NFL Divisional Preview: Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

Seattle Seahawks +2 @ Carolina Panthers 44 On paper, and by terms of this spread, this is the stand out best matchup of the weekend. It pins a team nearing dynasty status in Seattle out on the road in back to back weeks to the 15-1 Carolina Panthers and the MVP of the league. Somehow, a team that has yet to lose at home, has only lost once, and has that MVP sit at favorites of less than a field goal. It tends to make sense when you look at the Panthers schedule. For Seattle, it will mark the ninth time this year they will face a playoff team. For Carolina, they have faced three, one of which being the most fraudulent Houston Texans. Of course, one of the Panthers three playoff games happened to be against this same Seattle team back in October. The Panthers won that game straight up and is still the one win Panther fans hold their hat on as their reasons for respect. Since that game the Seahawks have gone 9-2, but to a bigger point, the Seahawks are 6-1 since cutting Cary Williams and bringing in Jeremy Lane off the IR. Williams has been awful this year, and has left a giant hole in a solid Seahawks secondary. Lane isn't a Pro Bowl type of savior, but to put him in beside Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor makes this secondary as complete as it has been for their Super Bowl runs. The Hawks are also as healthy as they have been all year with the return of Marshawn Lynch. In the absence of Lynch, Russell Wilson established himself as an all star passer. The hope would be that Darrell Bevell understands this, uses the run the way he has and let Wilson run this show. It will be important, because the pass defense could be the weakness of the Panthers this week. Without Charles Tillman, and Bene Benwikere the Panthers are now down to their fourth string corner, a guy who was out of the league about a month ago, Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan hasn't proved himself yet, and while All-Pro Josh Norman will be able to shut someone down, the other of Tyler Lockett or Doug Baldwin is in a plus machup. Jermaine Kearse has also made some big catches, and can demand outside respect, leaving one of their two very talented receivers to take over the slot. It should make Seattle, a team that led 23-13 in the fourth quarter last time they played have an even more efficient offense than last time. The Panthers offense was ignited by 44 Cam Newton touchdowns, but their stud running back Jonathan Stewart has not played in three weeks. It featured the Panthers one loss, and while Stewart will be back, it will be against the third ranked run defense and star lineman Michael Bennett. The biggest argument for Carolina would be that Seattle has had problems against tight ends. Greg Olsen is Newton's best weapon and while Seattle knows that, they need to prove they can defend that before you can go away from feeding Olsen. At the end of the day it is hard to go against Seattle. On paper they have more play makers, and the certainly have the experience. Something about Cam Newton just tells you not to bet against him, but something about Bennett, Avril, Sherman, Thomas, Chancellor, Wagner and Wright tell you this team is healthy, they're loaded, and quite honestly this might be their best offense of the three year run. That said I give Newton the respect of putting up at least 20, and think Wilson and company can match. While the lean is to Seattle, points should be scored and I see an over. Over 44, Seahawks +2