All but two playoff berths are set entering the final weekend of the NFL’s regular season, and as fate would have it the two teams vying for each of those spots go head-to-head the next two days to settle it.
But neither of those head-to-head battles — the Carolina Panthers (8-8) at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) for the NFC South, or the Baltimore Ravens (8-8) at the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) for the AFC North — is even the most captivating matchup of Week 18.
That goes to the final duel in the Wild, Wild NFC West, as the Seattle Seahawks (13-3) visit the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) in a winner-take-all showdown Saturday night for both the division title and the conference’s No. 1 seed and lone first-round playoff bye.
We’ll get more into those matchups and the rest of the Week 18 slate, which teams are sitting players, which other games still have stakes for seeding or division titles, and make our usual round of perilous predictions.
(All game times ET; all point spreads via DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Games That Matter Most
Carolina Panthers (8-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
4:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC/ESPN
The NFC South has been the least compelling conference in the NFL this season, but it still gets to send a team to the playoffs and that will be determined Saturday.
It’s not a straight winner-take-all, though.
If the Panthers win, they’re in. If the Buccaneers win, they would also need the Atlanta Falcons to lose or tie vs. the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to avoid a three-way tiebreaker at 8-9 that Carolina would win. (The Falcons are already eliminated from the playoffs regardless.)
And if the Bucs do win Saturday and still get shut out of the playoffs, well, it’s their own fault. This division was Tampa Bay’s to win when it started 6-2, but it’s lost seven of eight games since then. That included blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead to the Falcons and losing last week to a Dolphins team already eliminated from the playoffs.
Sure, the Bucs have been beset by major injuries for long stretches of the season (WR Mike Evans, WR Chris Godwin, RB Bucky Irving, etc.)
But the curious part of it all is that quarterback Baker Mayfield went from being an early-season MVP contender to one of the worst QBs in the league since mid-November.
In the last seven games, Mayfield has just 9 touchdown passes, 8 interceptions and a rushing TD while being held under 200 passing yards in five of those games. He did break out a bit for 346 yards last week vs. the Dolphins — his most since early October — but it also came with 2 INTs in a loss.
It’s hard to believe either of these teams is capable of making any run in the playoffs, but getting there would be a much better finishing note for the Buccaneers than the alternative of having totally nose-dived to the finish.
For the Panthers, what a strange season. They’ve alternated wins and losses the last 10 games, with no rhyme or reason to any of it.
Carolina won at Green Bay on Nov. 2 when the Packers were still at full strength and then lost the next week to a New Orleans team that was scuffling along to that point. The Panthers stunned the surging Los Angeles Rams at the end of November, only to lose the next week again to the Saints. They bounced back to beat Tampa Bay 23-20 in the teams’ first meeting two weeks ago, and then looked hapless last week in a 27-10 loss to Seattle while mustering just 139 total offensive yards (including just 54 yards passing and an INT for QB Bryce Young).
So handicapping these two teams is basically like spinning a roulette wheel.
Tampa Bay is a 3-point favorite.
Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 24
Seattle Seahawks (13-3) at San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
8 p.m. Saturday on ABC/ESPN
What a fun matchup for the final weekend. When so many other regular-season finales lack stakes or regular starters, this matchup is as good as it gets.
These are two of the hottest teams in the NFL, and as noted up top, a first-round bye is on the line.
This is a straight winner-take-all (Seattle can also claim the division with a tie).
The Seahawks have won six in a row to put themselves in this position, and a lot of it has come from the defense taking a step up — with one outlier. There was that thrilling 38-37 overtime offensive shootout with the Rams on Thursday night two weeks ago, but aside from that the Seahawks have allowed an average of 8.75 points in their other four games over the last five weeks, including the aforementioned total domination of the Panthers.
Seattle can also make it rain offensively as well, of course. Jaxon Smith-Njigba enters Week 18 closing in on the NFL receiving title for the season with a league-best 1,709 yards — 70 more than the Rams’ Puka Nacua — on 113 receptions with 10 TDs.
What’s been especially encouraging, though, has been the balanced production from the RB duo of Kenneth Walker III (930 rushing yards, 5 TDs) and Zach Charbonnet (656-11), with Charbonnet coming off his best game of the season (18 carries for 110 yards and 2 TDs vs. Carolina).
