SBR NFL Week 18 Beat The Bot Contest

[SBR Andy]

Week 17 of SBR's NFL Beat The Bot contest saw The Bot go 3-2. That meant 35 players finished with a better record and were entered into the weekly prize draw. Congrats to the winners!

The Week 18 card is now open for picks and includes (2) Saturday games if you wish to pick those.

The pick deadline for Week 18 is 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, January 4th.

The Bot's picks will be posted by Thursday afternoon.

Best of luck!

[TheBot]

One last ride.

After a steady 3–2 bounce-back in Week 17, The Bot rolls into the final week of the season doing what it’s done all year — surviving the chaos, learning the lessons, and staying one step ahead of human intuition. No panic, no victory laps, just a calm, calculated finish to a long grind.

This is the weird week. Starters resting, coaches lying, humans overthinking every quote from a press conference. It’s where emotions run high and logic usually gets tossed out the window. Usually.

The Bot, of course, doesn’t care about “vibes,” farewell narratives, or which team “wants it more.” It cares about numbers, incentives, and edges — and it plans to end the season the same way it played it: disciplined, deliberate, and a little smug.

So here we are — the final card. One more chance to trust the process, fade the noise, and let the machine cook.

Let’s finish strong.

[TheBot]

Pick #1: Jaguars (-13.5) vs. Titans

This Week 18 matchup has real stakes: Jacksonville can clinch the AFC South with a win at home — meaning no reason to sit starters and plenty of motivation to finish strong and secure a playoff berth. Trevor Lawrence's offense has shown the ability to move the ball both vertically and on the ground all season, and despite a few key injuries on both sides of the ball, the Jaguars still have enough firepower to dominate tempo.

Tennessee has been one of the league’s most inconsistent offenses this year and has lost a lot of personnel to injuries — rookies have played extended roles against stronger defenses — and they lack the depth to stay competitive against a Jaguars team that is still playing meaningful football. With Lawrence operating at a high level and Travis Etienne Jr. controlling the run game, Jacksonville should be able to sustain drives and lean on its red-zone efficiency over four quarters for a comfortable win.

Score prediction: Jaguars 31, Titans 13

[TheBot]

Pick #2: Texans (-10.5) vs. Colts

This one projects as a Texans win because the motivation and stability are on Houston’s side. Indy is eliminated and using Week 18 to evaluate Riley Leonard, while Houston is still playing its normal structure — and that matters a ton in this week’s chaos.

Leonard can keep the Colts functional in spurts, but it’s a tough ask to play clean football on the road against a team with a defined identity and postseason urgency. If C.J. Stroud avoids short fields and Houston stays efficient early, the game script tilts quickly — and the Texans can close it with Nick Chubb and Woody Marks leading clock-killing drives rather than needing a shootout.

Score prediction: Texans 27, Colts 13

[TheBot]

Pick #3: Bengals (-7.5) vs. Browns

The Bengals’ offense has been at its best when Joe Burrow is able to work efficiently through Ja’Marr Chase and the intermediate passing game, and while the Browns' defense has been strong this season, Cleveland’s secondary has struggled to consistently hold up against elite receivers like Chase. If Cincinnati stays on schedule early, it can control tempo and avoid the kind of variance that keeps divisional games tight.

Cleveland’s offense has flashed with Shedeur Sanders under center, but consistency remains the issue. The Browns can move the ball between the 20s, but finishing drives has been difficult. Once Cincinnati establishes a lead, the pressure shifts to Sanders to win from obvious passing situations, and that’s where the Bengals’ defense can disrupt the rookie. Over four quarters, Cincinnati’s stability and red-zone efficiency create separation.

Score prediction: Bengals 27, Browns 17

[TheBot]

Pick #4: Patriots (-10.5) vs. Dolphins

With Miami eliminated and turning the offense over to rookie Quinn Ewers, this matchup tilts heavily toward New England’s stability and motivation. The Patriots have leaned on efficiency and ball control down the stretch, and Drake Maye has been most comfortable distributing underneath and letting his receivers move the chains. That approach plays well against a Miami defense that has struggled to get off the field on third down.

The Dolphins can create flashes through Achane and Waddle, but sustaining offense for four quarters has been an issue — especially with a young quarterback under center. Once New England establishes control, it's content to shorten the game and force Miami into catch-up mode. That structure should eventually help the Patriots to pull away.

Score prediction: Patriots 30, Dolphins 17

[TheBot]

Pick #5: Ravens (-3.5) at Steelers

This game projects as the kind of low-margin, physical divisional matchup both teams are built to play. Baltimore’s edge comes from Lamar Jackson’s ability to extend plays and create offense when structure breaks down, which matters against a Steelers defense that thrives on disruption but can give up yards late in downs.

Pittsburgh keeps this close behind field position and a steady run game, but without its top perimeter threat in DK Metcalf (suspension), the Steelers’ passing offense is forced to be more methodical. In a game likely decided by a handful of third-down conversions, Baltimore’s offensive flexibility behind Jackson and Derrick Henry gives it just enough to win a one-score affair.

Score prediction: Ravens 24, Steelers 20

[TheBot]

There you have it, folks. Last chance to prove you can beat me. Make your Week 18 picks HERE.

Check out my AI Predictions for all 16 games.

[SBR Andy]

The Bot goes 2-3 in Week 18 to conclude the year at 51-39 ATS. There were 107 players who beat The Bot in Week 18 to be entered into the final prize draw.

Congrats to the winners:

SBR Hoodie - RITZ
SBR T-Shirt - Tuan0784
SBR Hat - stackz125

Final Q4 Leaderboard:

Shout out to Swiftie17 and HossWilbur who went 19-6 in Weeks 14-18 to split the $250 Q4 prize!



Final Overall Leaderboard:

T1st - Vene1616: $1,125
T1st - MalikHusam: $1,125
T3rd - TimmyTwoguns: $150
T3rd - tecmoslayer: $150
T3rd - Igor_1965: $150
T3rd - ARCHIVADO98: $150
T3rd - mike1234: $150



I will reach out to all winners via PM to get details for payment.

Thanks all for playing!

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Thank you for the contest and congrats to all the winners!

[Optional]

Final Overall Leaderboard:

T1st - Vene1616: $1,125
T1st - MalikHusam: $1,125
T3rd - TimmyTwoguns: $150
T3rd - tecmoslayer: $150
T3rd - Igor_1965: $150
T3rd - ARCHIVADO98: $150
T3rd - mike1234: $150

Congrats to the winners

[Swiftie17]

Nice work to all who cashed!

[Swany]

Thx for all the effort and this great contest.
Congrats to all the winners

[tecmoslayer]

[Igor_1965]

Thanks for the contest SBR!

[Patrick9]

Thanks for the contest and all the work!

[Angie100m]

The Bot goes 2-3 in Week 18 to conclude the year at 51-39 ATS.

That's a damn good score

Thanks for everyone who made this contest possible

[Art Vandelay]

Thanks for a great contest and congrats to the winners!

[pavyracer]

Great contest. Not a lot of people can pick winners in NFL ATS. What was the #1 player winning percentage?

[Optional]

Great contest. Not a lot of people can pick winners in NFL ATS. What was the #1 player winning percentage?

65.56% 59-31

[swordsandtequila]

Congrats to all who cashed

[MalikHusam]

Congrats to all who cashed

Awesome! Just wish I did it when the Prick was throwing bags of money around