Associated Press likes Baltimore Ravens to beat Pittsburgh Steelers
The NFL’s final weekend of the regular season features a winner-take-all game between the Ravens-Steelers and a fight for the NFC’s No. 1 seed between the Seahawks-49ers.
There’s also the Panthers-Buccaneers matchup that will decide the NFC South, though it could take 21 hours more to determine the division champion.
Twelve of the 14 playoff spots have been secured and four teams are vying for the final two. Four division champions have been settled and only the Packers have locked up a seed, so they have little to play for in their final game.
Pro Picks breaks down all the games:
Dallas (-3.5) at N.Y. Giants: Dak Prescott and the Cowboys aim to avoid a losing record. Dallas hasn’t has had consecutive losing seasons in 23 years and Prescott has never had a losing season when healthy. Best Bet: Cowboys, 30-20
Carolina at Tampa Bay (-2.5): The Panthers secure the division with a win or tie. The Buccaneers need to win and the Falcons have to beat or tie the Saints on Sunday for Tampa to clinch its fifth straight division title. Upset Special: Panthers, 24-20
Seattle (-1.5) at San Francisco: The winner earns the NFC’s No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. 49ers, 23-22
New Orleans at Atlanta (-3.5): Tyler Shough has led the Saints to four straight wins and is 5-3 as a starter. Kirk Cousins, Bijan Robinson and the Falcons are coming off an impressive win over the Rams on Monday night. Falcons, 24-21
Cleveland at Cincinnati (-7.5): Myles Garrett stills needs a sack to pass Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the NFL’s single-season record. Bengals, 23-17
Green Bay at Minnesota (-7): The Packers are locked into the NFC’s No. 7 seed and should rest their starters for the playoffs. The Vikings have won four in a row and are playing for a winning record instead of worrying about draft positioning. Vikings, 24-13
Tennessee at Jacksonville (-12.5): Cam Ward has eight touchdowns and only one interception in the past four games, a bright spot in a lost season for Tennessee. Jaguars, 27-12
Indianapolis at Houston (-10.5): Riley Leonard will start over Philip Rivers, who went 0-3 in his remarkable comeback, and the Colts have gone from 7-1 to out of the playoffs. Texans, 23-14
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (-7): Another disastrous season for the Jets mercifully comes to a close. Josh Allen and the Bills are heading to the playoffs. Bills, 20-16
Detroit at Chicago (-3): The Lions have gone from 15-1 to out of the playoffs. It’s a bitter ending for a team that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. They’re playing for a winning record. Caleb Williams and the NFC North champion Bears are heading to the playoffs. A victory secures the No. 2 seed. Bears, 27-23
L.A. Chargers at Denvers (-12.5): Trey Lance will start while Justin Herbert rests as the Chargers prepare for the playoffs. Bo Nix and the Broncos are playing for the No. 1 seed. Broncos, 26-13
Kansas City (-5.5) at Las Vegas: Chris Oladokun played well in his first career start and the going-nowhere Chiefs gave Denver a tough battle on Christmas. The Raiders are playing for the No. 1 overall pick. Chiefs, 25-12
Arizona at L.A. Rams (-7.5): The Cardinals are heading toward a difficult offseason. The Rams are going to the playoffs but two straight losses took them out of contention for the No. 1 seed and they’ll be either No. 5 or No. 6. Rams, 24-17
Miami at New England (-10.5): Quinn Ewers played well in his second start to earn his first career win and the Dolphins are 5-2 in the past seven games. Drake Maye and the Patriots have a chance to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Patriots, 31-17
Washington at Philadelphia (-4): Hard to believe the Commanders and Eagles played in the NFC title game. Washington closes a dismal season. Philadelphia needs a win and loss or tie by the Bears to get the No. 2 seed. The Eagles were the NFC’s No. 2 seed last year when they won the Super Bowl. They’re likely resting their key starters. Eagles, 23-16
Baltimore (-3.5) at Pittsburgh: Tyler Huntley and Derrick Henry with a crucial assist from the Browns saved Baltimore’s season. Lamar Jackson could be back to for this matchup to determine the AFC North champion. It could be Aaron Rodgers’ last game in the NFL and Mike Tomlin’s last in Pittsburgh. Ravens, 24-23
Last week: Straight up: 7-9. Against spread: 7-8-1.
Overall: Straight up: 176-79-1. Against spread: 134-114-8.
Prime time: Straight up: 32-23-1. Against spread: 25-31.
Best Bet: Straight up: 12-5. Against spread: 8-8-1.
Upset Special: Straight up: 13-4. Against spread: 13-4.


