Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Carolina Panthers will try to stay unbeaten Sunday when they visit the stumbling Seattle Seahawks, who are just 1-3-1 against the spread this season. The Seahawks are coming off their second overtime loss of the year on the road, falling to the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals 27-24 last week. However, both of Seattle’s wins have taken place at CenturyLink Field, where the team is 9-1 straight up in its past 10.

Point spread: The Seahawks opened as 5.5-point favorites; the total was 41.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL pick, via Odds Shark computer: 25.6-16.6 Seahawks

Why the Panthers can cover the spread

Carolina is coming off its bye week following consecutive wins against divisional opponents in the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the Panthers gave up a season-high 23 points to the Bucs just before their bye, they also scored a season-high 37 and still look like they have the best defense in the division right now.

That will be put to the test over the next four weeks, though, with this matchup and then games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers in their next three. Carolina’s style of play should be able to keep the team competitive in all of them, especially this one facing a very similar team in the Seahawks.

The Panthers are also hoping to have leading tackler Luke Kuechly back after missing the past three games with a concussion. Kuechly and the rest of the defense gets to go up against Carolina quarterback Cam Newton each day in practice, which prepares them well for facing Seattle’s Russell Wilson. This familiarity along with the experience of playing the Seahawks can only help the Panthers, as three of the past four meetings over the last four years have been close games decided by five points or fewer.

Why the Seahawks can cover the spread

Seattle has one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL—if not the best. The team’s defense plays on a completely different level at home, limiting two opponents to a combined three points in two games there so far. The one touchdown scored by the Detroit Lions in Week 4 was a defensive score following a Wilson fumble.

While the Seahawks are coming off their third loss in five games this season, they have been in every one of them thanks to Wilson’s playmaking ability. Rookie running back Thomas Rawls also turned in his best performance to date in last week’s 27-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, rushing for a career-high 169 yards and one touchdown while filling in for the injured Marshawn Lynch. The more confidence Rawls gains, the more dangerous Seattle’s offense will be, with or without Lynch.

Smart pick

These teams have been involved in three defensive struggles in their past four meetings, and there’s nothing that points to a different type of game being played between them this time around. The Seahawks have seen an average of 24.5 points scored in their two home games, and it took a late defensive touchdown to make the last meeting result in a push, so the under is the best play in Sunday’s matchup.

Betting trends

The Panthers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games

The Panthers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games in October.

The Panthers are 0-4 SU and ATS in their last four games after the bye.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.