Seahawks Still Favored To Win NFC West After Falling to Rams in Week 10
- The Seattle Seahawks remain favored to win the NFL West despite losing to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10
- The Seahawks and Rams are now in a three-way tie for the division lead with the Arizona Cardinals
- The Cardinals have won four of their last five games following a 2-2 start – see who we like to take the West below
Three teams are now tied atop the NFC West standings, but the Seattle Seahawks remain the favorites despite losing to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10.
The Seahawks, Rams and Arizona Cardinals are all 6-3. Yet Seattle is the +125 choice to capture the division title.
2020 NFC West Division Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | +125 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +165 |
| Arizona Cardinals | +250 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +6000 |
Odds taken Nov. 15 from FanDuel
The Seahawks were heavy -220 favorites before getting tripped up 23-16 by the Rams on Sunday on the road. The Rams’ odds were at +400 and the Cardinals stood at +500.
The Rams’ odds improved to +165 with the win. The Cardinals’ number dropped to +250 after it rallied for a miraculous 32-30 home victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The Seahawks have been favored to win the NFC West since the beginning of Week 3 after the defending champion San Francisco 49ers sustained a rash of early-season injuries.
Rams Win Key Game
Jared Goff had 302 yards passing and Darious Williams picked off two Russell Wilson passes Sunday as the Rams downed the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
.@Dee_Willl2 showin’ out 🤩 pic.twitter.com/repOKPWbNQ
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 16, 2020
The Rams scored all three touchdowns on the ground, two by Malcolm Brown. They also held the Seahawks to three points in the second half while beating Seattle for the fifth time in the last six meetings.
Wilson threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. He has 10 turnovers in the Seahawks’ three losses and just three in their six wins.
Cards Have Fantastic Finish
Kyler Murray’s 43-yard desperation pass to DeAndre Hopkins with two seconds remaining resulted in a touchdown and gave the Cardinals a stunning victory over the Bills.
Don't ever say it's impossible… pic.twitter.com/lqe2UkxsCT
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) November 16, 2020
That was the lone TD pass for Murray, who threw for 245 yards. The dual-threat quarterback also had 61 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Arizona overcame a 16-9 halftime deficit.
Cards-Hawks on Thursday
Sunday’s victory by the Rams over the Seahawks was just the second head-to-head matchup between any of three teams leading the NFC West.
The other came in Week 7 when the Cardinals beat the Seahawks 37-34 at home in overtime. Those teams have a rematch Thursday night at Seattle and the Seahawks opened as 4.5-point favorites.
Wilson is already looking forward to that game.
We look forward to better days ahead and getting right back to work. #GoHawks x @DangeRussWilson pic.twitter.com/2Nz0hzPxKZ
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 16, 2020
The Rams and Cardinals have yet to face each other this season. They are scheduled to meet in Week 13 at Arizona then again in Week 17 in Los Angeles to close the regular season.
The Seahawks will get a second crack at the Rams in Week 16 at home.
Soft Schedule For Seahawks
The Seahawks have lost three of four games since a 5-0 start.
However, Seattle does have the easiest schedule of the NFC West tri-leaders the rest of the way, with their opponents having a combined .377 winning percentage (24-40-1).
The Seahawks play at home against the Cardinals, New York Giants (3-7), New York Jets (0-9) and Rams. Seattle visits the Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1), Washington Football Team (2-7) and 49ers (4-6).
#StayCalm @Seahawks fans the Super Bowl Champions will be the team that’s hot and healthy at the end of the season. We are 6-3 in a log jam for 1st in the NFC West. No one in the NFC is amazing and we have some key guys coming back + a favorable schedule! #BuckleUpButtercup pic.twitter.com/USFto3SaZr
— Legion of Boom (@SeahawksLOB) November 16, 2020
The Cardinals’ opponents have a .485 winning percentage (32-34-1).
Arizona hosts the Rams, Eagles and 49ers. They visit the Seahawks, New England Patriots (4-5), Giants and Rams.
The Rams’ opponents are 33-32 for a .508 winning percentage.
Los Angeles will play at home against the 49ers, Patriots, Jets and Cardinals. They go on the road to square off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3), Cardinals and Seahawks.
Here Come The Cardinals
The Seahawks are quickly losing momentum in the division race and now find themselves in a three-way fight.
Wilson’s turnover tendencies in the last month are alarming. It smacks of a quarterback trying to desperately make plays so the Seahawks can outscore opponents and overcome their awful defense.
The Rams’ defense is as disruptive of any team in the league. That helps cover up for Goff having an inconsistent year. And, unfortunately for Los Angeles, the QB can’t face the Seahawks every week.
On the downside, veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth was carted off during Sunday with a left knee injury. While no update was provided following the game, it did not look good.
Rams veteran OL Andrew Whitworth was carted off of the field today after a left knee injury. pic.twitter.com/FJhLVz8ZKw
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 15, 2020
Meanwhile, the Cardinals have won four of five games since a 2-2 start and seem to be gaining confidence every week. Murray has emerged as a premier quarterback in 2020 after winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.
The Cardinals looks like a good value at +250 to win a division title that is now theirs for the taking.
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
