2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 18

Los Angeles Rams (5-11) at Seattle Seahawks (8-8)

Sunday, January 8, 4:25 PM ET

After getting off to one of the hottest starts of any team in the NFL this season, the Seattle Seahawks have experienced a bit of a collapse in the second half. They are 2-5 in their last seven games after starting the year 6-3, but there have been a ton of positives for Seattle this season, especially when you compare what they’ve done against expectations going into the year.

Of course, after trading Russell Wilson, most people saw the Seahawks with a training camp QB battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock as one of the least enviable situations in the league.

Geno Smith won the battle and wound up making the Pro Bowl. He’s thrown for over 4,000 yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions heading into Week 18 action.

And the Seahawks have to win this game in order to have a shot at playing for something in the postseason. Again, given the expectations many had for this team going into the year, that would be bordering on the biggest shock of the 2022 season.

Standing in the Seahawks’ way this week are the Los Angeles Rams, who are 5-11 and one of the most beaten and battered teams in the NFL. The Rams have been giving Baker Mayfield an audition for the last handful of weeks and they’ve had some mixed results. The former Heisman winner and number one pick has had two pretty fantastic games for Sean McVay and two pretty bad ones.

Most recently, Mayfield and the Rams were blown out by the Chargers after absolutely wrecking the Broncos on Christmas.

Can the Rams pull off the upset here? For straight up NFL picks, I don’t think that’s a wise call to make even if you consider there might be some animosity from Mayfield toward the Seahawks for not trading for him during the 2022 offseason.

Although I think the Rams could give Seattle some fits, it might only last three quarters and I think the Seahawks will pull this one off.

Prediction: Seahawks win 24-20