Pro Picks: Bills will edge Eagles and 49ers will beat the Bears

Ten teams are in the NFL playoffs. Eight more are battling for the final four spots.

The playoff picture will become more clear in Week 17.

The Eagles-Bills matchup is a potential Super Bowl preview. Texans-Chargers, Bears-49ers and Seahawks-Panthers could end up playing again in the playoffs.

Pro Picks aims to continue a hot streak:

Line: Broncos minus-12 1/2

The Broncos are playing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after their 11-game winning streak was snapped by the Jaguars. The Chiefs are playing their first game at Arrowhead Stadium since announcing they’re heading to the state of Kansas following the 2031 season. Denver’s defense can make this ugly for third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun.

BEST BET: BRONCOS: 27-6

Line: Chargers minus-2

C.J. Stroud and the Texans are still in the race for first place in the AFC South. Houston’s top-ranked defense has something to prove after a subpar performance in a win over the Raiders. Justin Herbert wasn’t sacked last week for the first time this season, but the Chargers aren’t facing the Cowboys this week.

UPSET SPECIAL: TEXANS 23-20

Line: Cowboys minus-8 1/2

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are playing to avoid a losing season. The Commanders are playing for pride in a dismal season that began with high expectations after reaching the NFC title game last season.

COWBOYS: 27-22

Line: Lions minus-7

The Lions need to win out and Green Bay has to lose twice to get in. The Vikings beat them in Week 9 with J.J. McCarthy. He’s hurt again.

LIONS: 24-16

Line: Packers minus-3

The Ravens are eliminated with a loss. Lamar Jackson is dealing with a back injury. Jordan Love is trying to come back from a concussion and backup Malik Willis hurt his shoulder. If Jackson plays, the desperate Ravens have a chance.

RAVENS: 22-20

Line: Bengals minus-7

The Cardinals could be headed toward a coaching change after Jonathan Gannon’s third straight losing season. The Bengals could be in a similar spot with coach Zac Taylor, and quarterback Joe Burrow hasn’t seemed happy in Cincinnati.

BENGALS: 27-23

Line: Steelers minus-3

Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers could have clinched the AFC North by kickoff if the Ravens lose to the Packers on Saturday night. Myles Garrett is one sack away from breaking the single-season record of 22 1/2 that is shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt.

STEELERS: 23-17

Line: Saints minus-2 1/2

The Saints are 4-3 with rookie QB Tyler Shough and aiming to finish strong in a weak division in which they’re 3-2. Rookie QB Cam Ward is coming off his best game and another win would hurt Tennessee’s draft positioning.

SAINTS: 20-16

Line: Jaguars minus-6 1/2

The Jaguars clinch the AFC South if the Texans lose to the Chargers or with a win. They’re still in play for the No. 1 seed. Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL has been impressive, but the Colts are 0-2 and would be eliminated if Houston wins.

COLTS: 24-23

Line: Buccaneers minus-5 1/2

The Buccaneers have gone from 6-2 to possible elimination this week if they lose and the Panthers win. But Tampa Bay controls its future. Two wins and the Bucs are in. Quinn Ewers makes his second start for the Dolphins. He’s facing a shaky defense.

BUCCANEERS: 26-23

Line: Patriots minus-12 1/2

The Patriots are coming off an impressive win over the Ravens and still have a shot to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Jets are playing for the best draft pick, as usual this time of year.

PATRIOTS: 30-13

Line: Seahawks minus-7

Coming off a thrilling comeback win in overtime to take over first place in the NFC West, the Seahawks need to win to stay on top and hold the No. 1 seed. They can finish as low as sixth in the NFC. The Panthers could clinch the NFC South with a win and a loss by the Buccaneers. But if Tampa Bay beats Miami, this game is meaningless for Carolina. The Panthers would still have to beat the Buccaneers next week.

SEAHAWKS: 24-19

Line: Raiders minus-1

This is the NFL’s version of a Toilet Bowl in fantasy football leagues. The winner is really a loser because they’ll lose the No. 1 overall pick. Jaxson Dart had a rough game against the Vikings. But he’s the Giants’ quarterback of the future. The Raiders need a franchise quarterback, so a loss would be beneficial. They should bench Ashton Jeanty — they won’t — to improve the possibility of a loss.

RAIDERS: 23-21

Line: Bills minus-1

The Eagles are almost locked into the No. 3 seed, though they can move up to No. 2 or drop to fourth. Jalen Hurts led them to a comeback win in overtime against Buffalo in 2023. Josh Allen and the Bills still have an outside chance to win the AFC East.

