The NFL’s last regular-season weekend begins with its most consequential games. Saturday’s Week 18 doubleheader has been hit with the flex (ooh, ooh, ooh), and audiences benefit with a two-part title fight night.

Those hyperlinked rap hits recall 2015, which is the last time the Carolina Panthers were division champions. They can snap their decade-long futility and host a playoff game by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But if the Bucs win in their home cove, they’ll float closer to a fifth straight NFC South crowning. After that de facto undercard match, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers throw down with main-event energies: winner takes both the NFC West and the conference’s top seed. That pairing also channels the mid-2010s, when the rivalry was at its glorious peak. The first Saturday of the calendar year should be an entertaining one.

All times ET and all game odds via BetMGM.

NFL Saturday guide (Week 18)

Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.

GameTimeTVStreaming

Panthers at Bucs

4:30 p.m.

ABC, ESPN

Seahawks at Niners

8 p.m.

ABC, ESPN

ABC is free over the air. ABC and all ESPN networks are also available on ESPN Unlimited.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Panthers (8-8): Carolina has a chance to hang a division banner despite ranking 27th in scoring offense and 31st in third-down defense. The Panthers are thoroughly confusing — Ws against the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers, Ls to the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints (twice). Among the highlights are bruising 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle, standout rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan and Pro Bowl corner Jaycee Horn.

But the pass game is a slog (Bryce Young threw for 54 yards last Sunday) and the pass rush is struggling (only two teams have fewer sacks this season).

Buccaneers (7-9): Tampa Bay was 6-2 before its bye week. But injuries, inconsistencies and late-game collapses have brought the Bucs all the way down to 7-9. Their four latest losses all came by four points or fewer. Baker Mayfield has a stellar rookie target of his own in Emeka Egbuka. Mike Evans is still a force on goal-line fades. Vita Vea can bend an opposing line from the nose tackle spot.

On the other hand, this team has six giveaways to two takeaways amid its four-game losing streak, and the defense sits 30th in red-zone efficiency overall.

Broadcast info: Panthers-Bucs is on both ABC and ESPN (the former is free with a broadcast antenna). “NFL Countdown” begins the pregame window at 2 p.m. on ESPN. Scott Van Pelt anchors a studio desk with Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce, Marcus Spears and others.

Come game time, Chris Fowler takes the play-by-play call from Raymond James Stadium. Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky are on color commentary; Katie George and Peter Schrager report from the sidelines.

Playoff stakes: Carolina claims the division outright with a win. It also gets the title if the Atlanta Falcons (7-9) beat the New Orleans Saints (6-10) on Sunday. Tampa needs its own Saturday victory, plus a Saints win in Atlanta. Per TruMedia, the 8-9 Bucs would become just the fifth sub-.500 division champ since the NFL’s realignment in 2002 … and three of those five would come from the NFC South. Either team will be the fourth seed and host an NFC West runner-up.

Last round: A Ryan Fitzgerald field goal broke a late 20-20 tie, and Dave Canales’ crew topped Todd Bowles’ squad in Charlotte. That game was just two weeks ago. Young played turnover-free ball under center; Mayfield nailed a touchdown fade to Evans, but he was also picked off by Lathan Ransom.

The peacemaker (current player to wear both jerseys): Baker Mayfield. It feels like forever ago, but Tampa’s QB1 was Carolina’s opening-week starter in 2022.

Panthers at Buccaneers oddsSeattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

Seahawks (13-3): Seattle boasts the traditional look of a conference No. 1 seed. It’s second in both points scored and points allowed, with the best third-down defense. Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league in receiving yards at 1,709, or about 107 per game. Sam Darnold has the most net yards per pass attempt.

Four Seahawks have at least six sacks so far, including fumble-magnet DeMarcus Lawrence off the edge. And coverage is sharp, from linebacker Ernest Jones (five interceptions) to safety Coby Bryant (four INTs) and cornerback Devon Witherspoon (third Pro Bowl nod in his three pro seasons).

49ers (12-4): San Francisco is resiliency distilled, pushing through another plague of season-ending injuries to All-Pro players. According to TruMedia, the 49ers are first in third-down conversions and goal-to-go offense since Brock Purdy’s Week 11 return. They’re 6-0 in that span, too.

Christian McCaffrey takes the field with almost 1,200 rushing yards and 900 receiving yards in 16 games. He missed practices earlier in the week with back pain, but logged a full participation Thursday. Fellow star George Kittle (ankle) has been limited throughout the week. The game-wrecking tight end was on ice for Week 17’s win versus the Chicago Bears. He had 115 yards and a touchdown grab in Week 16.

Broadcast info: Seahawks-Niners is also on ABC and ESPN. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman assume the booth, with Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge on the field. Unlike the early kickoff, this game has two simulcast offerings. On ESPN2, Peyton and Eli Manning host the “ManningCast” revelry. On the ESPN app, there’s “MNF Playbook,” despite it very much being a Saturday night. That advanced stats telecast puts Field Yates, Tim Hasselback, Dominique Foxworth and Seth Walder on the screen.

Playoff stakes: Winner gets the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it. If Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks pull this off, they’ll hold home-field advantage through the conference championship. And if Kyle Shanahan’s Niners win, they’ll get it through the Super Bowl — February’s finale was set for Levi’s Stadium back in 2023. Loser has to play an extra round and hit the road as a wild card next weekend.

Last round: It was Week 1, so a lot has changed. The 49ers won 17-13, thanks to a late TD toss from Purdy to backup TE Jake Tonges. McCaffrey was bottled up on the ground with 69 rushing yards on 22 tries, but he added 73 receiving yards on nine catches.

The peacemaker (current player to wear both jerseys): Sam Darnold. Seattle’s Pro Bowl quarterback was San Francisco’s backup in 2023.

Seahawks at 49ers odds

Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.