Week 18 NFL odds at the mercy of quarterback announcements
The Chicago Bears have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings and a little bit of help. Justin Fields popped up on the injury report with a hip issue and an MRI revealed a strain, so Nathan Peterman gets the start for Chicago on Sunday.
The line for Vikings vs. Bears is out to -8 across most of the market and will likely keep going with so much of the Bears offense tied to the legs of Fields. That is far from the only game impacted by quarterback questions or injuries this week.
The Colts are sending out Sam Ehlinger at quarterback after Nick Foles suffered a rib injury last week. The reason this game is so important is because the Bears need Houston to win in order to grab that No. 1 pick. Indianapolis clearly has some incentive to lose and improve its draft positioning with Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis and other quarterbacks expected to go early in the first round.