Welcome to playoff clinching scenario week. The road to the Super Bowl has been paved, but there is a little bit of clean-up work that needs to be done. Several divisions aren’t even wrapped up yet, while the #1 seed in both conferences has yet to be officially decided.

There’s plenty of confusion, to be sure, but a slew of playoff scenarios means we’re going to get a lot of teams with incentive to give it everything they’ve got in week 18. That makes for relatively safe NFL betting, and you don’t need to work too hard to find some high-quality NFL picks worth targeting, either.

My top NFL player prop bets didn’t deliver a clean sweep last week, but I did offer two bets that hit. The hope is to get back to where we were a couple of weeks ago, where we are going 5-0 and hitting big parlays.

I’ve pinpointed some NFL player props I love, and I’ll break each of them down in this post. If you want even more insight and advice, though, be sure to check out our Week 18 NFL predictions before you finalize any of your bets.

NFL Player Prop Odds

Last week’s batch of NFL player prop bets missed the mark, as I went just 2-3 overall. Jacoby Brissett only missed his yardage total by 20 yards, though, so we were pretty close to at least profiting as a whole.

This week I have a brand new crop of NFL player props I am very high on. I am making the calculated decision to focus mostly on player props with teams that have something to play for, but you can mix and match these wagers as you see fit.

I’ll break each prop bet down more below, but if you want extra advice before betting on the NFL this week, tap into everything the top handicappers have to offer heading into Week 18.

You can take them at face value or read on for further analysis below. Want even more insight for week 18? Tap into what the top handicappers have to offer.

NFL Player Props Today

Here’s a breakdown of each prop, analyzing matchups, trends, and key factors to help you make informed NFL bets:

Mike Evans – Over 5+ Receptions (-106)

Matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to beat the Carolina Panthers this week and then they need some extra help. That second part is out of their control, but a great way to ensure they have a shot at downing their NFC South rivals is feeding the rock to their best wide receiver.

Mike Evans was not involved enough last week, but he caught 5+ balls in each of his first two games back. With a shot at the division crown on the line, I highly doubt Baker Mayfield is going to make the same mistake twice.

Not only does the situation and Evans’ individual talent demand a huge role, but so does the matchup. Carolina’s pass defense is a middle of the pack unit when facing strong passing attacks. Whether the Bucs are playing with a lead or from behind, this is a matchup where Evans can dominate and if he didn’t get a good amount of volume coming his way I’d be shocked.

Christian McCaffrey – Anytime TD Scorer (-170)

Matchup: Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

Next up is a tale as old as time; Christian McCaffrey plunging his way into the endzone. McCaffrey busted loose as a rusher last week, which was really one of the few times he dominated on the ground this year.

While that was surprising, nobody was shocked to see him score a touchdown. He’s done so as a rusher 10 times on the year, while he’s hit paydirt seven more times as a receiver. That’s 17 total scores, with at least one coming in 12 different games.

We know the role and production is sublime. The matchup with a stout Seahawks defense isn’t ideal, but McCaffrey is at home and these teams are butting heads with literally everything at stake. This game won’t just decide the NFC West division, but it will also tell us who the #1 seed in the entire conference will be.

With so much on the line, look for McCaffrey to be an easy winning addition to any week 18 NFL parlays.

Jaxson Smith-Njigba – Over 100+ Receiving Yards (-113)

Matchup: Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

Staying in this tense NFC West showdown, I fully expect Sam Darnold to go to top target JSN at will. I’ve already told you the stakes, so the Seattle Seahawks will be doing whatever they can to win this game.

That won’t be easy on the road, but we’ve seen something glaring about this San Francisco 49ers defense; they can’t stop the pass to save their lives. Not only is that blatantly true (11th most yards allowed to WRs), but San Francisco is also far better at stopping the run.

Game script should nudge targets toward JSN as much if not more than usual. He’s in play for the Over on reception and touchdown props, but the big play artist is bound to feast in this spot. I am aware that 100+ receiving yards is a high total for anyone, but he demands lines like that given the fact that he’s accrued an insane 1,709 receiving yards to this point.

JSN has also topped this mark in nine different games. After failing to do so in either of his last two games, look for a huge bounce-back in Seattle’s biggest game of the season.

Nico Collins – Anytime TD Scorer (+160)

Matchup: Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans

Next up is Nico Collins, who took a serious backseat in Houston’s last game. That’s a testament to C.J. Stroud’s ability to simply find the open man, as well as Houston’s talented roster. However, the Texans will be at home and playing for a shot at the AFC South division, so don’t be shocked if Stroud goes back to his #1 guy.

Collins can be hit or miss at times, but we know he’s a massive big play threat that can take any catch to the house. He’s scored just six times on the year, but he’s managed to find the endzone in five different games and there isn’t a bigger spot for Houston to call his number.

The matchup also looks fantastic on paper. The Indianapolis Colts defense got torched two weeks ago versus the San Francisco 49ers, while the team is turning to third string quarterback Riley Leonard to close out the year. That could make for short fields and more advantageous spots for Nico and co.

Indy comes into this matchup ranking 31st against wide receivers in terms of yardage allowed on the year, while they’ve also coughed up 14 touchdowns to the position. On top of all of that, Nico gives us elite value with his welcoming +160 price tag. Sign me up for that!

Derrick Henry – Anytime TD Scorer (-145)

Matchup: Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Lastly, we get a discounted TD bet with Derrick Henry. If you thought Henry was cooked, think again, as he reminded everyone of how dominant he can be by dropping 200+ rushing yards and four scores in a must-win spot against the Green Bay Packers last week.

Nothing changes going into week 18. Henry is going to be as motivated as ever to produce, as Baltimore faces the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers for a chance to claim the AFC North crown and punch a ticket to the playoffs.

Pittsburgh’s defense has run hot and cold all year long, so it’s hard to know what version of them will show up. Granted, the Steelers are at home to close out the year and have the same opportunity to win and clinch the division. But running into a determined Henry has to feel bad.

Henry has been a scoring machine once again this year, piling up 16 rushing touchdowns, with six coming in the last two games alone. With so much on the line, look for Henry to punch in at least one score at a discounted price – if not a few.ain touchdown scorer would have a pretty big hand in making that happen.

Best NFL Player Prop Picks For Week 18

• Mike Evans Over 5+ Receptions (-106)
• Christian McCaffrey Anytime TD Scorer (-170)
• Jaxson Smith-Njigba Over 100+ Receiving Yards (-113)
• Nico Collins Anytime TD Scorer (+160)
• Derrick Henry Anytime TD Scorer (-145)

These are my favorite NFL player prop bets for week 18. All of these players have some combination of good matchup or major incentive to play well. Anytime there’s something on the line, we can bet confidently, and that’s precisely what we’re looking at with this batch of NFL player props.

You can toss these picks into week 18 NFL parlays if you so choose. We did have consecutive weeks of 5-0 runs, so if you did it then, you should have won in a big way. My usual suggestion is to just target these props individually, however, as it lowers risk.

I feel good about these five props and it’s likely at least three of them hit. Four of them are Anytime TD bets, though, and we all know that touchdown variance is a thing. That said, the value with C-Mac, Nico, and Henry is kind of insane.

Speaking of that, if you can find better NFL odds for any of these NFL player prop bets, I suggest you do so. Happy line shopping and good luck this week!

For the NCAAF fans out there, you can also roll with our best College Football parlays for more exciting football betting action.