Seahawks home underdogs in Playoff

Seattle looks to prove it belongs in the playoffs and looks to cover a big Wild Card point spread this week as they host New Orleans in Wildcard Playoff action.

The Seahawks sit at 7-9 (7-9 ATS) on the season; in comparison, the Saints are currently 11-5 (6-10 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Seattle is 11-4-1 OU, and New Orleans is 8-8 OU.

Seattle became the first 7-9 team to win an NFL division in an ugly victory against the Rams. The Saints appear to have a great shot at advancing against an inferior foe.

The visitors opened as 10.5-point favorites in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at OddsShark, a rare double-digit road favorite situation. The total was hovering around 45.5 at most shops.
The OddsShark Power Rankings have the Seahawks at No. 31 and the Saints at No. 8 heading into this contest. Handicapping models prject a 27-16 result in favor of the Saints.

The Saints were a 23-13 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Buccaneers. They failed to cover the 6.5–point spread as favorites, while the total score (36) made winners of UNDER bettors. The Saints suffered a Week 17 loss against Tampa Bay in their last game, falling 23-13 at Louisiana Superdome.

In their last action, Seattle was a 16-6 winner at home against the Rams. They covered the 3.5–point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (22) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. The Seahawks grabbed a Week 17 victory over the Rams in their last game, winning 16-6 at Qwest Field.
How They Matchup: Offensively, the game matches up Seattle's #23-ranked offense (19.4 PPG) against a Saints defense that ranks #7 at 19.2 PPG. The Seahawks passing attack has averaged 208.8 yards per game, more than the Saints give up through the air (193.9 YPG on average).

In comparing defenses, the Saints own the league's #13-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 109.4 yards per game when on the road. Seattle, on the other hand, rates #26 this week in generating rushing yards at home.

New Orleans Saints Trends:
When playing in January are 4-6
When playing on turf are 7-3
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing outside the division are 7-3
Seattle Seahawks Trends:
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 1-9
When playing outside the division are 3-7

A few Saints at Seahawks Wild Card trends to consider:
NFC home teams are just 3-9 ATS past 12 games New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Seattle
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Seattle's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Seattle is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games