by The Seahawks hit the road and head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Eagles for a rematch from last years NFC Wild Card game. Seattle won that game 17-9, but the Eagles will be looking for revenge in this Monday Night Football matchup.
Week 12 Prime Time Picks: Seahawks (-6) vs Eagles (+230) O/U 48.5 – All lines via DraftKings
Prime Time Picks: 14-12
Two Different Offenses
These two teams possess very different offensive capabilities. The Seahawks are near the top of the league in total yards, as they are averaging 400 per game, which is tied for 4th in the league. The Hawks are putting up a staggering 31.8 points per game, which is second in the league only to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Russell Wilson is having another great year, and WR D.K. Metcalf is a massive target for downfield throws. Metcalf has hauled in 48 passes for 862 yards and 9 TD’s on the year. He is an excellent compliment to Tyler Lockett, who is Wilson’s favorite target with 67 catches for 748 yards and 8 TD’s this season. Lockett also has six games with 60+ receiving yards on the season. On the ground, Carlos Hyde is averaging 4.5 YPC, and their running game gets a boost in this game as Chris Carson is scheduled to return after missing four games with a sprained foot. Carson and Hyde make a strong 1-2 punch at the RB position, and pairing that with Wilson’s throwing and running abilities, along with Lockett and Metcalf on the outside, and it is no wonder why this team is near the top of most offensive categories.
Philly Not So Special
On the other hand, the Eagles offense has been sputtering for most of this season. Carson Wentz has made some really bad throws, and has as many touchdowns as interceptions (14 each). His 14 picks are leading the league, and his 73.3 rating is third-worst, just ahead of Drew Lock and Sam Darnold. He is not very efficient, as his 58.4 completion percentage is second-worst, and his 6.2 yards per attempt is also second-worst. I could really go on and on with these offensive stats for a while, but you get the point. Overall, Wentz is not cutting it and the Eagles offense is not posing much of a threat. Although, perhaps there is some hope in this game, as the Seahawks have been getting torched through the air this season. They are giving up 343.7 passing yards per game, which is by-far the worst in the league. Could the Eagles finally find some success through the air in this game? Maybe. And it seems that we may see some of rookie QB Jalen Hurts at the quarterback position, as ESPN reported that he has been getting reps with the first-team this week at practice. As of now, Wentz is still expected to start, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Hurts finds his way onto the field.
Eagles Defense vs Russell Wilson
The defensive side of the ball is definitely better for Philadelphia than the offensive side. The Eagles rank in the top ten in total yards allowed (342.7/game) and passing yards allowed (209.3/game). They have been able to hold steady and try to keep their team in games, but the problem is that they don’t force a lot of takeaways. Philadelphia has just 11 takeaways through ten games this season, and are dead last in the league in interceptions with just three. Russell Wilson has 10 interceptions on the year, and in three of his last five games he has thrown two or more picks. That is very uncharacteristic, and with the Eagles defense not picking off opposing QB’s very much, I expect Wilson will be able to limit takeaways in this one.
Both Teams in Divisional Races
The Eagles 3-6-1 record is nothing special, but they find themselves right in the thick of things in the NFC East, and a win against Seattle would certainly help their chances in winning the division. Philadelphia enters this game losers of two games in a row, and both of them were on the road. They lost to the Giants 27-17 two weeks ago, and then fell short to the Browns last week in Cleveland by a score of 22-17. They will look to get back on track as they return home in this one. For the season, they are 2-2-1 at home, and 1-4 on the road. For Seattle, their 7-3 record has them atop the NFC West, which is arguably the best division in football. The Seahawks have dominated this series, and have won seven of the last eight meetings, including winning six in a row and being 6-0 ATS in those games.
PREDICTION
The Seahawks are just the better team here. I think they are the more talented roster, and have a ton of offensive firepower with Wilson, Metcalf, Lockett, Carson and Hyde. They also play in arguably the toughest division in football, and two of their three losses are to divisional opponents in one score games, with one loss coming in overtime to the Cardinals. The Eagles play in the weakest division in football, and have just three wins on the season. All three were against teams with losing records (Giants, Cowboys, 49ers). The Seahawks clearly have an advantage at the quarterback position, and even though the Seahawks have been bad against the pass, I don’t think Carson Wentz will be able to light them up like other opposing teams have done this season. Hurts may provide some help, and his running ability may be an interesting wrinkle, but there are still a lot of questions about this Eagles offense as a whole. They are just giving the ball away wayyyy too much, and their -9 turnover differential is less than ideal. The Eagles have surrendered 40 sacks this season (most in the league), and although the Seahawks have been poor against the pass, their pass rush has generated 16 sacks in their last four games. That could give Seattle’s defense a boost against a lesser Philadelphia offense. Overall, I trust Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll more than I trust Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson, and I just don’t think the Eagles have the offensive capabilities to hang with Seahawks. Seattle has dominated this series, and I think they continue that domination with a win and cover on the road in Philly. Of Seattle’s seven wins this season, six of them have been by at least five points. Give me Seattle -6.
Seahawks -6
Title Photo: Sports Raid
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