The Carolina Panthers are hot. They’ve now won five straight games, including their 27-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card Round on Saturday. Will their momentum be enough to take on the NFC’s top dogs, the Seattle Seahawks? Read on as we break down this intriguing NFL playoff game.
For more on the interesting NFC playoffs, check out our complete preview for the Cowboys vs. Packers game. Thinking of the bigger picture? Then head over to our complete picks for the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
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Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks Preview
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle
When: Saturday, January 10, 8:15 PM ET
Line: Carolina Panthers (+11) at Seattle Seahawks (-11); total 41.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers’ defense is looking good. Scary good. The Panthers held Arizona to 78 yards and forced three turnovers in the Wild Card game on Saturday, the fewest yards ever allowed in an NFL postseason game. Carolina is looking much like the dominant defense of last season, which was second only to the Seattle Seahawks.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Carolina had four sacks against Arizona quarterback Ryan Lindley, two by defensive end Charles Johnson. Putting pressure on Seattle’s signal caller, Russell Wilson, will be crucial to force him into bad throws and even stuff him when he decides to scramble.
To keep themselves in the game, the Panthers will also need to limit Seattle’s No. 1-ranked rushing offense led by running back Marshawn Lynch. They held Lynch to 62 yards on 14 carries in October’s close 13-9 loss. Carolina’s run defense has improved since then. They’ve held their past five opponents to 87.4 rushing yards per game.
However, racking up the points on offense may be challenging against Seattle’s No. 1-ranked total defense.
The pressure will be on Carolina quarterback Cam Newton to perform to the top of his abilities. He has thrown only one touchdown pass against Seattle in three matchups. The Panthers have lost all those matchups by less than a touchdown–13-9 in 2014, 12-7 in 2013 and 16-12 in 2012. Newton has averaged 145.6 yards through the air and 4.3 yards per attempt on the ground against the Seahawks.
Newton will need some help from running back Jonathan Stewart to carry the load on offense. The Carolina back had some success against Seattle in the regular season, rushing for 79 yards on 16 carries. More recently, he starred in the Wild Card game with 123 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown.
The total has gone under in the last three matchups between the Panthers and Seahawks.
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Betting on the Seattle Seahawks
It was quite a shaky journey, but the Seattle Seahawks are back at the top of the NFC. The Seahawks were 6-4 before winning their last six games to get the top seed in the conference, ensuring home field advantage throughout the playoff. Playing at CenturyLink Field will be a big advantage for Seattle in the divisional round. The Seahawks have won their past three home games against Carolina.
The focus on this matchup will be on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. He is 3-0 in his career against Carolina averaging 246.7 yards passing per game. However, Wilson has three interceptions to go along with his three touchdowns against the Panthers. He’ll need to be wary of an in-form Carolina passing defense. The Panthers have seven interceptions over the past five games.
Wilson also does a lot of damage with his legs. He had 849 yards rushing and six scores on 118 carries in the regular season. He was able to scramble his way to 5.8 yards per carry against Carolina in October.
Wilson and their beast of a running back, Marshawn Lynch, lead the Seahawks’ very run heavy attack. The Seattle back ranked fourth in the regular season with 1,306 yards rushing and shares a league-high 13 rushing touchdowns with Dallas’ DeMarco Murray. He has, however, struggled against Carolina averaging 63.3 yards over the last three matchups.
On the other side of the ball, Seattle’s top-ranked defense continues to shine. Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner starred at the tail end of the regular season. Wagner’s return from a turf toe injury saw Seattle allow a total of only 39 points and limit their opponents to an average of 202.2 total yards in the final six games. Wagner finished the regular season second with 104 combined tackles, despite playing only 11 games.
The Seahawks are 3-1 ATS in their last four games against Carolina.
Writer’s Prediction
Seattle wins, but the Panthers cover +11. For an added bonus, take the total to go under 41.0 in this game of two defenses.
