A lot has changed since the Carolina Panthers beat the Seattle Seahawks in last year’s NFC Divisional playoff round. The Panthers have dropped two of their last three to fall to 4-7 and based on their remaining schedule, as well as what we have seen to this point, it’s unlikely they will make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are in a much better position to contend for a Super Bowl at 7-3-1 but they are coming off their worst loss of the season heading in to this week’s clash. They have flashes of brilliance where people see them as a Super Bowl contender and then they also have duds like last week, which was their fourth game this season in which they’ve failed to score a touchdown.
Moneyline: Seattle -300
Handicap/Spread Odds: SEA -6.5
Total O/U: 44.5
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 01/17/16 | SEA 24 – CAR 31 | CAR -2.5 | O 41.5 |
| 10/18/15 | CAR 27 – SEA 23 | CAR 7 | O 41 |
| 01/10/15 | CAR 17 – SEA 31 | SEA – 13.5 | O 40 |
| 10/26/14 | SEA 13 – CAR 9 | CAR 6 | U 44.5 |
| 09/08/13 | SEA 12 – CAR 7 | SEA -3 | U 44.5 |
On The Panthers Side of the Ball (4-7 Record, 3-7-1 ATS)
Carolina couldn’t slow down Derek Carr in last week’s 35-32 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Carr suffered a dislocated finger but came back and finished with 315 passing yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders win. The Panthers’ defense gave up 35 points but the biggest problem might have been the inconsistency on offense that has plagued this team all season. Cam Newton completed just 14-of-29 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Jonathan Stewart had 96 rushing yards and two scores but more than half of his rushing yards came on a 47-yard run, which left him with 49 yards on his other 16 carries. Carolina has struggled with consistency on offense all year and the lack of a dominant defense has exposed their flaws that much more this season.
Last 5 Results:
| 11/27/16 | @ OAK | L 32-35 | W 3.5 | O 48.5 |
| 11/17/16 | NO | W 23-20 | L -3.5 | U 52.5 |
| 11/13/16 | KC | L 17-20 | L -3 | U 44 |
| 11/06/16 | @ LA | W 13-10 | P -3 | U 44.5 |
| 10/30/16 | ARI | W 30-20 | W -2.5 | O 45.5 |
On The Seahawks Side of the Ball (7-3-1 Record, 6-5 ATS)
Seattle’s win streak came to a sudden halt in a 14-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that actually represented their largest losing margin so far this season. The Seahawks’ offense was an absolute mess against Tampa Bay as Russell Wilson was held to 17-of-33 for 151 yards and two interceptions and he was sacked six times. Part of the problem is that Wilson is asked to do too much so it won’t be a surprise if Seattle goes back to the drawing board and attempts to find ways to get its rushing attack going this week. Meanwhile, the defense has had its share of highs and lows this season but it’s hard to fault them in a game where they held the Bucs to 14 points despite being put in bad positions by the offense. The Seahawks will have to be much crisper at home on Sunday Night Football in a key matchup this week and considering they are undefeated at home this season we have to expect that they will bring a more complete effort to the table versus Carolina.
Last 5 Results:
| 11/27/16 | @ TB | L 5-14 | L -5 | U 46 |
| 11/20/16 | PHI | W 26-15 | W -6.5 | U 42.5 |
| 11/13/16 | @ NE | W 31-24 | W 7.5 | O 49.5 |
| 11/07/16 | BUF | W 31-25 | W -5.5 | O 43.5 |
| 10/30/16 | @ NO | L 20-25 | L -1 | U 50 |
Quick Analysis
Seattle is undefeated at home this season at 5-0 with a 3-2 record against the spread. The Seahawks have outscored their opponents 68-43 in their two wins following a loss so there is reason to believe the offense will be that much better this week. Meanwhile, the Panthers certainly haven’t travelled well this season with a 1-4 record including a 1-3-1 record against the spread.
Prediction
Carolina’s inconsistencies are noteworthy for multiple different reasons as the defending NFC champions simply haven’t been consistent enough this season. The Panthers covered last week as 3.5-point underdogs at Oakland but they are on the road on the west coast for the second week in a row and they will have a tough time keeping up with Seattle. The Seahawks got a wake up call in last week’s brutal loss to Tampa Bay but that should only serve them better in what should be a strong bounce back effort at home this week.
Pick: SEA –6.5
Note: Lines subject to change leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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