A new year is here and NFL fans will have their eyes on a few remaining matchups that could determine playoff positioning as the regular season comes to a close.

For bettors, that means some interesting intangibles. As teams look to the postseason, some have already locked up a playoff appearance and that may entail sitting starters or at least playing them less.

Some teams may also feel less motivated in Week 18 games that aren’t very meaningful. Bettors must take this into account.

The good news is that there are a few nice games to keep an eye out for and fans are once again treated to a couple of Saturday showdowns to replace those Thursday and Monday matchups, including an interesting Bengals-Steelers tilt in the evening slot.

Joe Burrow has been on fire for the Bengals, rallying his team from a 1-4 start to still having a shot at the playoffs – albeit with quite a bit of help needed ( a win plus a Denver loss to the Chiefs and a Miami loss to the Jets).

There are numerous playoff scenarios to keep an eye out for as the action plays out. Here’s my take on the NFL matchups in Week 18.

Matchups to Watch

The Minnesota Vikings (14-2) travel to Detroit (14-2) to take on the Lions on Sunday night with plenty on the line. The winner secures the NFC North title and also the No. 1 playoff seed and a coveted postseason bye.

The Lions got a bit of revenge on the 49ers on Monday after losing in last season’s NFC Championship game.

Detroit has shown some cracks on defense after sustaining some key injuries, but the high-octane offense led by quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jamyr Gibbs, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has mostly been able to make up for those shortcomings.

Since Nov. 28, Goff has 16 touchdown passes with only one interception while averaging 327 passing yards per game. And that unbelievable offensive line makes some of the Lions’ bold trick plays (like the one below from last week against the 49ers) work again and again.

The Vikings continue to shine as well and are coming off a big divisional win over the Packers. Sam Darnold has almost 4,200 passing yards with 35 TDs and 12 interceptions.

Aaron Jones has been solid in the backfield and Justin Jefferson is a dynamo at wide receiver with 1,479 yards and 10 TDs. Linebacker

Andrew Van Ginkel stands out on the defensive side of the ball with 11.5 sacks, 17 tackles for losses, two interceptions, and two TDs.

This should be a great way to close out the season. Here are some other games to keep an eye on.

• Bengals (8-8) at Steelers (10-6) – The Bengals are on a roll and have won four straight, averaging almost 30 points per game over that span. The Steelers have clinched a playoff spot but have lost three in a row. A Steelers win and Baltimore loss, however, can still hand Pitssburgh an AFC North title.
• Chiefs at Broncos – Kansas City has put together yet another great season, clinching the No. 1 seed and doesn’t have much to play for in this one. Look for plenty of starters to rest, including QB Patrick Mahomes. The Broncos need to win or tie to clinch a playoff berth.

Week 18 NFL Odds

Ready to make those selections for this week?

Here’s a look at this week’s odds, courtesy of FanDuel (as of Tuesday, Dec. 31).

Matchup	Betting Line	Moneyline	Total
Browns at Ravens	Ravens -17.5	Browns +1100 Ravens -2000	42.5
Bengals at Steelers	Bengals -1.5	Bengals -126 Steelers +108	48.5
Panthers at Falcons	Falcons -7.5	Panthers +340 Falcons -430	48.5
Commanders at Cowboys	Commanders -4.5	Commanders -230 Cowboys +190	44.5
Bears at Packers	Packers -9.5	Bears +310 Packers -390	40.5
Texans at Titans	Titans -1.5	Texans -104 Titans -116	38.5
Jaguars at Colts	Colts -5.5	Jaguars +188 Colts -225	45.5
Bills at Patriots	Bills -2.5	Bills -148 Patriots +125	38.5
Giants at Eagles	Eagles -3	Giants +132 Eagles -156	38.5
Saints at Buccaneers	Buccaneers -13.5	Saints +590 Buccaneers -850	43.5
Chiefs at Broncos	Broncos -9.5	Chiefs +385 Broncos -500	38.5
Chargers at Raiders	Chargers -5.5	Chargers -250 Raiders +205	41.5
Seahawks at Rams	Seahawks -4.5	Seahawks -210 Rams +176	38.5
Dolphins at Jets	Dolphins -1.5	Dolphins -122 Jets +104	39.5
49ers at Cardinals	Cardinals -3.5	49ers +168 Cardinals -200	42.5
Vikings at Lions	Lions -2.5	Vikings +124 Lions -146	56.5

Interesting Prop Bets

Ravens running back Derrick Henry hit the 100-yard rushing mark last week in a 31-2 victory over the Texans. Henry chalked up 27 carries for 147, delivering bettors a payout of +105 –as predicted here.

This week, take Jared Goff to top 1.5 TD passes at -122. Goff going over the 270.5 passing yardage mark also seems likely at -114.

For more prop bets for Week 18, check out Lawrence’s picks.

Picks for the People

The winning picks continued in Week 17, producing a record of 5-3-1 for the seventh straight winning week. If not for a push in the Seahawks’ 6-3 field goal fest win over the Bears, that would have been just a bit better.

With just one week remaining until the playoffs, we’ve put together a season record of 72-51-1 – not too bad.

Reminder, no professional prognosticating here, just a fan who enjoys putting a few bucks on the games.

On we go to this week’s matchups.

• Bengals at Steelers – The Steelers have struggled over the last three weeks and have averaged just 13 points per game in that stretch. The defense has also been average of late and look for Burrow & Co. to top the 1.5-point spread.
• Bears at Packers – Chicago struggles to score and the Packers certainly can – averaging more than 27 points per game. Look for Chicago to put up just enough for this one to get over the 40.5 total.
• Texans at Titans – This is a bit if a surprising line with the Titans a home favorite (although DraftKings has the Texans a 1-point favorite). Just take the better team in this one, with Houston covering and winning outright despite a bad performance last week.
• Bills at Patriots – Josh Allen is expected to at least play some. That should be enough for Buffalo to top the Pats by at least 2.5.
• Saints at Buccaneers – The Bucs are an offensive tour de force and need this win to secure an NFC South title. This is a big line, but look for Tampa to top the 13.5.
• Chargers at Raiders – Justin Herbert and the Chargers may be peaking at the right time. Herbert has five TD passes over the last two weeks and just one INT. The Raiders shouldn’t offer much pushback and the Chargers should win by more than 5.5 in Las Vegas with a nice streak going into the playoffs.
• Dolphins (8-8) at Jets – The Dolphins have a reasonable chance to get in the playoffs with a win and a Denver loss to the Chiefs. Miami has really been up and down this season but have some extra motivation here and should win by more than 1.5 over a Jets team that has really crumbled this season.
• Vikings at Lions – This should be quite an offensive explosion similar to Monday’s Lions-49ers showdown. This is a hefty total, but take the over 56.5.

Good luck with our own picks this week and have a great holiday season! Lawrence is giving out parlay picks for Week 18, check them out!