Week 18 is here, and we’re in for a tremendous conclusion to the 2025-26 NFL regular season. The final weekend of games has three divisions up for grabs along with the number one seeds in each conference. Jockeying for Playoff seeding is also in full effect, as well.

In Week 17, we went 2-2 after the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears let us down. However, the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns kept us from a losing record.

This week, we have a handful of underdog NFL picks that give us a fighting chance to sweep through Week 18 and send us into the postseason on a roll.

Three of our picks are still fighting for their respective divisions: Panthers, 49ers and Steelers. This provides each team with incentive to win, along with a solid shot at covering their spreads.

Our fourth pick was a preseason Super Bowl pick with NFL bettors, but they let us all down with a clunker of a season. Yes, we’re looking at you Detroit!

With that said, we’re high on our Week 18 underdog picks and feel that these selections have lines that the sportsbooks missed the mark on. So, let’s swoop in and clean up on this betting value.

Without further delay, let’s dive over the top of this pile, cross the goal line, and make some winning NFL underdog picks for the final week of the regular season.

NFL Week 18 Underdog Picks

Team	Spread	Moneyline
Carolina Panthers	+2.5	+125
San Francisco 49ers	+1.5	+100
Detroit Lions	+2.5	+125
Pittsburgh Steelers	+3.5	+165

Over the last nine weeks, we’ve gone 24-12 with our Underdog picks: Week 9 (3-1), Week 10 (4-0), Week 11 (2-2), Week 12 (2-2), and Week 13 (3-1), Week 14 (3-1), Week 15 (2-2), Week 16 (3-1), and Week 17 (2-2).

So, even though we didn’t hit our four-leg Underdog parlay card last week, we’re still nailing these dogs at an impressive clip as the regular season closes out.

This week, three of underdog NFL teams are still fighting for their divisions: the Panthers (NFC South), the Steelers (AFC North), and the 49ers (NFC West). In the case of Carolina and Pittsburgh, if they lose then they’re eliminated from postseason contention. San Francisco is not only fighting for their division, but also the top seed in the NFC.

The Lions are playing a Chicago Bears team that will most likely rest their starters considering that they’re out of the running for the top spot in the NFC and would benefit from a week off before the Playoffs begin.

Detroit and Carolina are road underdogs, while the 49ers and Steelers are playing at home and have already defeated their division rivals earlier in this season.

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NFL Underdog Picks For Week 18

Check out our best NFL underdogs this week:

Carolina Panthers (+2.5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Carolina Panthers (8-8) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) just played two weeks ago and the Panthers won 23-20. The Buccaneers are in the midst of a four-game losing streak that saw them lose three of those contests to their division rivals. All three losses were by four points or less.

The win by Carolina snapped a five-game losing streak to Tampa Bay. In fact, the Bucs have won 11 of the last 14 meetings between these rivals.

I’m not sure how anyone can be confident in Tampa Bay right now. They’re playing awful football. Defensively, the Bucs don’t stop anyone in crunch time. Offensively, they seem out of rhythm and not on the same page.

Meanwhile, Carolina has been more consistent especially in their running game that ranks no.11 in the league (122.4 ypg). Yet, Carolina didn’t put up many rushing yards in this matchup two weeks ago. A late-game field goal is what gave them the victory.

Whether Tampa wins or not, I believe this game is going to be a close one. Tampa is 5-11 ATS this year along with going 2-7 ATS as the favorite and 4-7 ATS in conference games this season. Carolina is 7-4 ATS in NFC contests, 7-0 ATS after a loss, and 8-5 ATS as the Underdog this year.

I think Carolina can win this game but I feel more comfortable with the points because this is the Panthers that we’re talking about. Look for Bryce Young to manage the game and hope that their defense can keep Tampa from touchdowns like in the first matchup.

Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers (+100)

The Seattle Seahawks (13-3) and San Franciso 49ers (12-4) will battle for the NFC West crown and the no.1 seed in the NFC. Both teams have locked up Playoff spots already, but the winner will get a first round bye while the loser has to go out on the road as one of the Wild Card teams.

These divisional rivals played in the first week of the season. The 49ers won that game 17-13 in Seattle. In fact, San Francisco has gone 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in their last eight head-to-head meetings with the Seahawks.

In my opinion, this game should’ve been the SNF matchup as it has more on the line than just the division crown. A no.1 seed is the prized goal heading into the postseason, and that’s exactly what the winner will receive.

Seattle enters this weekend having won six games in a row and 10 of their last 11. San Francisco has also won six games in a row. The last two weeks have been particularly impressive as the 49ers have put up 45 ppg against Playoff-caliber teams (Colts, Bears).

The Seahawks have been road warriors as they’ve gone 13-1 SU in their last 14 away games, which includes a 7-1 SU record this season. They’re also 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games and 6-1 ATS in their last seven NFC matchups.

The 49ers are 4-1 SU in the division compared to Seattle at 3-2, along with going 7-4 SU following a win. Seattle has been the more consistent team this year, but the 49ers have looked incredibly impressive as Brock Purdy returned to full health.

Both teams feature Top 6 run defenses and I expect those units to play well on Saturday. Where I see the 49ers getting a slight advantage is with their passing game. I give the edge to Brock Purdy over Sam Darnold.

