Denver Sports Betting will preview the NFC half of Wild Card Weekend. Let’s get started with the Seattle Seahawks vs the Philadelphia Eagles. To read the DSB Vikings-Saints preview, head over to DenverSportsBetting.com.
The NFL season has been reduced from 516 regular season games to 11 postseason games. From 32 NFL teams competing, to now just 12. The NFC portion of the 2019 playoffs will kick off with a couple of intriguing wild-card contests.
Fly Eagles Fly?
The Seahawks-Eagles match-up is controversial due to the NFL playoff-seeding format. The Eagles are hosting Seattle after finishing the regular season with a 9-7 record. The Seahawks earned an 11-5 record but still have to travel and play in a hostile environment in Philadelphia since the Eagles won their division.
Although it’s unfortunate the Seahawks have to play a road playoff game after having a better record than their opponent, they are tied for the best road record in the NFL at 7-1.
The Seahawks opened up as -1 favorites on the road; however, the game is now a pick em’. The Over/Under opened at 46 and has dropped a point to 45 (Action Network).
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is coming off an MVP caliber regular season, passing for over 4000 yards and 31 touchdown passes and a career-low five interceptions. The 8-year pro was named to the second-team All-Pro team.
Seahawks rookie wide-receiver DK Metcalf was a pleasant surprise for Wilson and the Seahawks offense, as he logged in 58 receptions for over 900 yards and seven touchdown catches. Before the season, veteran wideout Doug Baldwin announced his retirement from football, and the Seahawks were in desperate need of another playmaking threat alongside Tyler Lockett. DK Metcalf stepped up to the plate and exceeded many expectations.
Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles barely snuck in the playoffs as they won the NFC East division with a 9-7 record. Although the Eagles record wasn’t elite, Wentz performed like an elite quarterback when it mattered most. After having a couple of seasons dealing with injuries, Wentz was able to start all 16 games this season for the first time since his rookie year.
Wentz also threw for over 4000 yards and 27 touchdowns passes and just seven interceptions. Wentz joined an elite group of quarterbacks, having three straight seasons of at least 20-touchdowns and seven or fewer interceptions. That club consists of the above-mentioned Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Wentz attempted over 600 passing attempts this season and only had seven interceptions, a very impressive statistic. Wentz is making his NFL playoff debut, so there is sure to be some extra motivation when he steps on the field.
This game should be very close and could come down to which quarterback performs better. Both quarterbacks have a championship pedigree, and both defenses play a physical brand of football.
The Eagles might be without multiple starters on their offensive line in Brandon Brooks (out) and Lane Johnson (questionable). Both players are staples of their offensive line and the team as a whole.
Jadeveon Clowney and the Seahawks pass rush must get pressure on Wentz if they want to succeed. The absence of Brooks and Johnson give Clowney an excellent opportunity for success. The Seahawks pass rush was terrible this season, ranking second to last in sacks with only 28.
Under the current playoff format (since 1990), a 9-7 (or worse) team has hosted an 11-5 (or better) team eight times in the wild-card round. The home team went 6-2 in those games (6-1-1 ATS) despite being the underdog in six of those games. Philadelphia is also 5-0 outright as a playoff home underdog in the Super Bowl era, winning all but one game by at least 13 points. (ESPN)
As it stands, 78% of public money is funneling towards the Seahawks ATS. 59% of public money is going towards the under.
Here’s a look at some injuries for each team:
Eagles
Lane Johnson – out with an ankle injury.
Nelson Aghlor – out with a knee injury.
Brandon Brooks – out with a shoulder injury.
Seahawks
Mychal Kendricks – out with a knee injury.
Jaron Brown – questionable with a knee injury.
Mike Iupati – questionable with a neck injury.
Duane Brown – out with a knee injury.
Ethan Pocic – out with a core muscle injury
Malik Turner – out with a concussion
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