We’ve reached Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season, and the action kicks off on Saturday with two of the most important games of the entire weekend as two divisions likely will be decided.
The NFC South is on the line when the Carolina Panthers visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to kick off Week 18. The Panthers can clinch their first division title since 2015 and first playoff appearance since 2017 with a win on Saturday, while the Bucs need a win and an Atlanta Falcons loss on Sunday to win their fifth NFC South title in a row. The Panthers have been one of the bigger surprises in the NFL this year after some really poor seasons the last few years, while Tampa Bay has been a big disappointment, especially as the Bucs enter Week 18 with a 7-9 record despite starting off the year 6-2.Â
The second game of the day is arguably the biggest game of the weekend as the Seattle Seahawks visit the San Francisco 49ers in a game that decides both the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Seahawks enter Week 18 tied for the best record in football in Year 2 under Mike Macdonald, and the team is in the midst of a six-game win streak that included a massive win over the Los Angeles Rams two weeks ago to take control of the division and open the path to home-field advantage. The 49ers have also won six straight and are getting incredible play from Brock Purdy of late while overcoming a ton of major injuries. The winner will secure a first-round playoff bye, while the loser will be either the No. 4 or 5 seed in the NFC.
In addition to these two massive NFL games, there are also a ton of NBA, NHL and college basketball games on the schedule for Saturday.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on at the top sportsbooks on Saturday, Jan. 3. All times Eastern.Â
NFL best bets today, where to watch
Panthers at Buccaneers
Time: 4:30 p.m. | Location: Tampa | TV: ESPN/ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Tampa Bay -3 | Expert: Carolina +3 (Will Brinson)
The Panthers have a -67 point differential but find themselves one win away from winning the NFC South and securing a winning season. The division has gone through Tampa Bay the past four years, so it’s only fitting that this season finale is in Tampa. The Bucs looked like a premier Super Bowl contender to start the year after going 6-2 through their first eight games, beating teams like the Seahawks, 49ers and Houston Texans along the way. Things have completely cratered since then, however, as Tampa Bay has lost seven of its last eight games, including at Carolina in Week 16. The Panthers took that one 23-20, with Bryce Young tossing two touchdown passes.Â
The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, gives a slight lean to the Bucs as 3-point favorites at home, with Tampa Bay covering the spread 51% of the time. NFL expert Will Brinson (4-3 and +200 over his last seven NFL picks) is riding with the Panthers instead. “I agree completely with the market move to make the Bucs less than three-point favorites, so I’m jumping on the last remaining full field goal before it disappears as well,” he said. “Personally, I think the Panthers win outright, but definitely believe they stay within a field goal.”
Seahawks at 49ers
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Santa Clara, Calif. | TV: ESPN/ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Seahawks -1.5 | Expert: Zach Charbonnet Over 42.5 rushing yards (Larry Hartstein)
The NFC West and the No. 1 seed are on the line on Saturday in the biggest game of the season. The 49ers took the Week 1 matchup between these two teams back in Seattle 17-13 in Sam Darnold’s first game as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback. Purdy threw a late touchdown score before Darnold lost a fumble in the red zone thanks to a strip sack by Nick Bosa. The Seahawks have lost just twice — Buccaneers and Rams — since Week 1, and they’re hoping Darnold has a better season finale than he did a year ago, when he completed 43.9% of his passes for the Vikings against the Lions in a matchup that also had the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the line. The 49ers have scored at least 37 points each of the last three weeks as Purdy has been on fire in the passing game with 11 touchdown passes over that span.
The model gives a slight lean to the Seahawks here, as Seattle wins outright 55% of the time and covers in 53% of model simulations. SportsLine’s Larry Hartstein thinks the Seahawks will give running back Zach Charbonnet plenty of chances to go Over his prop line of 42.5 rushing yards after a 100-yard performance last week, especially given San Francisco’s recent struggles against the run. “I’m expecting a neutral or positive game script for Seattle, and I would play this prop up to 44.5,” Hartstein said.
NBA best bets today, where to watch
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
Time:Â 7:30 p.m. | Location:Â New York | TV: NBA TV | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: New York -3.5
Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference square off Saturday night with the 76ers visiting the Knicks. Philadelphia has won two in a row and enters the weekend with an 18-14 record. The 76ers are .500 over their last 10 games and are looking to move to 2-0 against the Knicks this year. Philly won the first matchup between these two franchises 116-107 back on Dec. 19 thanks to 30 points from Tyrese Maxey. Jalen Brunson scored just nine points in 37 minutes in that game, one of his worst performances of the year. The Knicks are 23-11 after beating/falling to the Atlanta Hawks 111-99 on Friday. New York is second in the Eastern Conference behind only the Detroit Pistons. The SportsLine model thinks the Knicks bounce back on Saturday as they win in 64% of simulations and cover the spread 59% of the time.
Time: 8:20 p.m. | Location: Pittsburgh | TV: NBC/Peacock | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Steelers ML | Expert: Baltimore -3 (R.J. White)
The final game of the 2025 NFL regular season will decide the AFC North. The Ravens enter Week 18 at 8-8 while Pittsburgh is 9-7. The winner gets the AFC North and the No. 4 seed in the postseason in what’s been a strange year for both franchises. The Ravens entered the year with Super Bowl aspirations as one of the favorites to win it all, but a slow 1-5 start coupled with an injury to Lamar Jackson knocked the team down a bit. Jackson is banged up after missing last week’s win over the Green Bay Packers, but he’ll play in this season finale. Pittsburgh couldn’t quite take advantage of Baltimore’s poor start to the year as the Steelers had chances to put the division away but just couldn’t. The Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns last week opened the door for the Ravens to take the division this week by virtue of a tiebreaker.
The SportsLine Projection Model sees more value in backing the Steelers as home underdogs as they win outright 46% of the time and also cover the spread in 55% of simulations. SportsLine’s R.J. White, however, likes Baltimore in this matchup, particularly because of major concerns with Pittsburgh’s offense and defense. “I can’t see the Steelers’ offense having the same success it did in the first meeting when DK Metcalf had 149 receiving yards and the rest of the offense didn’t do much, particularly running the ball,” White said. “Pittsburgh couldn’t stop Baltimore’s run game on that day, and the Ravens have averaged 224 rush yards in their last four games.”