BILLS: 26-24

Line: 49ers minus-3

Caleb Williams and the Bears keep finding ways to win. They’re coming off a late comeback against the Packers. The 49ers, despite a depleted defense, can secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed with two wins. Christian McCaffrey is 151 yards receiving away from his second career 1,000/1,000 season.

49ERS: 26-24

Line: Rams minus-8

Matthew Stafford and the Rams dropped from first in the NFC West to sixth in the conference with a loss to Seattle. They need to win out to have a shot to get back on top. Kirk Cousins and Bijan Robinson won’t make it easy for Los Angeles.

RAMS: 30-20

Last week: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 11-4-1.

Overall: Straight up: 169-70-1. Against spread: 127-106-7.

Prime time: Straight up: 30-22-1. Against spread: 24-29.

Best Bet: Straight up: 11-5. Against spread: 8-7-1.

Upset Special: Straight up: 12-4. Against spread: 12-4.

Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams throws with Green Bay Packers' Warren Brinson rushing during the second half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs against Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) celebrates with quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) hands off against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull, as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea’s push to acquire the technology.

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited a shipyard to inspect the construction of what the North describes as an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine, which the leader has called a crucial step in the modernization and nuclear armament of North Korea’s navy. The North has indicated it plans to arm the submarine with nuclear weapons, calling it a “strategic guided missile submarine” or a “strategic nuclear attack submarine.”

During the visit, Kim described South Korea’s efforts to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarine, which have been backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, as an “offensive act” that severely violates the North’s security and maritime sovereignty.

He said that the South Korean plan further underscores the need to advance and nuclear-arm North Korea’s navy, and claimed that the completion of his nuclear-powered submarine would be an “epoch-making” change in strengthening its nuclear war deterrent against what he called enemy threats.

The agency did not specify when Kim visited the shipyard but released photos showing him inspecting a huge, burgundy-colored vessel, coated with what appears to be anti-corrosion paint, under construction inside an assembly hall with senior officials and his daughter. It was the first time North Korean state media had released images of the submarine since March, when they mostly showed the lower sections of the vessel.

It was not immediately clear how close North Korea is to completing the vessel. But because submarines are typically built from the inside out, the release of what appears to be a largely completed hull suggests that many core components, including the engine and possibly the reactor, are already in place, said Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University.

“Showing the entire vessel now seems to indicate that most of the equipment has already been installed and it is just about ready to be launched into the water,” said Moon, a former submarine officer in the South Korean navy, who believes the North Korean submarine could possibly be tested at sea within months.

A nuclear-powered submarine was one item on a long wish list of sophisticated weaponry that Kim announced during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called growing U.S.-led military threats. Other weapons were solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles.

North Korea has conducted a series of tests to develop some of those systems and recently unveiled a new naval destroyer, which Kim hailed as a major step toward expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of the country’s nuclear forces.

If North Korea obtains a submarine capable of operating stealthily for extended periods and launching missiles from underwater, it would be a worrying development for its neighbors, as such launches would be difficult to detect in advance. But there have been questions about whether North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines.

Some experts say North Korea’s recent alignment with Russia — including sending thousands of troops and military equipment to support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine — may have helped it to receive crucial technologies in return.

While some analysts suspect North Korea may have sought a reactor from Russia, possibly from a retired Russian submarine, Moon said it's more likely that North Korea designed its own reactor, while possibly receiving some technological assistance from Russia.

During a summit with Trump in November, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for U.S. support for South Korea’s efforts to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, while reaffirming a commitment to increase defense spending to ease the burden on the United States.

Trump later said that the United States is open to sharing closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, but it’s not immediately clear where and when the vessel would be built and how Seoul would get the nuclear fuel and reactor technology required.

In a separate report, KCNA said Kim on Wednesday supervised tests of new antiair missiles fired into the sea. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff later said it had detected the North launching several missiles from an eastern coastal town, and that South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies were assessing the details of the weapons.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have worsened in recent years as Kim accelerated his military nuclear program and deepened alignment with Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His government has repeatedly dismissed calls by Washington and Seoul to revive negotiations aimed at winding down his nuclear and missile programs, which derailed in 2019 following a collapsed summit with Trump during the American president’s first term.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, a test of a long-range anti-air missile is launched towards its eastern sea, as seen from an undisclosed location in North Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, with his daughter, inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, third left, visits a shipyard as he inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this undated photo provided Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)