Week 18 will kick off Saturday afternoon from Tampa where the Buccaneers (7-9) and Carolina Panthers (8-8) will square off with the NFC South division title and the conference’s No. 4 postseason seed on the line.
The host Buccaneers are seeking to become the first NFC team to win (but will still have to wait for Saints-Falcons result on Sunday) five consecutive division titles since the 1990s’ Dallas Cowboys dynasty (1992-1996), and in doing so, they would own the longest division title streak by any NFC South team since the 2022 divisional realignment. The visiting Panthers are seeking their first playoff appearance since 2017 and their first division title since 2015 when they won the NFC and played in Super Bowl 50.
Both squads enter the final week of the regular season stumbling into their division-deciding matchup. Tampa Bay is on a four-game losing streak and has lost seven of its last eight games after a 6-2 start. Meanwhile, Carolina has been a rollercoaster all season, going 10 consecutive games alternating a win and a loss, which is tied for the fourth-longest such streak of all time.
NFL Week 18 odds, predictions, expert picks: Can Panthers win NFC South? Who wins NFC West showdown?
Tyler Sullivan
It’s worth noting this game is only a win-and-in situation for the Panthers, who can clinch the division with a win or a tie. The Buccaneers need to win and have the New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons in order to clinch the 2025 NFC South title. Even if Tampa Bay wins, should the Falcons win,…
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