It’s NFL Week 18 and we have reached the finale of the 2025 regular season. For this week’s top NFL predictions, we have some decisions to make to gauge which teams are playing to win and which are resting starters for the playoffs. With that said, there are some big games, including the battles for the No. 1 seeds and some open division titles.
Let’s look at the latest NFL odds from top-rated sportsbooks.
NFL Picks Week 18 At-a-Glance
Our NFL picks for Week 18 look at the big one between the 49ers and Seahawks, the little one between the Giants and Cowboys, and the Texans try to sweep the Colts in the AFC South.
But let’s start with Saturday night’s huge game that determines the No. 1 seed between the 49ers and Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers (+1)
Saturday, January 3, 2026 – 08:00 PM ET
These NFC West teams met in Week 1 with the 49ers grinding out a 17-13 road win in Seattle after a late fumble in the red zone by Sam Darnold. We’ll see if that defensive intensity can sustain itself here with the 49ers losing Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Their defense hasn’t been the same without its two best players, and you can see that in getting into shootouts with Philip Rivers and the Bears (42-38) the last two weeks.
But no offense is clicking better right now than Brock Purdy and the 49ers, who have been rolling ever since he returned. He’s had 10 total touchdowns in prime time the last two games, and he lit up the Bears without George Kittle (ankle), who expects to be ready for Saturday’s game.
Darnold and the Seattle offense has been struggling in the last month, and you always worry about him in big spots like this. It was last year in Week 18 when he was swept by Detroit with the No. 1 seed on the line, and I like history to repeat itself with the 49ers finding a way to win a higher-scoring game than Week 1 to wrap up that No. 1 seed.
Expert Pick: 49ers +1 (-110) at BetOnline
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants (+3.5)
Sunday, January 4, 2026 – 01:00 PM ET
This NFC East rivalry does not have any playoff implications. The Giants also played themselves out of the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft by ending their 9-game losing streak with a win over the Raiders last week.
So, this one is for pride, and Dak Prescott can wrap up a quality Pro Bowl season for him with a good game against a team he’s owned ever since his second year in the league. He leads the NFL with 4,482 passing yards, so there’s a chance to finish No. 1 in that category, and the Giants are certainly not a good defense to slow him down.
These teams played a 40-37 overtime classic in Week 2, but with the Giants going 0-9 at game-winning drive opportunities, they have not been able to deliver in crunch time for any close wins this season. We’re going to trust that continues one more week and the Cowboys with Dak and their weapons pull off the road cover to fittingly end this disappointing season without Micah Parsons with an 8-8-1 record.
Expert Pick: Cowboys -3.5 (-110) at BetOnline
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans (-10.5)
Sunday, January 4, 2026 – 01:00 PM ET
The Texans can still win the AFC South by winning this game and hoping the Jaguars lose to the Titans. That’s unlikely, but the Texans can still get to 12-5 following an 0-3 start, a remarkable turnaround by coach DeMeco Ryans, who always believed in his top-ranked offense.
But C.J. Stroud and the offense have improved, and they can do well in this matchup at home after scoring 20 points in Indianapolis in a 20-16 win when the Colts still had Daniel Jones. Now they have Riley Leonard at quarterback as they are shutting down 44-year-old Philip Rivers after he couldn’t help the team recover its lost season.
But with the way the Houston defense has terrorized veteran quarterbacks, they should hold Leonard to a low point total while Stroud and company score over 20 points. We’ll trust the Texans to cover and go into the playoffs on a 9-game winning streak with some real hope of a deep run.
Expert Pick: Texans -10.5 (-105) at Heritage Sports
Place Your Week 18 NFL Bets Now!
For our NFL picks Week 18, our most anticipated game is Saturday evening when the 49ers and Seahawks battle it out for the No. 1 seed. We’re backing the 49ers to take that one, and we also recommend the Cowboys to cover and sweep the Giants, and the Texans to do the same against the Colts.
Remember, timing is everything for sports betting. You should be keeping up on the latest news, especially in a week where starters may sit out for the playoffs. One way to keep track of the NFL spread movement is to download the free OddsTrader app for iOS and Android to help you see the best NFL picks and lines available at different sportsbooks.
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