Seahawks vs Eagles Wild Card Picks & Odds – 77% of Bets on Seattle

• Oddsmakers report that 59% of the betting handle, 77% of the wagers, and 51% of the sharp money is on the Seattle Seahawks
• In terms of the total, 68% of the handle and 62% of the sharp money is on the under
• Keep an eye on the injury news as there are a slew of key players who are questionable on both sides

The Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles are set to meet in the final game of Wild Card Weekend this Sunday (Jan. 5, 4:40 PM ET).

The Seahawks opened as small road underdogs versus Philadelphia, but the majority of the money has been on Seattle, which is now a 1.5-point favorite.

Seattle Seahawks vs Philadelphia Eagles Handle & Odds

Odds taken Jan. 3.

Injuries Loom Large For Sunday’s Showdown

One of the biggest factors in Sunday’s Wild Card game between the Seahawks and Eagles will be the injuries on both sides. If you’re betting this game, you’ll want to keep an eye on the reports prior to kickoff as a number of players are currently questionable.

In terms of the Eagles, we already know that Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Brandon Brooks, Ronald Darby, Malik Jackson, Darren Sproles, and Corey Clement are out for the year. That’s a lot for a team to lose – especially the first three, who have been Pro Bowlers in their careers.

https://twitter.com/summatime06/status/1211423826778587136

Beyond that, the Eagles have a slew of question marks. Nelson Agholor and Miles Sanders have yet to practice this week, which is a bad sign. Meanwhile, Zach Ertz and Lane Johnson were limited participants on Thursday. There are varying reports on all, but it does look like Sanders will play while the others are truly question marks.

If the others are out, we’re essentially looking at an Eagles offense that will be without at least six starters. That’s really difficult to overcome. On the other hand, though, the Seahawks are also banged up.

https://twitter.com/seantbrown87/status/1211444252858867712

For the Seahawks, they’ve already lost their entire backfield as Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise are out. That trio combined for 1,672 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns. The team looks like they’ll be without starting left tackle Duane Brown, as well, which is a huge blow.

On defense, safety Quandre Diggs could be back for the Seahawks after missing the last two games, but that’s no guarantee. The same goes for edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, whom head coach Pete Carroll expects to play, but hasn’t practiced early in the week.

Eagles Thrive As Playoff Underdogs

If the betting lines hold up, the Eagles will find themselves as an underdog in the playoffs for the sixth straight game. We know how a lot of those contests have turned out: the Eagles are 4-1 in their last five in this role.

The Eagles are going to be home underdogs in the playoffs again… pic.twitter.com/ftolYdQn9l

— Matt Mullin (@matt_mullin) December 30, 2019

We also know that head coach Doug Pederson is a wizard with gameplans in the postseason and he’ll have a few tricks up his sleeve. The challenge is that all of that success came with Nick Foles under center. Sunday will be Carson Wentz’ playoff debut, which is somewhat hard to believe.

What’s The Best Bet?

The Eagles are going to come out with a great game plan; I don’t doubt that. They’ve played well down the stretch of the season – playing particularly well on third downs on both sides of the ball.

Momentum is with the Eagles, as well, as they finished the year on a four-game winning streak while the Seahawks dropped three of their final four games. The Eagles have been particularly good on third downs of late, on both sides of the ball.

Seattle’s run defense, meanwhile, has been atrocious, giving up 172 rushing yards per game over their final four contests. If the Eagles approach that average, they’ll be in great shape.

https://twitter.com/ParkerLewisJR/status/1212927095078129664

That said, Philly is so undermanned that it’s really hard to back them in this spot.

What I’m expecting is a defensive struggle early on as the Eagles play ball-control, move the chains, and try to shorten the game. The Seahawks gave up 4.9 yards-per-carry this season (28th in the NFL) so attacking that will be the Eagles’ path to a win.

At the same time, the Eagles are not at full strength without Brooks and possibly with or without a banged-up Sanders and Johnson. The threat of the pass will be limited, which will make the job easier for the Seahawks defense. Seattle will eventually get control of the game and pull out a small victory.

Pick: Seahawks -1.5 (-105)