NFL Week 18 Odds and Predictions: Best Picks Against the Spread

Here’s a look at all Week 18 games, all of which are divisional and played Sunday unless noted.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Saturday

Winner-take-all (most likely, it also depended a little on what the Falcons did Monday to end Week 17) for the NFC South title, and the loser misses the playoffs. The clubs just played in Charlotte in Week 16 and the Panthers won 23-20 thanks to a late interception of Baker Mayfield. The Bucs are in a free-fall, losing for the seventh time in eight games Sunday, 20-17 at a bad Miami team. Mayfield had two more picks and the Bucs have lost all eight game he has at least one. Carolina could have clinched the division on Sunday thanks to that Bucs loss but was outclassed at home by Seattle, 27-10.

Pick ATS: Tampa Bay (alt -2.5)

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers, Saturday

Winner-take-all for the NFC West title and conference’s top seed. So, yeah, quite important. But the loser will still be a Wild-Card team. Both won Sunday to keep this as the marquee game of Week 18. Seattle had little trouble in Carolina, while San Francisco beat visiting Chicago in an incredibly wild game, 42-38. Brock Purdy has his second in a row totalling five touchdowns. These clubs opened the season in Seattle, and the Niners won 17-13.

Pick ATS: San Francisco

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons

Both are long eliminated from playoff contention, and this might be the last game as Falcons coach for Raheem Morris. It’s a short week for Atlanta after hosting the Rams on Monday night to conclude Week 17. New Orleans won its fourth in a row on Sunday, 34-26 at Tennessee. Rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough looks like the real deal in throwing for a franchise-rookie record 333 yards. The Falcons beat the Saints, 24-10, in Week 12.

Pick ATS: New Orleans (alt +3)

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills

I would expect Buffalo to rest starters because it will be a Wild-Card team regardless. Superstar QB Josh Allen hurt his foot in Sunday’s 13-12 loss to Philadelphia. X-rays were negative, but I don’t know why the Bills would even let him dress for this one. The Jets are simply horrific and can become the first team in NFL history with zero defensive interceptions in a season. The Bills won 30-10 at the Jets in Week 2.

Pick ATS: New York

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears

Detroit has been eliminated from playoff contention. Chicago has won the NFC North and can’t get the conference’s top seed, so it’s possible coach Ben Johnson rests Caleb Williams and others. Just a matter of how much the Bears might care about finishing as the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. Williams has become only the third QB in team history to reach 3,500 passing yards in a season. The Bears’ worst game this year was a 52-21 loss in Detroit in Week 2.

Pick ATS: Chicago

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals

It has been another hugely disappointing pro football season in Ohio with both these clubs having underachieved this year. It might be the last game for both head coaches in Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski and Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor. The Bengals try for the sweep thanks to a 17-16 road win in Week 1. We may see NFL history with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett at 22 sacks, still a half-shy of tying the league mark. He was held without one in Sunday’s surprise home win over Pittsburgh.

Pick ATS: Cincinnati (alt -6.5)

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos

How much will the Chargers care? They are a Wild-Card team regardless after being upset at home by Houston last Saturday, 20-16. Usually reliable kicker Cameron Dicker missed a 32-yard field goal at the end of the first half and an extra point late in the fourth quarter. Denver has won the AFC West and earns the conference’s top seed with a win so should be all-in for that possible bye. The Chargers beat the Broncos, 23-20 in Week 3.

Pick ATS: Denver (alt -7)

Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders

The Chiefs’ worst season since 2012, the year before they hired current coach Andy Reid, mercifully comes to an end. Reid says he will return in 2026, but will future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce? He’ll be Mr. Taylor Swift by the ’26 season, at least that’s the plan. It might be one season and done for Raiders coach Pete Carroll with how badly this campaign went. Kansas City pounded Las Vegas, 31-0, in Week 7 back when we thought the Chiefs were still contenders. A Raiders loss here ensures the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Pick ATS: Kansas City

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams

Almost surely the last game as Cardinals coach for Jonathan Gannon as that franchise is a mess. It’s a short week for Los Angeles after playing in Atlanta to end Week 17. The Rams can no longer be anything but a Wild-Card team, so I’d expect many starters to sit this out. That is coach Sean McVay’s style. The Rams blew out the Cards in Week 14.

Pick ATS: Arizona (alt +10)

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Meaningless NFC North game. Green Bay was without QB Jordan Love on Saturday night and upset at home by Baltimore. That locked the Packers into the NFC’s No. 7 seed, so I can’t imagine many starters see action here. Minnesota has won four straight and can at least finish with a winning record now. In Sunday’s win over Detroit, the team had all of 3 net passing yards, fewest by any NFL club in a win since 2006. The Vikings lost 23-6 at Lambeau Field in Week 12.

Pick ATS: Minnesota

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

This might be the last game as Dolphins coach for Mike McDaniel. Rookie QB Quinn Ewers had the best game of his young career in Sunday’s upset of Tampa Bay and should get the call again. How hard will New England push? It is the AFC East champion and can earn the top seed but only if Denver loses at home to the Chargers, which is not likely. The Patriots prevailed, 33-27, in South Florida in Week 2.

Pick ATS: Miami (alt +12)

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Meaningless game from the NFC East. The Giants likely blew their chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with Sunday’s 34-10 win in Las Vegas to snap a nine-game overall losing streak and 13 in a row on the road. A loss and New York would have clinched that top pick. It’s still possible with a loss here and help elsewhere. These clubs played a fun Week 2 game with Dallas winning 40-37 in OT.

Pick ATS: New York

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles

These clubs just played Week 16 and the Eagles rolled 29-18. Washington is playing out the string and is 1-10 after starting 3-2. It has become the fifth team ever with at least 12 losses in a season following a conference championship appearance. How hard will the Eagles push? They are NFC East champs and currently the No. 3 in the playoffs. They can’t get higher than No. 2 or slip lower. So I would expect starters to sit.

Pick ATS: Washington

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville wins the AFC South with a victory – in the playoffs regardless — and would earn the conference’s top seed if both Denver and New England lose, but that’s almost surely not happening. The Jags’ seven-game winning streak is their longest in a season this century. The awful Titans lost again Sunday, but Chimere Dike set a league mark for the most all-purpose yards (2,371) by a rookie in a season. The Titans were inept offensively in a 25-3 home loss to the Jags in Week 13.

Pick ATS: Jacksonville

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Houston clinched a playoff spot with a eighth straight win last Saturday and can win the AFC West with a victory here and an incredibly unlikely Jacksonville home loss to Tennessee. So you could see some score-board watching and the Texans pulling guys in the second half if the Jags are way up. Indy is eliminated from playoff contention and on a six-game skid. The Texans try for the sweep thanks to a 20-16 win in Week 13.

Pick ATS: Houston (alt -10)

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Flexed to Sunday night. Winner-take-all for the AFC North title, and the loser misses the playoffs. Everything had to go right in Week 17 for this to matter for Baltimore. First, it pulled off an impressive win in Green Bay on Saturday night without starting QB Lamar Jackson due to a back injury. He’s likely to return for this one. All Pittsburgh had to do Sunday was win at awful Cleveland but it lost, 13-6. With a loss here, that’s probably the Hall of Fame career for Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh was a 27-24 upset winner in Baltimore in Week 14.

Pick ATS: Pittsburgh