Purdy has thrown for 295 yards or more in his last three games. McCaffrey has been a beast running the ball, but also catching the ball. His receiving skills will give Purdy and the 49ers an advantage in this matchup. McCaffrey already has 96 catches on the season. He leads the 49ers in receptions and receiving yards.

One of the NFL’s best tight ends, George Kittle, should also return for the 49ers as he missed the Bears game due to an ankle injury. Kittle’s last two games saw at least eight targets, seven catches, 88 yards, and a touchdown in each contest.

This is going to be a tight ball game but I am taking the 49ers to win at home over the Seahawks.

Detroit Lions (+125) vs. Chicago Bears

What a pathetic performance by the Detroit Lions (8-8) down the stretch run of the season. They dropped three games in a row and four of their last five to fall out of a Playoff spot and into early vacation.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have already locked up the NFC North division and currently sit no.2 in the NFC. However, their loss to the 49ers last week prevents Chicago from a shot at the no.1 seed. And, while they could still fight for the no.2 seed, what’s the point?

Chicago is tied with Philadelphia at 11-5 on the season but the Bears beat the Eagles on Black Friday. Philly is in the same boat in regards to resting players for the final week, instead of playing and risking injury for what may or may not be a win.

Detroit is 6-1 SU in their last seven games against Chicago, which includes a 52-21 victory in Week 2 of the season. While Chicago has proven that they’re the better team, and the team is saying that they intend on winning this weekend, I just find it hard to believe they would risk injury over resting for the Playoffs.

The Bears give up the 5^th most rushing yards in the NFL at 135.3 ypg, and Detroit is definitely a talented running team. The Lions defense has been highly inconsistent this year, as has Jared Goff down the stretch. Yet, I think Dan Campbell will have his team playing with pride and treating this rivalry game as a Playoff matchup. Give me the Lions in an upset victory.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5)

Are you ready for a fight?

That’s exactly what we’ll get in Pittsburgh this weekend as the Steelers (9-7) host the Baltimore Ravens (8-8). The winner of this game clinches the AFC North division and a spot in the Playoffs. The loser is sent packing for the offseason.

The NFL flexed this game to the Sunday Night Football slot, which means it will be the final contest of the regular season. And, what better way to close out the regular season than with some smashmouth football between two teams that hate each other?

The Steelers just defeated the Ravens on December 7, by the score of 27-22. They went into Baltimore and pulled off the win. They also hold a 37-27 advantage in this rivalry.

However, Pittsburgh saw its three-game winning streak come to an end last weekend as they overlooked the Browns to this weekend’s game. Cleveland was one of our top underdog picks for last week and they definitely played spoiler to Pittsburgh who could’ve locked up the division. The Ravens demolished the Packers in impressive fashion.

Yes, King Henry went nuclear in Green Bay but I don’t see that happening this weekend as Pittsburgh allows only 111.6 ypg on the ground. The Steelers allowed over 200 rushing yards against Baltimore four weeks ago, but I doubt that occurs this weekend.

I see Pittsburgh forcing Lamar Jackson to beat them via throwing the ball. And, the Ravens have the 28^th worst passing attack this year. Conversely, the Steelers have the no.22 passing attack and will be without DK Metcalf due to a suspension. They’re definitely handicapped in this one.

However, a 3.5-point spread seems to give us enough wiggle room considering that these teams usually play tight matchups.

The last 10 head-to-head meetings have seen the Steelers go 7-3 ATS. Additionally, Baltimore averaged 18.1 ppg compared to Pittsburgh at 17.6 ppg.

On the season, Baltimore is 6-10 ATS, 2-5 ATS following a win, 5-8 ATS as the favorite, and 3-8 ATS in AFC matchups. The Steelers are 4-2 ATS following a loss and 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games.

Whether Pittsburgh wins or not, covering the 3.5 points seems highly probable considering the betting trends and history of this rivalry.

NFL Underdog Parlay

• Carolina Panthers +2.5 (-110)
• San Francisco 49ers (+100)
• Detroit Lions (+125)
• Pittsburgh Steelers +3.5 (-110)

The Panthers and Lions are on the road but have winnable games under different circumstances. Yet, we’re siding with Carolina’s points since the outcome should be a close matchup against the Bucs for the NFC South title.

The Steelers should cover the points based on their trends like going 7-3 ATS the Ravens in the last 10 meetings and Baltimore going 3-8 ATS versus the AFC this season along with a 2-5 ATS record following a win.

Lastly, the 49ers have been one of the most impressive teams in December. While Seattle is playing like the best team in the NFC, San Francisco’s offense has been a juggernaut. At home, the 49ers seem to have a little extra magic and I like that to lead San Francisco to a win over their rival.

Underdog parlays are risky bets, but this one has some real juice that we think has a serious shot at hitting. If you lay $100 on this four-leg parlay at the top online betting sites, then you would win $1,540. That’s a 15x on your initial investment.

I don’t know about you, but a small flier on this four-leg parlay seems like a great addition to your Week 18 NFL card. Also, if you want more exciting parlay action, then check out our best NFL parlays for Week 18 and our best College Football parlays of the week.

Best NFL Underdog Picks For Week 18

Call me crazy, but the 49ers are my favorite Underdog pick this week. San Francisco has gone 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games versus Seattle. At home, on Saturday, for the division and the no.1 seed sets up perfectly for a massive win by the 49ers and a Hollywood ending to the regular season. I like the trio of Purdy, McCaffrey and Kittle to lead this 49ers team to a huge win.