Week 18 NFC North predictions: Packers handle Bears and get into playoffs

Two matchups between division rivals close out the regular season, with two of the four NFC North teams having something left to play for. 

Here are our predictions for Week 18 in the NFC North:

Minnesota Vikings (7-9) at Detroit Lions (11-5): After defending his controversial decision to go for two late in a Week 17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Dan Campbell is ready to take another gamble in the season finale. 

Ahead of Week 18's matchup against the Vikings, he announced that the team would use its "full arsenal" to win an essentially meaningless game. 

Entering Sunday, the NFC North champs have dropped two of the last four games and are all but locked into the No. 3 seed. To grab the second spot in the NFC playoffs, they'd need a win over the Vikings paired with losses by both the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. 

While not impossible, the scenario is unlikely, making Campbell's choice not to rest his starters even more puzzling. No team wants to back its way into the postseason, and the Lions certainly have issues to iron out, but risking the health of key players in a game with little stakes seems like a panic move in response to the team's recent up-and-down play. 

Meanwhile, the Vikings have dropped three in a row and need a win over the Lions, plus losses by the Seattle Seahawks and either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or New Orleans Saints, to clinch a playoff spot. 

Those slim hopes will ride on the arm of Nick Mullens, who, despite throwing four picks, torched the Lions for 411 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 16 loss. 

While the Lions are scrambling to regroup before the postseason, the Vikings can play virtually carefree, putting them in a prime position for an upset. 

PREDICTION: Vikings 29, Lions 24 

Chicago Bears (7-9) at Green Bay Packers (8-8): The Packers enter Week 18 with everything to play for, needing a win Sunday over their oldest rival to get into the postseason. The Packers are hot, having won five of the last seven games, but the Bears, already eliminated from playoff contention, aren't likely to lay down on Sunday.

The Bears seem up to playing spoiler, even with nothing to play for. QB Justin Fields has plenty to play for as he looks to secure the starting job beyond 2023, telling reporters ahead of Week 18's contest that it would mean "a lot" to the team, the fans and the city to dash the Packers' hopes. 

Furthermore, this isn't the same Chicago team Green Bay dusted 38-20 in Week 1. Since a 2-7 start, they're 5-2, backed by solid play from Fields and a defense that ranks 12th in the NFL in yards against per game (317.4). 

Conversely, the Packers are also playing well, but the pressure in Week 18 is on them alone. Win and they're in. They've responded well to must-win situations in back-to-back weeks, so there's reason to believe they'll show up with the same kind of effort against the Bears.

Furthermore, they're in rhythm, coming off a dominant win over an equally desperate Vikings squad where both the offense and defense shined in a 33-10 beatdown. 

It probably won't be easy, but QB Jordan Love and the Packers will seize the moment, punching a ticket to the playoffs. 

PREDICTION: Packers 26, Bears 18