TST Best Bets: December 18, 2025

Thursday delivers a slate built around one game that carries monumental weight in the NFL, as the Seahawks and Rams collide in a pivotal divisional showdown with major playoff implications on the line. While the spotlight shines brightest on the NFC West battle, the night also features a full menu of NHL action where matchups, trends and numbers create value across the board. Here are tonight’s best bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets. 

First Pick: Under 42.5 Points

Rundown: A pair of 11-3 teams collide on Thursday Night Football as the Los Angeles Rams travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks, with sole possession of first place in the NFC West on the line. 

Tonight marks uncharted territory for the NFL. For the first time in league history, two teams with 11 or more wins meet on Thursday Night Football, as the Rams and Seahawks square off with the No. 1 seed hanging in the balance. Given the stakes, the matchup has a strong case as the most significant Thursday night game the league has ever seen. 

According to FTN’s proprietary metric DVOA (defensive-adjusted value over average), these are two of the best teams ever through 14 games. The statistic has been tracked since 1978, with the 2007 Patriots ranking No. 1 all time after finishing the regular season a perfect 16-0.

Seattle and Los Angeles have been elite on both sides of the ball, each ranking inside the top five in scoring offense and scoring defense. Much of that offensive success has been driven by two of the NFL’s premier wide receivers. Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league with 1,541 receiving yards on 96 catches, while Los Angeles has leaned heavily on third-year wideout Puka Nacua. The Rams will likely be without Davante Adams, however, as the future Hall of Famer is dealing with a hamstring injury suffered in Sunday’s win over Detroit.

Weather could also a noteworthy factor that affects the outcome. Rain is expected throughout the night in Seattle, conditions that often push offenses to lean on the ground game. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum headline the Rams’ backfield, while Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet carry the load for the Seahawks. 

With first place at stake, key skill players potentially sidelined and slick field conditions in play, expect both defenses to prioritize limiting explosive plays and force long, methodical drives. A slower tempo paired with two elite defensive units points toward a tightly contested game that struggles to reach the projected point total.

Second Pick: Under 5.5 Goals

Rundown: The Los Angeles Kings (14-10-9) wrap up a three-game road trip as they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-12-3) at Benchmark International Arena. 

Entering tonight, both teams are looking to get back on track. Tampa Bay arrives after consecutive losses to the New York Islanders and Florida, while Los Angeles has dropped four straight. Defense has been a common strength, with both clubs ranking inside the top five in goals allowed. Tampa Bay sits fifth and Los Angeles second, with each allowing 2.6 goals per game. That combined average of 5.2 goals comes in slightly below tonight’s projected total.

Defense has not been the lone driver of Tampa Bay’s success this season. Through 33 games, the Lightning are averaging 3.2 goals per game, eighth-best in the NHL. Strong play at both ends of the ice has helped Tampa Bay post a plus-19 goal differential, which ranks fourth in the league.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, has leaned heavily on its defensive structure, but its offense has lagged behind. The Kings enter with the NHL’s 30th-ranked scoring offense and will need to find some consistency to keep the losing skid from growing. With two elite defensive units on the ice, expect scoring chances to be limited and the pace to stay controlled in a low-scoring matchup.