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Lions playoff picture: Scenarios, potential matchups, chances to win NFC North, No. 1 seed

Jack McKessy   Paste BN
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The Detroit Lions can either clinch the first No. 1 seed in franchise history or guarantee themselves a more challenging run through the NFC playoff bracket on Sunday.

That's what's at stake when Detroit hosts the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 18 "Sunday Night Football" clash for the ages. Whichever team comes away with the victory will earn its 15th win, the NFC North title, the top seed in the NFC and the bye that comes with the No. 1 seed.

The road to Super Bowl 59 gets harder for the losing team. That team will drop to the No. 5 seed, meaning no bye through the wild-card round. Instead, it's a road matchup against the NFC division winner with the worst record and, more than likely, a road-games-only trip through the conference bracket.

Here's a look at how everything shapes up for the Lions entering the final week of the 2024 regular season:

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Lions NFC North odds

Since Detroit's path to the NFC North title is so straightforward, there aren't any available odds specifically for the Lions to win the division. However, they're currently favored in the one game they need to win to capture a second straight division win.

BetMGM give the Lions -155 odds to win their Week 18 game and, as a result, the NFC North title.

Lions Super Bowl odds

Detroit is still among the favorites to win Super Bowl 59, entering Week 18 action. BetMGM has the Lions at +400 odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the postseason. Those are the second-best odds from the sportsbook, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs at +375.

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How can the Lions win the NFC North?

The Lions' path to winning the division is extremely simple. This is what needs to happen in Week 18 for Detroit to claim the crown in the NFC North:

Lions remaining schedule

The Lions have just one game left in their regular-season schedule, and it's a game with incredibly high stakes.

If they win or tie, they'll win the NFC North and earn the No. 1 seed in the conference, earning themselves a bye to the divisional round. If they lose, they'll drop to the first wild-card spot and the No. 5 seed, meaning they'll have to hit the road to start their playoff run.

Here's Detroit's remaining schedule:

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Lions potential playoff opponents

Pending the outcome of their Week 18 game, the Lions are either on a bye for the first round of the playoffs or will hit the road next week for a wild-card matchup.

Here are their potential opponents in each scenario:

With Week 18 win/tie over Vikings:

The Lions would secure the top seed in the NFC and a bye. They'd start their playoff run in the divisional round against the lowest remaining seed of the following opponents:

With Week 18 loss to Vikings:

Detroit would drop to the No. 5 seed in the NFC and need to travel to face the No. 4 seed for the wild-card round. Here are their potential matchups in that scenario:

  • Los Angeles Rams (could be No. 4 seed pending Week 18 outcomes)
  • NFC South winner (either Falcons or Buccaneers; could be No. 4 seed pending Week 18 outcomes)

NFL playoff picture Week 18

Here's how the full playoff picture stacks up before the final week of the regular season:

AFC

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1, AFC West winners)
  2. Buffalo Bills (13-3, AFC East winners)
  3. Baltimore Ravens (12-5, AFC North winners)
  4. Houston Texans (9-7, AFC South winners)
  5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, wild card No. 1)
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, wild card No. 2)
  7. Denver Broncos (9-7, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Cincinnati Bengals (9-8), Miami Dolphins (8-8)

NFC

  1. Detroit Lions (14-2, NFC North leaders)*
  2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3, NFC East winners)*
  3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6, NFC West winners)*
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7, NFC South leaders)
  5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2, wild card No. 1)*
  6. Washington Commanders (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
  7. Green Bay Packers (11-5, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Atlanta Falcons (8-8)

An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.

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