by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Jan 06, 2022
Game time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Where to watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Cardinals -7; O/U 48
BetMGM: Cardinals -6.5; O/U 47.5
Caesars: Cardinals -6.5; O/U 48
Season record
Seahawks: 6-10 (Last place, NFC West)
Cardinals: 11-5 (2nd place, NFC West, clinched playoff spot)
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Seahawks - Cardinals preview and analysis
Last week
Seahawks: won 51-29 vs. Lions
Cardinals: won 25-22 at Cowboys
Reports of the Arizona Cardinals' premature demise have been greatly exaggerated. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys last week.
The Cardinals had been on a slide that didn't seem solvable heading into the playoffs, but a 3-point win at AT&T Stadium has set the stage for an important Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks at home on Sunday.
Arizona has already clinched a playoff spot and don't have to worry about anything altering that. The real prize is the NFC West, which the Cardinals seemed to have locked up three weeks ago. But a three-game losing streak prior to last Sunday put those hopes in major jeopardy, and now the Cardinals need a win and a Rams loss to the San Francisco 49ers in order to secure a home playoff game.
If the Cardinals don't clinch the division, we got a potential wild-card preview last week with the Cardinals knocking off Dallas in what might have been Arizona's most complete game. Kyler Murray threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, while Arizona's defense held the dangerous Cowboys offense to just 301 total yards.
Murray had to put on a show coming back to his home state, playing in the stadium where he went 8-0 as a high school/college quarterback.
"Coming home, I can't lose coming home," Murray said. "That's just how I feel. I'm not worried about two weeks from now. We got Seahawks next week, divisional game at home. The guys will come ready to play."
The Cardinals have had to deal with the absence of top receiver DeAndre Hopkins for the rest of the regular season, as well as running back James Conner for last week. But Christian Kirk has seemed to turn the corner in his development; the former Texas A&M receiver is 61 yards away from his first career 1,000-yard season.
I'd be remiss if I didn't say this is weird, talking about an NFC West game with playoff implications and not having the Seahawks involved. But the major ramifications in Seattle go beyond a playoff game. This could be the final one with Russell Wilson as quarterback and Pete Carroll as coach.
The Seahawks have been seemingly ready to go in different directions with both, signaling the start of a rebuild in the Pacific Northwest. We appear ready at the crossroads there with Seattle coming in off a 51-29 win at snowy Lumen Field against the Detroit Lions.
In what might have been the final game in Seattle for Wilson, he threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions. Three of them, surprising to many disgruntled fantasy football players, went to DK Metcalf on a six-catch, 63-yard afternoon.
Former San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny stole the show, though, running for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
But forget all of that. What about next year in that stadium for the Super Bowl winning quarterback?
"I was just thinking about joy and I was thinking about our fans," Wilson said. "I was thinking about just, what a special moment to be able to, you know, win this game at home for our fans and for them to feel that energy again."
You have to think the Seahawks are going to play some of their most inspired football heading into this final week. Even though there's nothing to play for but pride, you want to think Seattle will play hard and make some sort of statement.
I don't see that happening, though.
Reports of the Arizona Cardinals' premature demise have been greatly exaggerated. Just ask the Dallas Cowboys last week.
The Cardinals had been on a slide that didn't seem solvable heading into the playoffs, but a 3-point win at AT&T Stadium has set the stage for an important Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks at home on Sunday.
Arizona has already clinched a playoff spot and don't have to worry about anything altering that. The real prize is the NFC West, which the Cardinals seemed to have locked up three weeks ago. But a three-game losing streak prior to last Sunday put those hopes in major jeopardy, and now the Cardinals need a win and a Rams loss to the San Francisco 49ers in order to secure a home playoff game.
If the Cardinals don't clinch the division, we got a potential wild-card preview last week with the Cardinals knocking off Dallas in what might have been Arizona's most complete game. Kyler Murray threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, while Arizona's defense held the dangerous Cowboys offense to just 301 total yards.
Murray had to put on a show coming back to his home state, playing in the stadium where he went 8-0 as a high school/college quarterback.
"Coming home, I can't lose coming home," Murray said. "That's just how I feel. I'm not worried about two weeks from now. We got Seahawks next week, divisional game at home. The guys will come ready to play."
The Cardinals have had to deal with the absence of top receiver DeAndre Hopkins for the rest of the regular season, as well as running back James Conner for last week. But Christian Kirk has seemed to turn the corner in his development; the former Texas A&M receiver is 61 yards away from his first career 1,000-yard season.
I'd be remiss if I didn't say this is weird, talking about an NFC West game with playoff implications and not having the Seahawks involved. But the major ramifications in Seattle go beyond a playoff game. This could be the final one with Russell Wilson as quarterback and Pete Carroll as coach.
The Seahawks have been seemingly ready to go in different directions with both, signaling the start of a rebuild in the Pacific Northwest. We appear ready at the crossroads there with Seattle coming in off a 51-29 win at snowy Lumen Field against the Detroit Lions.
In what might have been the final game in Seattle for Wilson, he threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions. Three of them, surprising to many disgruntled fantasy football players, went to DK Metcalf on a six-catch, 63-yard afternoon.
Former San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny stole the show, though, running for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
But forget all of that. What about next year in that stadium for the Super Bowl winning quarterback?
"I was just thinking about joy and I was thinking about our fans," Wilson said. "I was thinking about just, what a special moment to be able to, you know, win this game at home for our fans and for them to feel that energy again."
You have to think the Seahawks are going to play some of their most inspired football heading into this final week. Even though there's nothing to play for but pride, you want to think Seattle will play hard and make some sort of statement.
I don't see that happening, though.
Prediction
The Cardinals will kick off at the same time as the Rams and 49ers, meaning all eyes will be on the West Coast for the time being. All Arizona can do is focus on its game and accomplish the mission. For the betting world, that's all that matters. Cardinals by 14
Betting trends
The over is 4-0 in the Seahawks' last four games in January.
The Cardinals are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games.
The Cardinals are 5-1 ATS in their last six after totaling at least 350 yards the previous game.
The underdog is 10-2-1 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
The Seahawks are 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Statistical leaders
Seahawks:
Passing: Russell Wilson -- 2,875 yards, 22 TD, 5 INT
Rushing: Rashaad Penny -- 599 yards, 5 TD
Receiving: DK Metcalf -- 909 yards, 12 TD
Defense: Quandre Diggs -- 5 INT
Cardinals:
Passing: Kyler Murray -- 3,547 yards, 23 TD, 10 INT
Rushing: James Conner -- 700 yards, 14 TD
Receiving: Christian Kirk -- 939 yards, 5 TD
Defense: Markus Golden -- 11 sacks
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
