The Seattle Seahawks have already clinched a playoff spot so with two games remaining on their regular season schedule their focus has shifted to locking up one of the top seeds in the NFC and a first-round playoff bye. The Seahawks can move one step closer to reaching that goal when they host the NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals in a matchup that many thought could have major implications for the division title when the season started back in September.
Moneyline: Seahawks -410
Handicap/Spread Odds: Seahawks -8.5
Total O/U: 43.5
Last 5 Meetings: (Road/Home – Spread/Total)
| 10/23/16 | SEA 6 – ARI 6 x | SEA 2.5 | U 43 |
| 01/03/16 | SEA 36 – ARI 6 | SEA 6 | U 46.5 |
| 11/15/15 | ARI 39 – SEA 32 | ARI 3 | O 43.5 |
| 12/21/14 | SEA 35 – ARI 6 | SEA -9.5 | O 36.5 |
| 11/23/14 | ARI 3 – SEA 19 | SEA -7.5 | U 42 |
On The Cardinals Side of the Ball (5-8-1Record, 4-10 ATS)
It might be hard to remember at this point but the Cardinals were once considered among the favorites to win the NFC West and contend for a Super Bowl this season. There isn’t much that has gone according to plan for Arizona as they have dropped four of their last five overall including a 48-41 loss to the New Orleans Saints at home last Sunday. Running back David Johnson has been an absolute stud as a feature back. Johnson is the first player in NFL history with at least 100 yards from scrimmage in each of his team’s first 14 games of the season but he can’t win games on his own and his supporting cast hasn’t been nearly good enough this year. Carson Palmer had a strong performance against the Saints with 318 yards and two touchdowns but the Arizona defense clearly didn’t bring its best effort to the table giving up 48 points. The Cardinals did finish with 443 total yards of offense the first time these teams met but their inability to finish off drives left them with just six points in a tie.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/18/16 | NO | L 41-48 | L -3 | O 48.5 |
| 12/11/16 | @MIA | L 23-26 | L -2 | O 44 |
| 12/04/16 | WAS | W 31-23 | W -2.5 | O 48.5 |
| 11/27/16 | @ATL | L 19-38 | L 4 | O 49 |
| 11/20/16 | @MIN | L 24-30 | L 2 | O 39.5 |
On The Seahawks Side of the Ball (9-4-1 Record, 8-6 ATS)
Seattle and Arizona combined to hit just 4-of-7 field goals in the first meeting between these teams as they both generated plenty of offense but failed to finish when it mattered the most. Russell Wilson threw for 225 yards but didn’t have a touchdown and the Seahawks ground game couldn’t get the ball in to the endzone either. Seattle is basically coming off a bye week following their dominant 24-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams but they need to remain focused with a first-round bye and home field advantage in the playoffs on the line. The Seahawks will need a better defensive effort against a Cardinals offense that burned them for over 400 yards in their first meeting. Seattle owns the NFL’s best scoring defense so they should be able to keep Arizona’s attack in check. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams last week and will look to deliver a similar performance against the Cardinals.
Last 5 Results:
| 12/15/16 | LA | W 24-3 | W -15 | U 39.5 |
| 12/11/16 | @GB | L 10-38 | L -3 | O 47 |
| 12/04/16 | CAR | W 40-7 | W -8 | O 43.5 |
| 11/27/16 | @TB | L 5-14 | L -5 | U 46 |
| 11/20/16 | PHI | W 26-15 | W -6.5 | U 42.5 |
Quick Analysis
Seattle is 3-0 straight up and against the spread in its last three home games but they are just 8-6 ATS overall this season. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have struggled overall with a 4-10 record ATS but they are 2-1 straight up and ATS in their last three road games against the Seahawks and they are getting more than a touchdown on the point spread in this one.
Prediction
The Arizona Cardinlas have been crumbling since the season started. While the defense was good earlier in the year, they’ve been worn down recently. They’re allowing 33.0 points per game over their last five. Beyond that, the offense has been miserable all year long – specifically, the offensive line. That figures to be a huge problem in Seattle against a quality pass rush. Factor in that Arizona is just 1-5 on the road and that Seattle is 7-0 at home and you have the makings of what should be a one-sided affair. Lay the points with the Seahawks in this spot.
Pick: Cardinals +8.5
Note: The betting odds are subject to change throughout the week leading up to kick-off, so please be aware of the possibility of line movements.
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