Philadelphia hosts Seattle in the second NFC Wild Card game on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. Kickoff is at 4:20 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia, PA. The Eagles won the NFC East title while the Seahawks finished as the top NFC Wild Card team. This is the only first-round playoff contest that is a rematch of a regular season meeting.
Spread: Seahawks -1.5 (-115) | Eagles +1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Seahawks (-130) | Eagles (+110)
Game Total: OVER 45 (-110) | UNDER 45 (-110)
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Limping to the finish line, Seattle lost three of its last four games. Still in contention for a first-round bye, heading into Week 17, the Seahawks lost 26-21 at home to San Francisco and fell to the No. 5 seed. Prior to that, Seattle was upset 27-13 by Arizona as an 8-point home favorite. Discussed further below, injuries have hit the Seattle offense hard.
· Betting Record: SU 11-5 | ATS 7-8-1 | O/U 8-7-1
· Offense: Ninth, scoring 25.3 points per game
· Defense: 22, allowing 24.9 points per game
· Turnover Rank: Fourth with a +12 differential
Philadelphia Eagles’ Recent Form
Also being ravaged by injuries, Philadelphia closed the season on a four-game winning streak and claimed the NFC East title. The Eagles defeated the Giants twice (23-12 OT and 34-17) plus Washington (37-27) and Dallas (17-9) during four “must-win” contests. It is kind of fitting that two walking wounded teams would get to play each other.
· Betting Record: SU 9-7 | ATS 7-9 | O/U 8-8
· Offense: 12, scoring 24.1 points per game
· Defense: 15, allowing 22.1 points per game
· Turnover Rank: 22nd with a -3 differential
Seattle vs. Philadelphia Recent History – Week 12 Rematch
Healthier at the time, Seattle posted a 17-9 win in Philadelphia during Week 12 action. The Seahawks defense led the way with three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Rashaad Penny ran for 129 yards with one TD, but he is out for the season with a knee injury. Russell Wilson went 13/25 with just 200 passing yards, one touchdown and one INT. Tyler Lockett was the Seahawks’ top receiver with 38 yards.
Carson Wentz had 256 yards and one touchdown, but he also threw two INTs and lost two fumbles. Zach Ertz hauled in 12 receptions for 91 yards and one TD, but the Eagles were held to 106 rushing yards. This is the first-ever playoff meeting between these teams.
Injury Update: Eagles and Seahawks are Walking Wounded
Though some are old, and some are new, injuries have taken a toll on both teams. After combining for 1,600 of the Seahawks’ 2,200 rushing yards this season, plus 10 of 15 rushing touchdowns, Chris Carson and Penny are out for the year. Marshawn Lynch is back in Seattle and ran 12 times for 34 yards and one TD against the 49ers last week. Sharing time with Lynch, Travis Homer had 62 yards on 10 carries.
Several Seahawks missed practice on Wednesday including DL Jadeveon Clowney (core) and LB Mychal Kendricks (knee). Behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, Seattle is thin at receiver as Jaron Brown (knee) and Malik Turner (concussion) are questionable. Some good news, FS Quandre Diggs (ankle) is on track to return after missing two games. If healthy, Diggs is a huge upgrade to the Hawks’ secondary.
Philadelphia has been been without its top three wide receivers for most of the season. Doing what he could to fill the gap, Zach Ertz has been outstanding but is doubtful with a rib injury. Miles Sanders was leading the ground game but he was forced out last week with an ankle injury. Boston Scott stepped in and had 54 rushing yards and three TDs. RB Jordan Howard returned last week but didn’t record any stats.
Offensive line injuries are also an issue for Philadelphia as right guard Brandon Brooks is out with a shoulder injury. Rookie Matt Pryor, who has never started an NFL game, steps in to replace Brooks. Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson has missed the last two games and is questionable with an ankle injury. One has to wonder how much longer the Eagles can stay alive using the “next man up” system.
Eagles and Seahawks Recent Playoff Appearances
This is the third straight year Philadelphia has earned a playoff berth. The Eagles defeated Chicago 16-15 in the Wild Card round before losing 20-14 to New Orleans in the Divisional playoffs last year. Two years ago, the Eagles defeated Atlanta (15-10) and Minnesota (38-7) before shocking New England 41-33 to earn the franchise’s first Super Bowl.
After five straight appearances under head coach Pete Carroll, including a 43-8 Super Bowl 48 win over Denver and a 28-24 Super Bowl 49 loss to New England, Seattle missed the playoffs in 2017. The Seahawks returned to the postseason last season, but it was a short stay as the Hawks lost 24-22 to the Cowboys in the Wild Card round.
Philadelphia vs. Seattle Final Thoughts and Pick
Seattle’s newly formed ground game faces a stiffer test than it did last week versus the 49ers’ middle-of-the-pack run defense. The Eagles rank third overall in allowing 90.1 rushing yards per game. Plus, Seahawks LG Mike Iupati may miss his first game of the season with a neck injury he suffered last week. Russell Wilson has a favorable spot as the Eagles’ pass defense allowed 10 receivers to rack up 100+ yards this season.
Similar to the Week 12 meeting, when it was a 2.5-point favorite, Seattle is slim (-1.5) road chalk. The Seahawks were road warriors going 7-1 SU and 5-2-1 ATS as visitors, while the Eagles were 5-3 SU, though 3-5 ATS, at home. Pete Carroll and Doug Pederson are experienced coaches who will get the most from their healthy players.
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