With two NFL divisions on the line on Saturday, Jan. 3, bettors wanting to wager on the top games of the day can use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS and receive $150 in bonus bets if their first bet wins or up to $1,500 in bonus bets if their first bet loses, with the offer varying by state. The NFC South is on the line as the Carolina Panthers visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first game of Week 18, and the Seattle Seahawks face the San Francisco 49ers with both the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the conference at stake. Sign up for BetMGM to bet on Saturday’s top games:
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Best bets for NFL Week 18 on Saturday
It looked like the Buccaneers were on their way to winning a fifth straight NFC South title after starting the year 6-2, but Tampa Bay has imploded since then, winning just one game over its last eight and losing to the Panthers, who are now in the driver’s seat for their first division title since 2015. Carolina has been hot and cold across the season, but the Panthers have taken a big step forward in Dave Canales’ second year as head coach and a solid campaign from third-year quarterback Bryce Young, who threw two touchdowns in a win over the Bucs in Week 16. Tampa Bay is a slim 3-point favorite at home in this pivotal matchup, and the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has the Bucs winning outright in nearly 60% of its simulations.
The biggest game of the season takes place Saturday night as the Seahawks visit the 49ers with both the NFC West and No. 1 seed on the line. The 49ers won this matchup way back in Week 1 in 17-13 fashion, and both teams have looked very different since. Seattle has lost just twice since Week 1 as Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have become one of the best QB-WR combinations in the NFL in 2025, while San Francisco battled numerous key injuries, including to quarterback Brock Purdy, but still finds itself on the doorstep of a first-round bye. Both teams have won six straight, and Purdy and the 49ers offense have been on point of late, scoring at least 37 points in each of the last three games. The SportsLine model likes the Seahawks (-2.5) to get to 14-3 and secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC, as Seattle wins outright in 56% of its simulations while covering the spread 51% of the time.
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