Seattle Seahawks vs Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers dropped their last two games in the most opposite ways possible — a blowout loss and a last-second failure on a risky play. As a result they’ve fallen back into the thick of the NFC playoff race, with a key Week 12 matchup with a dangerous Seahawks squad. The Panthers, back in the friendly confines of Bank of America Stadium, are 3.5-point favorites on Sunday, with the total set at 47.5 points.

Seahawks vs Panthers Game Center

THIS SUNDAY I’M BETTING SEATTLE +3.5

The Panthers prove that there’s definitely nothing like home cooking. They’ve won 10 straight home games dating back to last season and are a perfect 6-0 at home so far in 2018. They’re averaging 32.6 points over their last five home contests and average nearly 160 rushing yards per game at home this season.

By comparison, they’ve averaged just 20.25 points per game, and 88.25 rushing yards, in their four road games this year … all losses. Carolina is simply a different — and dominant — team at home. That’s not going to make things easy for Seattle, which is 2-3 on the road this season but has one of the league’s stronger run defenses on the road.

Seattle surrenders just 97.7 rushing yards per game on the road, the seventh-fewest in the league. The Seahawks have also been a juggernaut rushing team themselves, leading the NFL in team rushing. Seattle is as good a team as any to help limit Carolina’s strength, while also being able to try to beat the Panthers at their own game.

Expect Seattle to come out and try to control the ball, wear Carolina’s defense down, and most importantly keep the Panthers offense off the field. This will be a hard-fought game with a full playoff atmosphere, and likely will come down to a last-second field goal. It’s up in the air whether Carolina or Seattle wins, but I’m betting that regardless of the SU outcome, Seattle will cover the spread.

WE’RE NOW ENTERING RUSSELL’S WORLD

The Seattle Seahawks are winning this year largely on the backs of the league’s most punishing rushing attack, and currently average the sixth-fewest passing yards per game. But make no mistake, the heart and soul of the team is stud quarterback Russell Wilson.

The four-time Pro Bowler is among the league’s most clutch quarterbacks, and he’s also notorious for starting the season slow, then picking up his play as the year goes on and the pressure mounts with each game.

Wilson has 78 career passing touchdowns in the first two months of the season, an average of 5.5 scores per month. In the second half, however, he has 102 passing touchdowns, an average of 7.28 touchdowns per month. He really ramps up his play in December, as he has 58 career touchdowns, good for 8.28 touchdowns per month, or almost one more touchdown pass per game than in the first half of the season.

As we’re less than two weeks before we hit the final month of the regular season, we’re already seeing Wilson turn it on, as he has seven touchdowns against just one interception in three November games. If his play keeps improving, and the rushing attack stays dominant, Seattle is not going to be a team Carolina — or anyone, for that matter — will enjoy playing against.

STAY OUT OF THE SLOT

The one major weakness in the Carolina passing game is its lack of a true slot receiver, but for Week 12 that may actually be a blessing.

While the Panthers rotate all of their receivers — Devin Funchess, D.J. Moore, Jarius Wright and tight end Greg Olsen — through the slot, they’re facing a Seattle defense that has yet to allow a touchdown to a slot receiver this season.

With that area of the field likely being a no-fly zone for Carolina on Sunday, look for the Panthers to stick to their signature running game, as well as lots of short passes to running back Christian McCaffrey, as well as taking deep shots downfield.