Seahawks vs Cardinals Prediction: Spread Pick for Week 18
My Seahawks vs Cardinals prediction is on the spread. The latest Seahawks vs Cardinals odds have Seattle listed as a 3-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5 total points.
The Seahawks are very much in the playoff race with a pretty simple path to the postseason. A win in this game and a Bears win over the Packers would see the Seahawks secure a wild-card spot. While it has been a lost season for the Cardinals, this win to play spoiler over their divisional rivals would be a great way to cap off the season.
Continue reading below for my breakdown for this NFC West matchup and spread pick for Week 18.
Seahawks vs Cardinals Prediction
Seahawks vs Cardinals Odds
| Seahawks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 +100 | 48 -110o / -110u | -150 |
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -120 | 48 -110o / -110u | +125 |
Seahawks vs. Cardinals Preview
It has been a lost season for the Cardinals for the most part. They brought in a first-year head coach and had to play the first several weeks without Kyler Murray as they awaited his return from injury. However, they have found some life over the past two months. They are 3-4 straight-up in their past seven games, including last week’s win over the Eagles.
Offensively, they have found a groove over that stretch, averaging 22.7 PPG over those seven games despite playing elite defensive competition like the 49ers, Steelers and Bears.
In addition to Murray finding his groove, the return of James Conner has been massive. Conner is coming off of a game in which he had 123 rushing yards and two total touchdowns against the Eagles.
Over this seven-game stretch, the Cardinals are second in the NFL in Rush EPA/play behind only the 49ers. Conner has been a beast and the addition of Michael Carter has added a different element to the run game. Murray is also looking more like his old self scrambling around.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, are 31st in Rush EPA/play defense.
They enter this game with the 23rd-ranked rush defense, per DVOA. They are not any better against the pass, ranking 25th in pass defense DVOA. That prohibits them from cheating too much to stop the run, because if they do that, Murray should be able to beat them over the top with the weapons on the outside and tight end Trey McBride.
Seattle also ranks 26th in opponent touchdown percentage in the red zone. The Seahawks are allowing their opponents to turn red-zone trips into touchdowns 62.26% of the time.
The Cardinals offense is, incredibly, second in red-zone TD percentage, getting the ball into the end zone 65% of the time. They are even better over their last three games at 70%.
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Seahawks vs. Cardinals Picks | FanDuel
Defensively, the Cardinals do have a lot of issues still. They have been poor against the pass and the rush, ranking 31st in defensive DVOA in both categories.
However, the Seahawks offense has become much more one-dimensional over the past few weeks, making them easier to defend. They are 26th in rush EPA/play since Week 12. Kenneth Walker III has not cleared 100 yards in a single game since October and has only cleared 70 yards in a single game once since then.
The Seahawks rank 24th in red-zone touchdown percentage, scoring just 49% of the time when they get the ball into the red zone. While it has been a massive strength for the Cardinals to get seven points out of their red-zone trips, it has been a massive weakness for the Seahawks. The difference between field goal trips and touchdown trips could be the difference here.
It is not something you would want to base a handicap around, but as an added note, the scoreboard watching could come into effect. The Seahawks need a win AND a Packers loss to get into the playoffs.
The Bears have been playing great as of late, but there is always a chance the Packers dominate that game. If there is a big halftime lead for the Packers or even later in the game, there is a chance that the score gets down to Seahawks players and discourages them.
Seahawks vs. Cardinals Pick & Prediction
Murray has been elite as an underdog, going 24-14-2 against the spread as a 'dog in his NFL career.
I expect the Cardinals to move the ball effectively, control the clock and potentially play spoiler against their division rivals.
