Seahawks vs. Packers: Divisional Round Betting Preview

• The Seattle Seahawks travel to Green Bay to take on the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
• Seattle enters as the underdog, but this game projects to be close.
• The game is likely to be one of the best of the weekend.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers play host to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Packers enter the game coming off of their bye through the last round, while the Seahawks played a hard-fought game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Green Bay Packers

The star of the show for years has been quarterback Aaron Rodgers, long acknowledged as one of the best to ever play the position. This year, however, the largest part of Green Bay’s success has been a different Aaron – running back Aaron Jones.

Jones has had a breakout year, becoming one of the best running backs in the league. He’s put up 1084 yards on the ground, and 474 in the air, on excellent efficiency. His yards per rushing attempt is a respectable 4.6, and his yards per reception is an incredible 9.7.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll, when analyzing the Green Bay Packers in the lead up to the game, mentioned Jones as one of the most important positive changes to Green Bay’s team since last year, saying that, in his opinion, “the biggest thing that looks the most obvious is the way the running back is playing.”

As far as Rodgers is concerned, he’s having a good season, but he’s not been at his best. His yards per pass attempt are similar to his recent years, but his completion percentage and touchdown percentage have reached near career lows. He’ll need to have an excellent game to take down a tough Seahawks team.

The Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson has gone from the afterthought quarterback to the “why doesn’t he get more attention” quarterback to a true superstar and MVP candidate. His journey has taken him from being one of many good players on a star-studded team to being the lone shining star carrying Seattle down the stretch.

This year, Wilson has been nothing short of spectacular and were it not for the emergence of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Wilson would likely be the MVP of the NFL. He put up 4110 passing yards, with eight yards per attempt, 31 touchdowns, and five interceptions, leading the Seahawks to an 11-5 record.

One last thing to note about Seattle this year is they’ve been excellent on the road - 8-1 overall and 6-2-1 against the spread - while they’ve been mediocre at home. Good thing for them they’re the lower seed, it appears.

Packers vs. Seahawks Game Odds

The Packers opened as a 4 point favorite at Lambeau, which reflects that while they do have a better record, there are still questions about whether or not they have the juice to beat any given team. The line has since moved to Packers -4.5, a slight change, but a notable one.

The over/under line for the game is set at 47, after opening at 46. In seven of the last eight Seahawks playoff games, the game has hit the Over. However, the Packers trend towards the other direction – the under has hit in the last four games they’ve played.

On the moneyline, the Seahawks are +165, and the Packers are -190, in what online sportsbooks seem to think is going to be the closest game of the divisional round. Super Bowl bettors will have to wait and see.