The road to the Super Bowl is a tough one, but it certainly helps when you have home field advantage all the way through the playoffs. That is what the Carolina Panthers have secured, but they will have a stern test this weekend when they have to welcome in the Seattle Seahawks. The game will be held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, January 17, with kick-off set for 1:05 PM EST on Fox. Click here for our NFL betting lines.
The Early Betting Preview for Panthers vs Seahawks
Not really a huge surprise to see the Panthers come in as an early 3-point favorite for this one. They were dominant at home all season long, and while they may not have the same level of playoff experience as the Seahawks, they are a team that seems to genuinely enjoy playing for one another. Full odds and lines for this game, as well as all the other Divisional Games, can be found on the NFL betting page at MyBookie.
Why Bet on the Panthers to Win
Getting to double digit wins in the NFL is tough, but getting to 15 wins on the season is about as difficult as it gets. The Panthers were full value for their 15 wins this season, and it can be argued that their loss to the Falcons actually came at just the right time. There is a lot of added pressure that comes with going unbeaten, and the Panthers would have had to carry that burden into the playoffs with them had they not gone down to Atlanta. The Panthers were a perfect 8-0 on home field this season, and also went 11-1 against conference foes. They also had a win over the Seahawks this season, with that one coming on the road in a building where getting a win is incredibly tough. The Panthers can win on the ground or through the air, and that makes them awfully tough to defend for the full 60 minutes.
Carolina was a perfect 8-0 on home field this season.
Why Bet on the Seahawks to Win
There was a moment on Sunday afternoon when I believed that I would be writing about the Vikings instead of the Seahawks. Blair Walsh inexplicably missed a chip shot field goal that would have eliminated Seattle, who did not play well at all in the frigid temperatures in Minnesota. A win like that can make a team start to believe in themselves in a pretty big way, and that has to be a little scary for the Panthers. A confident Seahawks team is not one that anyone wants to face. The offense struggled to get things going in the Wild Card game, but the Legion of Boom continued to do its thing. A forced fumble delivered by Cam Chancellor pretty much turned that game on its head, and the Hawks D came up with the big plays over and over again in order to give their team a chance to win. If they can frustrate Cam Newton this weekend, they could force him into making some big mistakes.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The last meeting between these two went right down to the wire, and I think this one might well do the same. In the end, I believe it will be the Panthers who prevail and move on to the MFC Conference Final.
Seattle Seahawks 21 Carolina Panthers 24.
