2014 NFL playoffs: Saints vs. Seahawks, odds, pick and trends
The Saints bucked a trend last week by winning on the road, and they face a tougher road challenge in Seattle. The Seahawks are big favorites, according to the NFC Divisional playoff betting lines at Odds Shark.
Jonathan Ferrey
The Seattle Seahawks are 15-1 SU and 12-4 ATS over their last 16 games at home and are currently going off as an eight-point home favorite against the New Orleans Saints.
Updated playoff bracket
SB Nation’s beautiful playoff app has you covered with full recaps and an updated bracket after wild card weekend. The Seahawks have been dominant at home and have won five straight playoff games in Seattle over the years. They have won and covered five of seven meetings with the Saints in recent times.
Seattle finished the regular season with the NFC’s top record, going 13-3 SU and 11-5 ATS to lock up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Allowing just 14.4 points per game and 273.6 yards per game, the Seahawks separated themselves from the pack with the best defense in the NFL.
Ranking eighth in the NFL in scoring offense with 26.1 points per game and fourth in rushing with 136.8 yards per game, Seattle has a strong offense to go along with its elite defense.
[ NFC Divisional Playoff Computer Prediction: 31-26 Seattle ]
New Orleans entered last week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS record in their previous six road games. But as a three-point underdog against a hot Eagles team, the Saints had an excellent day on the ground while rushing for 185 yards. New Orleans came away with a 26-24 upset on a last-second field goal.
That was just the Saints’ fifth playoff cover in 15 tries dating back to 1988, according to the Saints-Seahawks betting report.
Drew Brees’s road struggles continued as the star quarterback passed for just 250 yards with two interceptions, but the team found a way to win on the road.
When these two teams met in Seattle in Week 13, the results were disastrous for New Orleans. Seattle dominated the game in every facet to win 34-7 as a 6.5-point favorite. That game went UNDER the total, which is right in line with both teams’ recent trends.
The total has gone UNDER in seven of New Orleans’ last eight games as well as in each of Seattle’s last five games.
There will be no shortage of motivation for revenge on the New Orleans sideline in this one. On top of being humiliated earlier this season, the previous meeting between these two teams came in the postseason of 2010 when the Seahawks stunned the Saints as a 10-point underdog at home.
But in the postseason every team is motivated, and the Saints are going to need more than just revenge on the mind to pull off another road upset this week.
NFC Divisional Playoff trends: (from Odds Shark’s NFL playoff database)
Seahawks are 5-2 SU and ATS vs Saints since 2000.
UNDER is 7-1 past eight Saints games overall.
OVER is 5-1 past six Seattle playoff games.
Saints are 0-4 ATS past four games as underdog of 8 or more points since 2005.
Saints just 5-10 ATS in playoffs since 1988.
Seahawks have won five straight playoff home games SU.
