In what is easily the biggest playoff upset of the decade, the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks managed to clip the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on their own home turf in the Wild Card round to earn an NFC Divisional round date against the Chicago Bears. It won’t be as easy this time around without the chance that their opponent will underestimate them, and without the 12th man that Qwest Field provided.NFL Betting: Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
Online Sports Betting Odds: Bears – 10
The Seahawks will be the visiting team this time around, against a heavily favored Bears’ team that won all but three home games this season. One of those losses however, was against Seattle, a 23-20 decision back on Oct. 17.
Why To Bet On The Seahawks
Nobody thought that Seattle would be able to stick around with the Saints in the Wild Card round, and they ended up beating them, so why can’t they cover against Chicago? A revitalized running back Marshawn Lynch will have plenty to prove against his former team after being cut by the Bears two years ago, and after the 67-yard touchdown run he registered against the Saints, he should be right on football betting track to deliver. Speaking of revitalized, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck looked just that with a 404-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Wild Card win. The Bears finished near the bottom of the NFC in passing yards allowed, and if Hasselbeck can have another big game there is no reason to think that another upset is not in the cards.
Why To Bet On The Bears
It won’t be easy though against a Chicago team that has found a way to win all year. The Bears rank in the bottom-half of the league in nearly every significant statistical category on both sides of the ball with the exception of their second-ranked run defense, yet found a way to finish with 11 wins. The Seahawks can be exposed defensively with both the run and the pass, and although the Bears weren’t consistent in either area, they should be primed for a big week after the extra sports betting bonus week to game plan. Chicago’s tough wall up front should be able to slow down Lynch, and after watching Cutler’s three-touchdown performances against the Jets in week 16, this one could get out of hand.
How The Game Will Play Out
The Seahawks benefited from home field advantage and the fact that they were underestimated against a Saints’ team that probably thought they would have their way by simply showing up. That illusion is now gone, and there is no way that Seattle will catch Chicago off guard as they fight for their first playoff win in years. The crowd at Soldier Field will swing the edge to the Bears, and be another key factor as Hasselbeck and company come crashing back down to earth.
Seahawks Bears Betting Pick: Bears - 10
