Seattle Seahawks (11-5 SU, 7-8-1 ATS) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7 SU, 7-9 ATS)
NFC Wild Card Playoffs
Date/Time: Sunday, January 5, 2020 at 4:40PM EST
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: NBC
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: SEA -2/PHI +2
Over/Under Total: 46
The Seattle Seahawks come into the City of Brotherly Love for a Wild Card battle with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. It should be a high-pitched battle with a lot on the line. The Seahawks couldn't quite put a ribbon on a successful season in losing to the Niners on Sunday, 26-21. With three losses in their last four games, they need to rediscover their momentum against a gutty Eagles team that finished strong to win their division, beating the Giants, 34-17 on Sunday to get to this spot after an up-and-down season.
It might be worth mentioning that these teams played in this very building in week 12, with the Seahawks taking a 17-9 win. It wasn't even that close, with the Eagles adding a touchdown very late in the game in a contest where they saw their offense grind to a complete halt. The Eagles had some success, as well, holding Russell Wilson to a rather unproductive game aerially, though Seattle did do a lot of damage on the ground. The Eagles rushed the passer well and had a lot of success on "D," but five turnovers on offense were too much too overcome and Carson Wentz wasn't at his best with a couple picks.
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Though it was a recent meeting, a lot has happened since. The Eagles would lose the following week to Miami, before going on to win their last four games of the season to win their division and land in this home wild card spot. Seattle, meanwhile, would go on to beat Minnesota, lose to the Rams, beat Carolina, before finishing the season with two losses in a row, to the Cardinals and then the 49ers on Sunday night. Seattle had the more successful season overall, but momentum isn't going the right way.
While Philly has been winning, there is concern as they begin this postseason run heavily compromised on offense. And while it worked against the Giants to wrap up the regular season, it might not come off so well in this context. The Seattle defense dominated Philly the first time around, but doesn't look to have gotten a lot better in the last month of the season, giving up a lot of big plays in recent weeks. But are the Eagles even in a position to take advantage of it? We saw a gritty performance on Sunday, with a lot of more-obscure role guys chipping in for a big day on offense. And with a still-tough defense, who knows? Last season, they came out of nowhere to win a playoff game and look to make a statement this season.
A major question for the purposes of this game and moving forward are that now that the Eagles gutted their way into a postseason spot, can they make it work with an offense that has no resemblance to what they fielded to open the season? Seeing guys like Boston Scott and Joshua Perkins step up last week was nice, but beating the Giants is one thing and thriving in the postseason is quite another. A look at the injury report shows an Eagles' offense that is without its top three receivers, in addition to a key piece of weaponry in tight end Zach Ertz. And with T Lane Johnson already iffy, they got more bad news with the loss of All-Pro guard Brandon Brooks being lost for the season, as well.
With the Philly offense in tatters, it helps to have a defense that can make a difference. And the Eagles still have a ton of juice, especially up front. Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Timmy Jernigan, and Derek Barnett have been solid, with real hitters behind them in the middle with guys like Nigel Bradham. But while Rodney McLeod, Avonte Maddox, Malcolm Jenkins, and Jalen Mills (questionable) make a lot of plays, the secondary hasn't been the most robust unit in the conference.
It just seems that the rigors of a tough season have taken their toll on the Seahawks. Finishing the season on a down-note is forgivable on some levels, especially in light of some personnel losses that were critical. With 34 points scoring in their last two games, the offense has grown a little lethargic and a so-so defense isn't able to keep pace. I think it could be a mistake, however, to start shoveling dirt on this bunch. First of all, the Eagles are flawed and Seattle beat them before. Still, this is another tough test, coming on the road and in difficult conditions.
Seattle has seen their offense suffer three of the last four weeks. Wilson had a great season, but didn't peak toward the end of the year and will need to relocate that gear now. Losing key weaponry in an offense where losing key guys is not a luxury they can afford has definitely hurt. We'll see if they can make it work on the ground with Travis Homer and Marshawn Lynch. And the 1-2 wide receiver punch of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf is pretty good. But at the end of the season, when they really needed it, we saw this side of the ball looking as bad as it had all season. Defensively, it's an even bigger concern, as they have not improved either, ending up the 26th ranked "D" in the NFL. They better find a new gear now. But as far as playoffs go, they aren't matched up too tough here and have succeeded against this offense before, even when the Philly offense was in better shape.
There is a lot of contradictory info going into this equation, which is a very difficult one. Part of me thinks a Philly team that showed a lot of character getting here is just not at full enough power to make a meaningful run. Then again, if they were to make an impact, why not at home against a Seattle team dealing with some of the same issues that didn't close the season well? I see Seattle as being the more-bankable part of this equation. I'll lay the short number on Seattle.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Seattle Seahawks minus 2 points. Did you know... that you could be wagering on the Seahawks vs. Eagles game at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying -110 odds (or more) with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to 5Dimes Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
