Seattle is a 3-point favourite on the NFL odds with the total set at 39.5 points.

NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis

While the order of the seeding isn’t totally set, we know the seven teams (for the most part) that will make the NFC playoff field: Detroit, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay/Atlanta, Minnesota, Washington and Green Bay.

The only things we don’t know are which team wins the NFC North and earns the conference’s No. 1 overall seed between the Lions and Vikings (both are in the field regardless) and which club wins the NFC South between the Bucs and Falcons, with the second-place finisher not making the postseason.

Entering Week 17, it looked like Seahawks-Rams would be for the NFC West crown and Seattle kept its hopes alive in the final Thursday night game with a victory in Chicago. However, the Rams won Saturday and then a few other teams did on Sunday to where a lower-tier tiebreaker went against Seattle to render this game meaningless. The Week 17 Sunday night game was Atlanta at Washington and the Falcons led 17-7 in the third quarter but ended up losing 30-24 in OT. Had they won, Seattle could have won the NFC West with a Week 18 victory over the Rams.

Los Angeles tries for the season sweep as it won 26-20 in OT in Seattle in Week 9 on a spectacular one-handed 39-yard TD catch from Demarcus Robinson at 4:57 of OT.

Seattle Seahawks

How much will first-year coach Mike Macdonald want to end the season with a little momentum? That and pride are really the only things the Seahawks are playing for. They were a 6-3 winner in Chicago on Thursday night in Week 17 (NFL’s lowest-scoring game of season) playing without No. 1 RB Kenneth Walker III, who will not return for Week 18. The six points were Seattle’s fewest in a win in franchise history. The defence picked off Bears QB Caleb Williams on the game’s final play as the Seahawks improved to 7-2 this season when having at least one INT compared to 2-5 when not. I do expect starting QB Geno Smith to play in Week 18 even if it’s possibly his final game as a member of the Seahawks as he has a few major contract escalators he can hit statistically to cash in. Seattle has won five straight road games, tied for the second longest road winning streak in team history.

Los Angeles Rams

When the Rams finished off their fifth straight win on Saturday, 13-9 over Arizona, they still thought they would have to play this game for the NFC West title but then a bunch of other games went L.A.’s way on Sunday to hand it the division crown. So it would be truly stunning if coach Sean McVay plays any starters ahead of a home game on Wild-Card Weekend. Years ago, McVay was one of the first coaches who chose to not play some key guys at all during the preseason. Last season, even with playoff seeding on the line, the Rams rested stars such as quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, running back Kyren Williams and since-retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald in Week 18. L.A. is the first team in NFL history with two straight playoff appearances after being at least three games under .500 (1-4 this year, 3-6 last year).

NFL Prediction: Who Will Win Seahawks vs. Rams?