The NFL season is quickly coming to an end, and there is an absolutely loaded slate in Week 18 of games with playoff implications. It all starts on Saturday with a couple of huge NFC matchups with division titles on the line, and continues into Sunday where the top seed in the AFC is up for grabs.
It's sad to already be at this point in the year, but this has truly been one of the most wide open and exciting NFL seasons in recent memory.
Which teams are going to be winning in games with the biggest playoff stakes this week? We're making our game picks and score predictions for each.
Week 18 NFL picks and score predictions for games with big playoff stakes
Carolina Panthers (8-8) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)
Saturday, January 3, 4:30 PM ET
The artists formerly known as the "Cardiac Bucs" are on life support. The way that team has played lately, it's hard to see them coming back in this final week of the season, but that's how weird this year has been in the NFL, right?
The Panthers have been one of the most up and down teams in the NFL all year, a team with a number of extremely impressive wins and equally disappointing losses. And they're coming off of a tough one at home against Seattle.
The Bucs are favored in this game by just 2.5 points, so it's a toss-up for the folks in Vegas. I'm taking the Panthers on a walk-off field goal.
Prediction: Panthers win 23-20
Seattle Seahawks (13-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
Saturday, January 3, 8:00 PM
Both the 49ers and Seahawks are coming off of fantastic wins in Week 17 as they get set to take each other on for the #1 seed in the NFC and the NFC West title. The 49ers are looking to host all the way through the Super Bowl, while the Seahawks want to go on the road and keep rolling.
As great as the 49ers have played this year, it speaks volumes to what we've seen from the Seahawks that they are 1.5-point favorites on the road.
Given how well the 49ers just played against the Bears offensively, I wouldn't be shocked to see this game be another shootout that comes down to the wire. And right now, I'm trusting Brock Purdy a bit more than Sam Darnold.
Prediction: 49ers win 31-28
AFC South matchups
Spoiler alert: We've got the Texans and Jaguars beating the Colts and Titans, respectively. However, I will say that I think the Titans may have an actual shot at an upset compared to the Colts. If you were going to draw one of the two here in Week 18, the Colts are the better draw with Riley Leonard out there at quarterback.
The Titans haven't been on a winning streak or anything like that, but Cam Ward is playing solid, and he's got weapons all around him making plays. If you want to put one of the two AFC South teams on "upset alert" this week, it's got to be the Jaguars.
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) @ Denver Broncos (13-3)
Sunday, January 4, 4:25 PM ET
The Denver Broncos have locked up the AFC West, thanks to the fact that they got win no. 13 on Christmas night and the Chargers lost to the Texans two days later. Having the division locked up for this game, the Chargers are not going to play Justin Herbert, and you can bet they're going to rest a number of other key starters as well.
We'll see if Trey Lance can play spoiler against the Denver defense, but that doesn't feel overly likely to happen.
The Broncos are 12.5-point favorites at home, even though they don't have many blowout wins this season compared to last year. If they take care of business, they'll be the #1 seed in the AFC.
Prediction: Broncos win 35-9
Miami Dolphins (7-9) @ New England Patriots (13-3)
Sunday, January 4, 4:25 PM ET
The Patriots don't have the luxury of winning this game and automatically being the #1 seed because of a Week 1 loss to the Raiders, believe it or not. The Patriots will need the Broncos to lose in order to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and with the Chargers benching starters, that doesn't appear likely to happen.
The Pats also have to take care of business against the Dolphins, however, who have been a bit of a resilient and interesting team in the second half of the season. Miami played great defense against the Bucs on Sunday, getting their 7th win of the season. And they would probably love to play spoiler against the Patriots.
But that New England defense going up against Quinn Ewers might be overwhelming. I'm keeping an eye on this one, but the Patriots should be able to win this one rather handily.
Prediction: Patriots win 34-13
Baltimore Ravens (8-8) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)
Sunday, January 4, 8:20 PM ET
The Pittsburgh Steelers are officially on "fraud alert" this week with the Baltimore Ravens coming to town. I will admit, I haven't really been buying what the Steelers have been selling all year, and if they somehow make it past this game, I think they'll be the weakest of the 14 teams in the postseason.
With that said, they've got a shot to get to the dance if they can find a way to stop the freight train that is Derrick Henry. Henry and the Ravens just ran for 300-plus against the Packers, and Henry himself had four rushing touchdowns.
I don't know who really wants to see this Ravens team in the postseason, even if they've been on a bit of a struggle bus this year.
The Ravens are favored by 3.5 and I think that they can cover.
Prediction: Ravens win 23-19