Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

The Detroit Lions (9-7) will try to avoid their fourth consecutive loss—and ninth in a row in the postseason—when they visit the Seattle Seahawks (10-5-1) on Saturday night as big road underdogs in the first NFC Wild Card Game.

The Lions are lucky to be in the playoffs after ending the regular season on a three-game skid, capped by a 31-24 home loss to the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title as 3.5-point home underdogs last Sunday night.

Point spread: The Seahawks opened as 7.5-point favorites; the total was 43 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via OddsShark computer: 29.0-16.2 Seahawks (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Lions can cover the spread

Detroit looked to be one of the top sleeper teams in the NFC before losing its last three games and should probably be hosting a playoff game rather than heading to Seattle. But the Lions remain a tough out and have suffered just two losses by more than a touchdown this season.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford played well in a 13-10 loss at CenturyLink Field in 2015, completing 24 of 35 passes for 203 yards with no interceptions and no sacks. Detroit covered as a 9.5-point underdog in that game and has gone 3-1 against the spread in the past four meetings.

Why the Seahawks can cover the spread

Stafford has been playing with an injured finger, and you can bet the Seahawks will find out early on whether or not he can throw the ball downfield with accuracy.

Since the Lions have virtually no running game, it will be on Stafford to carry them on the road. That will be a tough task, especially at night, as Seattle has gone 20-4-2 ATS at online betting sites in its last 26 prime-time games.

Smart pick

Detroit blew an excellent opportunity to earn a home playoff game last week in the loss to Green Bay and was exposed by a great quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Russell Wilson is a different kind of player for the Seahawks but can still beat opposing defenses with his arm and legs despite a down year on the ground.

Wilson threw for a career-high 4,219 yards this season and will lead Seattle to a double-digit victory here.

Betting trends

The Lions are 3-1 ATS in their last four games against the Seahawks.

The total has gone over in five of the Seahawks' last six games in the playoffs.

The Lions are 2-5 straight up and ATS in their last seven games on the road.

All NFL lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.