NFL straight-up picks, Week 18: The Vikings take the NFC's top seed (but it's tight)

There’s nothing harder to predict in NFL circles between two teams in meaningless games. It’s why the preseason is a crapshoot. In 2024, the same goes for the vast majority of Week 18.

A Sunday night showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions will determine the top seed in the NFC. It’s a battle between two teams with 27 wins between them — something never before seen in the league’s regular season (thanks, greed-based schedule inflation!). Other than that, things get grim.