Saints Seahawks Betting – Saints Start Title Defense In Seattle
The sports online betting crowd is having a field day with the fact that the Seattle Seahawks are the first team with a losing record to make the NFL playoffs. The Seahawks really have no right being in the playoffs, but their 7-9 record was enough to win the NFC West. That means that the New Orleans Saints will have to travel to Seattle to win the first game of their Super Bowl title defense.
- What: NFL betting
- When: Saturday, January 8th, 4:30 PM ET
- Where: Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
- Pick: New Orleans Saints -10.5
What’s On The Line
The Seahawks (7-9) get to host a home playoff game thanks to the divisional structure of the NFL. The Saints (11-5) lost any chance of winning the NFC South when they lost their last game of the regular season to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints and Seahawks meet to see who advances to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
Offensive Matchups: Saints Seahawks Betting
When it comes to comparing offenses in this game, there really is no comparison. The Saints offense ranked sixth during the regular season with an average of 373 total yards per game. The focus of the Saints offense is quarterback Drew Brees who threw for 4,620 yards and 33 touchdowns in the regular season. The Saints were desperately trying to get a running game going against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but failed. It will not be a problem in this game, but the Saints will not reach their playoff goal of another Super Bowl without a running game.
Seattle starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was healthy enough to play in last week’s critical game for the Seahawks, but head coach Pete Carroll decided to start Charlie Whitehurst instead. Whitehurst had a lackluster game against a good St. Louis Rams defense, throwing for 192 yards and one touchdown. The Seahawks will need more than that from their quarterback to have a prayer in this game.
Betting Edge: Saints
Defensive Matchups: Saints Seahawks Betting
The Seattle defense did enough shifting and disguising to confuse rookie quarterback Sam Bradford. However, the Seahawks ranked 27th against the pass in 2010 giving up an average of 250 yards per game in the air. The Seahawks secondary does not have the speed to stay with the Saints receivers and the Seattle pass rush will not be able to get by the Saints offensive line.
The Saints were able to put together a game plan two weeks ago that blew by the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive line and put pressure on Matt Ryan. But New Orleans seemed to have a problem containing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running game. If running back Marshawn Lynch and the rest of the Seattle running attack can get moving in this game, it may give Seattle some hope at scoring points.
Betting Edge: Saints
Notable Injuries: Saints Seahawks Betting
Even though he was on the sideline and ready to play Sunday, the Seahawks still list quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (hip) as questionable along with wide receiver Brandon Stokley (head). Place kicker Olindo Mare (back) is listed as probable for this game and is expected to play.
The Saints list wide receiver Marques Colston (knee), defensive tackle Tony Hargrove (knee) and tight end Jeremy Shockey (groin) as questionable for this game but all are expected to play.
Betting Edge: Saints
Outlook and Pick: Saints Seahawks Betting
It is difficult for the football betting world to give any kind of edge to the Seattle Seahawks in this game, but there are always the Seattle fans. Qwest Field can get extremely loud and it can be difficult for the opposing team to get signals out on the line of scrimmage. But the Saints play twice a year in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, and the defending Super Bowl champs have a solution for noisy stadiums.
Stan’s Pick: New Orleans Saints