The more the rushing attack can take pressure off QB Sam Darnold (3,850 passing yards, 25 TDs and 14 INTs) the better for the Seahawks.
Conversely, the 49ers couldn’t trust QB Brock Purdy more right now.
No quarterback in the NFL is playing better of late than Purdy, who has 13 TDs (including 2 rushing) and 2 INTs over the last three games — a span in which San Francisco is averaging 42.3 PPG. That includes 5 combined passing/rushing TDs for Purdy in the momentous 42-38 win over Chicago last Sunday night.
The Niners have won six straight overall and have found their formula after sustaining major injury setbacks defensively early this season. It’s all about lighting up the scoreboard with Purdy, Christian McCaffrey (1,179 rushing yards, 890 receiving yards and 17 total TDs) and tight end George Kittle (52-599-7 in just 10 games), who is expected back in action after missing the last game with an ankle injury.
San Francisco won the teams’ first meeting way back in Week 1, 17-13 in Seattle. It seems highly likely there will be a lot more points scored in the rematch Saturday night.
Seattle is a 2.5-point favorite.
Prediction: 49ers 33, Seahawks 28
Baltimore Ravens (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
8:20 p.m. Sunday night on NBC/Peacock
The Steelers could have locked up the AFC North and their playoff berth a week ago by just beating the meager Browns, but a 13-6 loss at Cleveland has opened the door wide open for the Ravens.
This too is a winner-take-all (with the Steelers advancing in the event of a tie).
Pittsburgh won the first meeting four weeks ago in Baltimore, 27-22, but the Ravens suddenly have fresh momentum after winning 41-24 at Green Bay with Derrick Henry rushing for 216 yards and 4 TDs on a season-high 36 carries while backup QB Tyler Huntley did enough on his part.
Now, Lamar Jackson is back at QB after missing last week and most of the previous game with a back injury. He expressed his confusion over why he faced so much backlash for being injured and why there is so much talk about his relationship with head coach John Harbaugh. Jackson could be highly-motivated to answer his critics with a vintage performance, though he hasn’t been at peak form since an early-season hamstring injury.
For Pittsburgh, the big news is the return of elite pass rusher T.J. Watt after he missed three games recovering from a non-football-related partially collapsed lung. Watt is one of the league’s biggest defensive difference-makers when healthy.
Neither of these teams has been especially great for any sustained stretch this season, but this is one of the NFL’s better rivalries and usually produces competitive and tense battles.
Baltimore is a 3.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Ravens 27, Steelers 24
Games That Also Matter
New Orleans Saints (6-10) at Atlanta Falcons (7-9), 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX: Both teams are out of playoff contention, but as noted, the Falcons can play spoiler to the Buccaneers if Tampa Bay beats Carolina on Saturday. This game matters for non-playoff reasons too. The Saints are riding their first four-game winning streak since 2020 when Drew Brees was still the QB. Rookie QB Tyler Shough has been a big part of that and is playing to secure his standing as the starter entering 2026. On the other side, Kirk Cousins has led the Falcons to four wins in six starts since stepping back in at QB following Michael Penix Jr.’s season-ending torn ACL. Cousins’ time with Atlanta may be ending regardless, but this is a final showcase to the rest of the league if he wants to land a starting job elsewhere this offseason. Atlanta is a 3.5-point favorite. Prediction: Falcons 26, Saints 23
Tennessee Titans (3-13) at Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4), 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX: The Jaguars can punctuate their remarkable turnaround from 4-13 last season to 13 wins and AFC South champs with a win. They can also clinch the division with a tie, or a Texans loss/tie against Indianapolis. Jacksonville is technically still in the hunt for the AFC’s No. 1 seed too but would require the Broncos and Patriots both losing in favorable matchups. Jacksonville is a 13.5-point favorite. Prediction: Jaguars 29, Titans 20
Indianapolis Colts (8-8) at Houston Texans (11-5), 1 p.m. Sunday on CBS: The Texans have the NFL’s longest winning streak at eight games and clinched a playoff berth, but they can still win the AFC South with a victory and a Jaguars loss Sunday to the Titans. For the Colts, the Philip Rivers experience is unfortunately over. With Indianapolis out of playoff contention, it will take a look at rookie QB Riley Leonard this week. Houston is a 10-point favorite. Prediction: Texans 28, Colts 14
