Seattle (10-6) at Dallas (10-6)
When: Saturday, January 5th, 2019
Where: AT&T Stadium,
Arlington, Texas
Time: 8:15 ET | TV: FOX
Opening Odds: Dallas -1/41.5
The Seattle Seahawks just missed out on the playoffs last season with a 9-7 record and were expected to take a drop this season given all the big names on defense that were gone, but Pete Carroll has done maybe his best coaching job to date and has his team back in the postseason. After a 10-6 year, the Seahawks will now travel to Arlington to take on the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Wild Card game Saturday night at AT&T Stadium. Seattle was 0-2 before beating visiting Dallas 24-13 in Week 3, as Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns, and Chris Carson rushed for 102 yards and a score on 32 carries. Seattle has used the league’s top-ranked rushing attack and a solid defense to get where they are. The Seahawks are 2-4 in road playoff games under Carroll but are 6-0 at home over the same period. Dallas was the NFC’s top seed in 2016 but was upset in its playoff opener at home, the missed out last year with a 9-7 record. Head coach Jason Garrett may have saved his job for now, but a loss Saturday could change that. Dak Prescott was held to 168 yards passing with a TD and two interceptions (both by Earl Thomas) in the Week 3 matchup, while Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 127 yards. The Cowboys hadn’t yet acquired top receiver Amari Cooper in trade from Oakland, who has made a huge difference in the offense.
Carson has totaled 1,151 rushing yards on the season for an offense that averages 160.0 yards per game on the ground. Carson rushed for a career-best 122 yards and a score in Sunday’s 27-24 win over Arizona, although he’ll face a Dallas rush defense that has surrendered a league fifth-best 94.6 yards per game. Tyler Lockett set career highs in receptions (57), receiving yards (965) and touchdown receptions (10) this season and also scored in the Week 3 encounter. Seattle Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner had eight of his club-high 138 tackles against Dallas in Week 3.
Since being acquired from Oakland, Cooper has 35 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns in five home games with Dallas. He led the Cowboys with 725 receiving yards despite appearing in just nine games, with Beasley (672) second after his 94-yard effort versus the Giants – almost reaching the total (124) of his previous five games. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence earned another Pro Bowl berth with his play this season by recording a team-best 10.5 sacks. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch recorded 10 tackles in the Week 3 game and set a rookie franchise-record with 140 on the season.
This is a pretty even matchup here, but I’m giving the edge to Dallas based on how they’ve played at home and the fact that Seattle is just 2-4 in playoff road games under Carroll. The Cowboys are 7-1 straight up and 5-2-1 ATS in Arlington with a +73 yards per game advantage. Look for Seattle to struggle in the run game.
Pick: Cowboys -2
Betting Trends:
- Seahawks are 5-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Seahawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
- Seahawks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Wildcard games.
- Seahawks are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Seahawks are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Seahawks are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. NFC.
- Seahawks are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games on fieldturf.
- Seahawks are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Seahawks are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
- Seahawks are 33-16-3 ATS in their last 52 games following a ATS loss.
- Seahawks are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
- Seahawks are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 250 total yards in their previous game.
- Seahawks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in January.
- Seahawks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 playoff games.
- Cowboys are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Cowboys are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Cowboys are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. NFC.
- Cowboys are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Cowboys are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Cowboys are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
- Cowboys are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Cowboys are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 playoff games.
- Cowboys are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Cowboys are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 playoff home games.
- Cowboys are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in January.
- Over is 7-1 in Seahawks last 8 games overall.
- Over is 6-1 in Seahawks last 7 vs. NFC.
- Over is 6-1 in Seahawks last 7 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1 in Seahawks last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Seahawks last 5 playoff road games.
- Over is 4-1 in Seahawks last 5 games on fieldturf.
- Over is 4-1 in Seahawks last 5 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 4-1 in Seahawks last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 7-2 in Seahawks last 9 games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 7-2 in Seahawks last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 6-2 in Seahawks last 8 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 6-2 in Seahawks last 8 playoff games.
- Under is 5-2 in Seahawks last 7 Wildcard games.
- Under is 4-0 in Cowboys last 4 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Over is 4-0 in Cowboys last 4 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 7-1 in Cowboys last 8 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Cowboys last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 11-3 in Cowboys last 14 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 7-2 in Cowboys last 9 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game.
- Under is 7-2 in Cowboys last 9 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 10-3 in Cowboys last 13 games in January.
- Under is 13-4 in Cowboys last 17 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
- Under is 9-3 in Cowboys last 12 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 5-2 in Cowboys last 7 playoff games.
- Over is 5-2 in Cowboys last 7 home games.
- Under is 16-7 in Cowboys last 23 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 17-8 in Cowboys last 25 games overall.
- Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Dallas.
- Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Underdog is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
