NFL Week 18 Predictions (2024)

 

Amon-Ra St. Brown #14 of the Detroit Lions catches a touchdown pass during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium, in Minneapolis, MN. The Lions defeated the Vikings, 31-29. (Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images)

Here. We. Go.

Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season is finally here! An astonishing 256 games have already been played so far this season, and now, only a week remains before the start of the postseason.

There are a bunch of exciting and big-time matchups that will go down this week, including a monster NFC North showdown between the Vikings and the Lions with everything on the line.

With that being said, let's get to the predictions, beginning with a couple of classic AFC North divisional matchups.

Saturday Games:

Cleveland Browns (3-13) @ Baltimore Ravens (11-5): 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+)

This is a huge game for the Ravens. With a win over the Browns, Baltimore will lock up the AFC North division title for a second consecutive year. Led by reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson (who is making a case to win the award once again this season), All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, and a defence that is playing much better as of late, the Ravens will take care of a lowly Browns team and ensure that they will be playing a home game next week in the wildcard round.

The pick: Browns 13 Ravens 33

Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+)

The season for the Cincinnati Bengals is on the line here. If Joe Burrow and company beat the Steelers on the road, they will still be alive in the playoff chase (Cincinnati needs a win and losses by the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos) to clinch a playoff berth. Meanwhile, the Steelers are reeling right now, as they have lost three straight games, and because of that, they now need to win and hope the Ravens lose to the Browns in order to win the AFC North.

Because the Ravens play first, the Steelers will know whether or not they still have a chance of winning the division. I think the Ravens will win comfortably, so with that being said, the Bengals will certainly have more motivation to win this game. Look for Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase to make some big plays and help Cincy keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

The pick: Bengals 27 Steelers 24

Sunday Afternoon:

Carolina Panthers (4-12) @ Atlanta Falcons (8-8): 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

This is a must-win game for the Falcons. With a win and a loss by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Falcons will win the NFC South and clinch a playoff berth. Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has played relatively well in his first two starts and it'll be fun to see him go up against Panthers second-year quarterback Bryce Young, who has played great ever since he got benched earlier in the season. 

The Panthers have played better as of late, but led by Penix and star running back Bijan Robinson, the Falcons will win at home and wait for the results of the Saints-Buccaneers game.

The pick: Panthers 20 Falcons 27

New Orleans Saints (5-11) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7): 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

The equation for Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is straightforward: Win and you make the playoffs and clinch the NFC South division title for the fourth consecutive year. Tampa Bay is white-hot coming into this game, as they have won five of their last six games. On the flip side, after a surprising 2-0 start, the Saints have lost 11 of their last 14 games and will see their playoff drought extend to four years; their longest playoff drought since 2001-2005.

Mayfield will light up the Saints' defence and lead the Bucs to a decisive victory at home to set up a home playoff game next week at Raymond James Stadium.

The pick: Saints 10 Buccaneers 38

Chicago Bears (4-12) @ Green Bay Packers (11-5): 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

While the Bears have already been eliminated from playoff contention, the Packers (who are currently the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs) still have something to play for. If Green Bay beats Chicago and the Washington Commanders beat the Dallas Cowboys, then the Packers will move up to the sixth seed.

Green Bay has defeated Chicago 11 straight times. Jordan Love and company will make that 12 straight on Sunday as the Packers close out the season on a high note at Lambeau Field.

The pick: Bears 16 Packers 27

Washington Commanders (11-5) @ Dallas Cowboys (7-9): 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)

This should be an interesting NFC East matchup. Last week, the Commanders defeated the Falcons, 30-24, to clinch a playoff berth for just the third time over the last 10 seasons. Led by quarterback Jayden Daniels (who is currently the favourite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award), Washington has enjoyed a surprising, incredible season, and a win for head coach Dan Quinn's squad would allow them to clinch the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs.

The Cowboys have played much better as of late, winning four out of their last six games (including a road win over the Commanders back in Week 13). However, it's the Commanders who have more of an incentive to win this game. And anchored by Daniels' stellar level of play, they will do just that.

The pick: Commanders 30 Cowboys 23

Buffalo Bills (13-3) @ New England Patriots (3-13): 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)

This is one of many games on this week's slate with no playoff implications. The Bills, having won 10 of their last 11 games, clinched the number two seed in the AFC when they took care of the New York Jets last week and because of that, it wouldn't be surprising to see head coach Sean McDermott bench most of his key players this week. The Patriots nearly defeated the Bills two weeks ago in Buffalo and now they'll be playing at home against the Bills' backup players. Look for quarterback Drake Maye to end his rookie season on a high note as the Pats take a close one.

The pick: Bills 20 Patriots 23

Houston Texans (9-7) @ Tennessee Titans (3-13): 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)

This is another game that has zero playoff implications. The Texans have already won the AFC South and they will play a home playoff game in the wildcard round next week. Although they came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations, it's safe to say that the Texans have fallen way short of those expectations this season. However, look for them to come out strong in this game and finish the regular season off well with a win over a Titans squad that is in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft.