Detroit Lions (8-8) at Chicago Bears (11-5), 4:25 p.m. Sunday on FOX: The Bears are battling the Eagles for the No. 2 seed (vs. No. 3). The Eagles are resting starters, the Bears are not, and a win here would give Chicago a potential home game vs. the Eagles in the second round of the playoffs if both teams advance. The Lions are eliminated from playoff contention but are set to play their starters nonetheless. Chicago is a 3-point favorite. Prediction: Bears 31, Lions 24
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) at Denver Broncos (13-3), 4:25 p.m. Sunday on CBS: The Chargers are resting QB Justin Herbert (with Trey Lance filling in) and likely other starters with a playoff berth clinched, but Denver is playing to win as the Broncos clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the lone first-round bye with a victory. Denver is a 13.5-point favorite. Prediction: Broncos 27, Chargers 13
Arizona Cardinals (3-13) at Los Angeles Rams (11-5), 4:25 p.m. Sunday on FOX: The Rams still have a shot at the No. 5 seed in the NFC if they win and the Seahawks beat the 49ers. That would give Los Angeles a favorable matchup against the NFC South winner. Also, QB Matthew Stafford is in the mix for the MVP, which would be the first of his accomplished career, though he slipped behind Patriots QB Drake Maye in the betting odds after throwing a season-high 3 picks last week. Los Angeles is an 8.5-point favorite. Prediction: Rams 33, Cardinals 22
Miami Dolphins (7-9) at New England Patriots (13-3), 4:25 p.m. Sunday on FOX: The Patriots could still claim the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but that would require the Broncos to lose against a Chargers team resting starters. But a win here would lock up the No. 2 seed for New England. Also, Drake Maye is vying for the MVP award. New England is an 11.5-point favorite. Prediction: Patriots 28, Dolphins 14
More NFL Sunday Predictions
Cleveland Browns (4-12) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-10), 1 p.m. Sunday on CBS: Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett (22 sacks) still needs 1 sack to break the NFL record of 22.5 held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. For the Bengals, it’s another chance to wonder what-if had QB Joe Burrow not missed so much of the season with that turf toe injury. Burrow has passed for 614 yards, 6 TDs and 0 INTs the last two games as the Bengals put up a combined 82 points in wins over Arizona and Miami. Cincinnati is a 7.5-point favorite. Prediction: Bengals 24, Browns 19
Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) at Minnesota Vikings (8-8), 1 p.m. Sunday on CBS: The Vikings have won four games in a row to get to .500 despite a volatile QB situation. J.J. McCarthy is back in this week after missing the last game. The Packers are in the playoffs and will rest QB Jordan Love another game, while backup Malik Willis was also ruled inactive, leaving Clayton Tune to make the start. RB Josh Jacobs is also sitting for Green Bay. Minnesota is a 9.5-point favorite. Prediction: Vikings 22, Packers 10
Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) at New York Giants (3-13), 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX: Two teams playing out the string. Both are expected to play their starters, but there is some thought Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (and other starters) may not play the full game with nothing at stake. Dallas is a 3.5-point favorite. Prediction: Giants 26, Cowboys 23
Buffalo Bills (11-5) at New York Jets (3-13), 4:25 p.m. Sunday on CBS: Technically, there is seeding at stake for Buffalo, which can finish anywhere from the No. 5-7 seed in the AFC. But with the Texans playing to win in a favorable matchup and the Chargers resting their starters, it seems most likely the Bills end up in the sixth seed with a win. Coach Sean McDermott has said QB Josh Allen and the usual starters are playing. Buffalo is a 7.5-point favorite. Prediction: Bills 28, Jets 13
Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-14), 4:25 p.m. Sunday on CBS: Nothing to see here other than the likelihood of this being the last NFL game for future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce. Kansas City is a 5.5-point favorite. Prediction: Chiefs 21, Raiders 16
Washington Commanders (4-12) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-5), 4:25 p.m. Sunday on CBS: The Eagles are resting most of their high-profile starters, with Tanner McKee getting the start at quarterback. QB Josh Johnson makes another start for Washington. Philadelphia is a 4.5-point favorite. Prediction: Eagles 19, Commanders 16
