The NFL’s annual playoff picture is materializing, but there could still be change on the horizon.
Week 18’s slate features four teams — the Steelers, Ravens, Panthers, and Buccaneers — that have yet to clinch spots in the big dance. With several seeds still up for grabs, it could be an exciting weekend of action.
Below, we’ll break down every NFL playoff scenario and implication for Week 18, also diving into the spread and over/under for each contest.
All NFL spread and over/under data is courtesy of PrizePicks Team Picks. Pick winners, spreads, and over/under totals to earn money if you’re right in 30 states. Numbers are live as of writing and are subject to change.
Which NFL Week 18 Games Have Playoff Implications?
Week 18 is chock-full of outings that can impact the AFC and NFC playoff pictures. Here are the significant ones to monitor:
- Panthers vs. Buccaneers: CAR clinches NFC South title, No. 4 seed in NFC with win; TB clinches with win and help.
- Seahawks vs. 49ers: SEA or SF clinches NFC West title, No. 1 seed & home-field advantage in NFC with win; loser falls to wild-card.
- Titans vs. Jaguars: JAX clinches AFC South title with win; seeds 1-3 and 5-7 are possible and outcome-dependent.
- Colts vs. Texans: HOU clinches AFC South title, No. 3 seed in AFC with win and JAX loss; seeds 5-7 all possible elsewhere.
- Chargers vs. Broncos: DEN clinches No. 1 seed & home-field advantage in AFC with win; seeds 5-7 are in the range of LAC outcomes.
- Dolphins vs. Patriots: NE clinches No. 1 seed & home-field advantage in AFC with win and DEN loss; seeds 2-3 available otherwise.
- Ravens vs. Steelers: Winner clinches AFC North title, No. 4 seed in AFC with win; loser eliminated.
Carolina Panthers (8-8) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) — Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, ABC & ESPN
Spread: Buccaneers -2.5 | Over/Under: 44.5
Panthers vs. Buccaneers Playoff Implications: Winner can secure NFC South title, No. 4 seed in NFC playoffs.
The Panthers’ path is simple. It’s a win-and-in scenario on Saturday against the Buccaneers. They can also secure the NFC South title and No. 4 NFC seed if they lose and the Falcons beat the Saints.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, needs to beat Carolina and have New Orleans defeat Atlanta to qualify.
Seattle Seahawks (13-3) vs. San Francisco 49ers (12-4) — Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC & ESPN
Spread: Seahawks -2.5 | Over/Under: 46.5
Seahawks vs. 49ers Playoff Implications: Winner wins NFC West, locks up home-field advantage & No. 1 NFC playoff seed. Loser becomes a wild-card team.
This one is also fairly simple. Whichever team wins on Saturday Night Football is the top NFC playoff seed and wins the NFC West.
Seattle is the No. 5 seed with a loss. San Francisco would be fifth or sixth if they lose, depending on the outcome of Cardinals vs. Rams.
Tennessee Titans (3-13) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) — Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Spread: Jaguars -13.5 | Over/Under: 46.5
Titans vs. Jaguars Playoff Implications: Win lands Jaguars AFC South title. Win-loss combinations can see Jacksonville rise as high as the No. 1 seed or fall all the way to No. 7.
The Jaguars can technically soar to the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a win and losses by the Broncos and Chargers.
Their most probable outcome is the No. 2 or No. 3 seed, but they can fall to a wild-card berth with a loss and a Texans win, thus losing the AFC South in the process.
Indianapolis Colts (8-8) vs. Houston Texans (11-5) — Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Spread: Texans -10.5 | Over/Under: 39.5
Colts vs. Texans Playoff Implications: A win and Jaguars loss nets Texans AFC South title. Various other win-loss variations lead to Houston staying a wild-card team.
Houston lands the No. 3 seed in the AFC and an AFC South clinch with a win and a Jaguars shortcoming. Otherwise, they’re slotted into one of spots 5-7 as a feisty wild-card club.
New York Jets (3-13) vs. Buffalo Bills (11-5) — Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Spread: Bills -6.5 | Over/Under: 36.5
Jets vs. Bills Playoff Implications: Bills are locked into a wild-card spot and can finish in any of the 5-7 spots depending on various outcomes.
Buffalo can’t win the AFC East, so they’ll be a No. 5, 6, or 7 seed. The simplest path to figuring that out, ironically, is losing to the Jets on Sunday. They’d be the AFC’s No. 7 seed in that scenario.
With a win, the outcomes of Colts vs. Texans, Titans vs. Jaguars, and Chargers vs. Broncos may come into play.
Detroit Lions (8-8) vs. Chicago Bears (11-5) — Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Spread: Bears -2.5 | Over/Under: 50.5
Lions vs. Bears Playoff Implications: Bears secure No. 2 seed in NFC with win but could fall to No. 3 with a loss.
Pretty straightforward here. If Chicago takes down their NFC North rivals on Sunday, they’re the NFC’s No. 2 seed. With a loss, they’d need a Commanders upset over the Eagles to avoid dropping to No. 3.
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) vs. Denver Broncos (13-3) — Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Spread: Broncos -13.5 | Over/Under: 39.5
Chargers vs. Broncos Playoff Implications: Win lands Broncos No. 1 seed in AFC and home-field advantage. Other combinations can see Denver fall to No. 2 or No. 3 seed; Chargers will assume one of seed Nos. 5, 6, or 7.
One path leads to the Broncos falling from first to third in the AFC. They can also be second in some scenarios. With a win or a loss and defeats by the Jaguars and Patriots, they secure the No. 1 overall seed in the conference.
For Los Angeles, it’s all about wild-card seeding. Several contests impact where they’ll slot in.
Arizona Cardinals (3-13) vs. Los Angeles Rams (11-5) — Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Spread: Rams -7.5 | Over/Under: 44.5
Cardinals vs. Rams Playoff Implications: Rams are locked into a wild-card spot and can finish with the No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
Should the Rams be upset by the Cardinals, they’d be the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs. A win, paired with the outcome of Seahawks vs. 49ers, would otherwise determine their fate between fifth and sixth.
Miami Dolphins (7-9) vs. New England Patriots (13-3) — Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Spread: Patriots -10.5 | Over/Under: 45.5
Dolphins vs. Patriots Playoff Implications: Win and Broncos loss gets Patriots No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in AFC. Can finish in seed spots 2 or 3 if not.
New England and MVP candidate QB Drake Maye can earn a first-round bye if they win and L.A. takes down Denver. A win and a Broncos win sees them get stuck as second fiddle.
If the Patriots lose and the Jaguars defeat the Titans, it’d be a one-spot drop to the No. 3 seed.
Washington Commanders (4-12) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) — Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Spread: Eagles -3.5 | Over/Under: 39.5
Commanders vs. Eagles Playoff Implications: Eagles are locked into either seed No. 2 or No. 3.
Philadelphia’s most direct path to seeding is a loss on Sunday, putting them third in the NFC. A win and a Lions win over the Bears gets them the No. 2 seed, or else they’ll stay where they are.
Baltimore Ravens (8-8) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) — Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC & Peacock
Spread: Ravens -3.5 | Over/Under: 40.5
Ravens vs. Steelers Playoff Implications: Winner secures AFC North crown and No. 4 seed in AFC playoffs with a victory. Loser is eliminated from playoff contention.
This one is for all the marbles. In what could be the game of the week, it’s do-or-die time for Baltimore and Pittsburgh with the AFC North title hanging in the balance.
ESPN gives the Ravens a 58.1% chance of making the playoffs. With no wild-card possibilities in hand for either side, Pittsburgh is thus given a 41.9% chance.
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