The pick: Texans 24 Titans 17

New York Giants (3-13) @ Philadelphia Eagles (13-3): 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)

All the intrigue from this NFC East rivalry matchup is gone with the news that the Eagles will rest running back Saquon Barkley for this game. Coming into this week, Barkley only needed 101 rushing yards to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record, but since the Eagles have already clinched the No. 2 seed in the NFC, head coach Nick Sirianni has decided to sit Barkley (and most of the other Eagles' starters), a decision that I also would have made if I were a head coach of a championship-contending team. Look for Giants quarterback Drew Lock to continue to play well and lead New York to a road win in Philly that will only further enrage fans of the team who want to see them lose and get a better draft pick as a result.

The pick: Giants 24 Eagles 20

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12) @ Indianapolis Colts (7-9): 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

Neither team has anything to play for in this game. The Colts were eliminated from playoff contention last week in embarrassing fashion, as they gave up 45 points to the Giants, who are currently averaging 16.3 points per game (31st in the NFL). Meanwhile, the Jaguars have struggled all season, winning just four games this season after winning nine in each of the last two campaigns. Look for Jonathan Taylor to have a big game against the Jaguars' 23rd-ranked run defence and help the Colts win at home.

The pick: Jaguars 20 Colts 28

San Francisco 49ers (6-10) @ Arizona Cardinals (7-9): 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

This NFC West matchup will feature two teams that have certainly not finished the season as they wanted to. The defending NFC champion 49ers suffered through a myriad of injuries and personal tragedies this season and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020. As for the Cardinals, they have lost five out of their six games and were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Panthers back in Week 16. The 49ers nearly defeated a very good Lions team last week and I think they'll battle in this game too, but with starting quarterback Brock Purdy out due to a bruised elbow, look for Kyler Murray to lead Arizona to a close win at home to end the season.

The pick: 49ers 24 Cardinals 27

Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) @ Las Vegas Raiders: 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

Fresh off clinching a playoff berth in their first season with Jim Harbaugh as their head coach, the Chargers come into this game looking to improve their playoff positioning. A win for the Chargers and a Steelers loss will give L.A. the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs and allow them to play a struggling Texans team in the wildcard round next weekend. With that being said (combined with the Raiders being a bad team), I think the Chargers will win this game comfortably on the road and go into the postseason on a three-game winning streak.

The pick: Chargers 27 Raiders 13

Seattle Seahawks (9-7) @ Los Angeles Rams (10-6): 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Rams will only have playoff seeding to play for in this game, as they have already clinched the NFC West. Because of that, backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will get the start for the Rams. Meanwhile, the Seahawks were eliminated from playoff contention last week as they could never play a consistent brand of football on both sides of the ball throughout the season. Regardless, I think Geno Smith and Co. will play well and win this game against a Rams team looking ahead to hosting a playoff game next week.

The pick: Seahawks 31 Rams 20

Miami Dolphins (8-8) @ New York Jets (4-12): 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Dolphins come into this game with their season on the line. With a win over the struggling Jets and a Chiefs win over the Broncos, the Dolphins would make the playoffs for the third consecutive season. However, there's a very good chance that starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa might not play on Sunday due to a hip injury. And while the Jets got absolutely embarrassed by the Bills last week, this could be the final NFL game for future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Look for Rodgers to play well at home and help the Jets finish the season off strong, ruining Miami's playoff hopes in the process.

The pick: Dolphins 17 Jets 20

Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) @ Denver Broncos (9-7): 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

For the Denver Broncos, it all boils down to this game. The Broncos currently have the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL, but all Denver needs is a win at home on Sunday against the Chiefs and they will be in the postseason for the first time since 2015. Meanwhile, the Chiefs managed to clinch the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs when they beat the Steelers on Christmas Day, and as a result, many of their key players (such as Patrick Mahomes) will not play on Sunday. I think backup quarterback Carson Wentz will play well here, but let's be honest, it's very clear that the Broncos need to win this game a lot more. And I think they will. Bo Nix will cap off a great rookie season by leading Denver to a victory and a playoff berth.

The pick: Chiefs 17 Broncos 23

Sunday Night:

Minnesota Vikings (14-2) @ Detroit Lions (14-2): 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)

This is undoubtedly the game of the week and perhaps the game of the season. The winner of this game will clinch the NFC North division title, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. While the loser will fall to the No. 5 seed and will likely have to win three road playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. So yes, there is going to be a lot on the line in Detroit on Sunday night.

The Vikings are white-hot coming into this game, as they are currently riding a nine-game winning streak. Bolstered by a surprising, fantastic season by quarterback Sam Darnold, elite-level play by superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and arguably the coaching staff in the NFL, the Vikings have emerged as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. On the opposite side, the Lions were expected to be one of the best teams in the NFL this season and it's safe to say that they have certainly met those high expectations, as they recently set a record for wins in a single season in franchise history. 

These two teams last squared off in Week 7 in Minnesota in a game that saw the Lions win, 31-29 on a game-winning field goal. However, the Lions have suffered a ton of injuries (particularly on the defensive side of the ball) and that's definitely not a good thing going up against a red-hot Darnold-led passing attack.

This game will be a back-and-forth shootout between two explosive offences, but ultimately, I just think that the Vikings are healthier and are playing a tad bit better at the moment. On the road in front of a raucous crowd at Ford Field, look for Minnesota to steal a close one and clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time since 1998.

The pick: Vikings 37 Lions 34