The final week of the 2025 regular season is nearly upon us, and it feels like the NFL season goes by way too fast each year. The playoffs are on the horizon, and in Week 18, we'll see the official NFL Playoff Picture take shape.
This could be one of the more wild and entertaining playoffs we've seen, as the top playoff seeds from a year ago are totally out of the picture, and defending Super Bowl champions look beatable. Anything could happen in the postseason this year.
Let's dive into five teams that are guaranteed to win in Week 18 of the 2025 NFL Season.
These five teams have wins coming their way in Week 18 of the 2025 season
Houston Texans (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
The Houston Texans get to tee-off on rookie QB Riley Leonard, as the Indianapolis Colts are going to be starting their young signal-caller in a very hostile environment. The Texans also have a lot to play for, as they can still win the AFC South with a win over the Colts and a Jacksonville Jaguars' loss.
Houston's defense has given even the best QBs troubles this year, so it might be hard for Leonard to even get off a few passes on target. This should be a bloodbath for the Texans.
Prediction: Texans win 27-6
Buffalo Bills (vs. New York Jets)
The Buffalo Bills will not win the AFC East but still do have some seeding to play for, and while Josh Allen is trending toward not playing, the Bills should be able to throttle the Jets. Buffalo is going to have a tougher road to make a deep playoff run this year, so getting the best-possible Wild Card seed should be on their mind.
The Jets are a bad, lowly, embarrassing football team and just don't really stand a chance here in Week 18. The Bills win big-time and finish with a solid 12-5 regular season record.
Prediction: Bills win 30-9
Denver Broncos (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)
The Denver Broncos are one win away from earning the top seed in the AFC playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. That was also the last year Denver won the Super Bowl, and, ironically enough, the Super Bowl is in the same location this year as it was in 2015.
Justin Herbert is not playing in this game, as he's given some much-needed rest for the playoffs, so the Broncos should be able to take care of business against Trey Lance, a journeyman backup at this point in time.
Denver's home-field advantage is one of the best in all of sports, and the pass rush is punishing.
Prediction: Broncos win 26-16
Los Angeles Rams (vs. Arizona Cardinals)
The Los Angeles Rams have truly blown it over the past couple of weeks, and while the Rams are locked into a Wild Card seed, the team still has a lot to play for, and for the sake of Matthew Stafford's MVP candidacy, he surely wants to finish the year on a high note.
It also helps that the Arizona Cardinals are simply one of the worst teams in the NFL. Arizona is now 3-13 on the year and have lost eight games in a row. The Rams have Super Bowl aspirations and should be able to overwhelm the Cardinals by the time the first half is over.
Rams win and finish 12-5.
Prediction: Rams win 35-10
New England Patriots (vs. Miami Dolphins)
The New England Patriots can still earn the top seed in the AFC if they win in Week 18 and the Denver Broncos lose to the Los Angeles Chargers. It's not likely that this happens, but it's possible. The Patriots would probably prefer to get out to a huge lead and take some starters out as the game progresses.
The Dolphins did show some fight earlier in the season but have since kind of settled down and are in a bit of a lost season. The Pats have been one of the five best teams in the NFL this year and will take care of business in Week 18.