outings, notching 442 rushing yards in two straight victories.
Chicago RB Khalil Herbert is behind the resurgence as the Bears’ tailback has logged 236 of those rushing yards on 38 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per rush. In his injury-riddled season, Herbert has 583 rushing yards and five TDs total in 10 games.
Expect Herbert – who is currently questionable heading into the season finale – to score at least once if he takes the field. In their season opener, Chicago recorded one rushing TD by the backfield, albeit in a 38-20 losing effort. Herbert and the Bears will cover this player prop wager.
Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson (+220) (Caesars)
Dallas QB Dak Prescott has enjoyed one of his best seasons in the NFL, thanks largely to WR CeeDee Lamb’s career-year. In the shadow of the NFL’s leading receiver is TE Jake Ferguson, Prescott’s second-favorite target this year.
Indeed, Ferguson is behind only Lamb in receptions (65), targets (96) and receiving yards (692) for the Cowboys this year. When Dallas played the Commanders earlier this year, Ferguson had a pedestrian day with one catch for 35 yards.
In the rematch, expect Ferguson to be targeted significantly more and add to his season total of five TD catches with one Sunday against Washington.
