The Seattle Seahawks will look to continue to pursue an NFC playoff spot, while the Carolina Panthers will try and play spoiler.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Carolina Panthers (+172) vs. Seattle Seahawks (-200) Total: 44.5 (O -110, U -110)Seattle sits in the final wild card position in the NFC, while the Panthers are in the basement of the NFC South, looking toward the draft. The Seahawks weren’t expected to be competitive this season after trading away their franchise quarterback to Denver, but Geno Smith has found new legs as a starter and has been a great fit in this offense.
Interestingly, the spread is relatively close, considering the different goals of these teams. The Seahawks are at home and favored by only four points while also sitting at -200 on the moneyline. The Panthers have won two of their last three games, albeit not against playoff teams. In saying that, there have been some clear improvements on defense, meaning the Seahawks could be challenged to put up points.
One thing that the Seahawks will be looking to take advantage of is the Panthers’ road struggles. Carolina enters this matchup with a dismal 0-5 record as the visitors, which should be a problem in one of the NFL’s loudest environments. The Panthers will struggle to cover the explosive wide receivers of the Seahawks and their solid ground game. Carolina might be able to keep things close into the second half, but expect the home side to pull away and create some separation late in the game.
As a result, there’s some value in Seattle. You can target their moneyline price of -200 to make it worthwhile or look for them to cover. The latter has more value; thus, that’s the direction we’re leaning toward.
Best Bet: Seahawks -4 (-110)
The Seahawks have struggled on defense. There have been some bright spots, but it hasn’t stopped opponents from putting up numbers. For a team that doesn’t score a lot like the Panthers, it will be interesting to see how Seattle’s defense responds to the challenge. Carolina will likely have a heavy ground-and-pound approach, allowing them to move the ball at a good pace against Seattle. There was an expectation that this total would be hight than 44.5, so there’s potential value with the over. Seattle should put up points, and the Panthers will do enough to secure the over.
Best Bet: Over 44.5 (-110)
Game Pick: Seahawks 26, Panthers 20
