The Seattle Seahawks will be eyeing a regular season sweep when the NFC West frontrunner visits State Farm Stadium on Sunday to battle the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks (7-5) knocked off the New York Jets last Sunday to notch their third straight win, while the Cardinals (6-6) dropped a heartbreaker to the Minnesota Vikings.
Arizona opened as a 2.5-point home favorite over Seattle in a high-stakes matchup for the division's top spot, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Based on moneyline odds, the Cardinals at -145 (1.7) odds are the more likely winners and have an implied win probability of 59.2%, while the Seahawks at +120 (2.2) odds have a 45.5% chance to win this game.
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The Cardinals outplayed the Minnesota Vikings in enemy territory last week and wasted a golden opportunity to get atop the NFC West. Seattle has won the past seven meetings but will be facing an Arizona offensive unit that played well enough in Week 13 to beat a solid Minnesota squad.
The division-leading Seahawks boast the league's second-ranked passing attack with 257 air yards per outing. Quarterback Geno Smith has thrown for 3,035 yards but has as many interceptions (12) as he does touchdown passes. The former first-round pick tallied 50 touchdowns and 20 picks from 2022-23. Kenneth Walker III is the leading rusher with 493 yards and seven scores, while Zach Charbonnet has added 238 yards and four touchdowns.
Former Ohio State standout Jaxon Smith-Njigba is enjoying a breakout campaign in his sophomore season and leads the team with 66 receptions, 755 receiving yards, and four touchdown catches. DK Metcalf has caught 46 balls for 697 yards and three scores despite suiting up for just nine games. Veteran pass-catcher Tyler Lockett has posted 38 receptions for 495 yards, while tight end Noah Fant has 27 catches for 285 yards.
The Cardinals have a bend-but-don't-break defense that ranks 11th in points allowed with 21.5 points each week. Safety Budda Baker has a team-high 107 tackles, including 67 solo stops. Defensive end Dante Stills (4.5) and linebacker Zaven Collins (4), Dennis Gardeck (3), and Jesse Luketa (3) have combined for 14.5 quarterback sacks. Cornerback Garrett Williams has two interceptions for a defensive secondary that ranks 20th with six picks.
Kyler Murray continued his Jekyll & Hyde imitation last weekend against the Vikings with a combined 308 passing and rushing yards. The former top draft pick has eclipsed 260 passing yards five times this season but has also failed to reach 200 passing yards on five occasions. Still, the former Oklahoma Sooner has posted 12 touchdown passes and just four interceptions while tallying 380 rushing yards.
James Conner is the featured back and has netted 705 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Tight end Trey McBride is the leading receiver with 61 receptions for 685 yards, while first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. has caught 36 balls for 546 yards and a team-high six touchdown catches. Michael Wilson has tallied 361 receiving yards and three scores on 32 receptions.
The Seahawks rank 13th in points allowed each week with 22.2 points per game. Free safety Julian Love and linebacker Tyrel Dodson are the leading tacklers with 75 and 71 total tackles, respectively. Linebacker Derick Hall has collected a team-best six quarterback sacks, while defensive end Leonard Williams and linebacker Boye Mafe have recorded five sacks apiece. Love, free safety Coby Bryant, and cornerback Riq Woolen pace the squad with two interceptions each.
The Seahawks special teams fumbled a whopping three kickoffs in the first half, with two recovered by New York. Smith played his first game as a starter against the Jets, which drafted the quarterback with the 39th overall pick in 2013, at MetLife Stadium.
Punter Michael Dickerson, who was questionable with a hamstring injury, had his back tightened in the second half and was unavailable to punt late in the game. The 28-year-old averaged 47 yards on three punts, including a 52-yard bomb.
• LB Uchenna Nwosu (Thigh) - Injured Reserve
• OT Stone Forsythe (Hand) - Injured Reserve
• QB Jaren Hall (Concussion) - Questionable
Murray threw a pair of costly interceptions in the final quarter to doom the visiting squad. The former Heisman Trophy winner posted 260 passing yards and 48 yards on the ground but had a game-changing intentional grounding call that forced Arizona to settle for a fourth field goal after reaching the red zone.
The Cardinals first-round defensive lineman Darius Robinson was cleared to make his NFL debut after being sidelined by a calf injury for the first 12 weeks of the season.
• LB Uchenna Nwosu (Thigh) - Injured Reserve
• OT Stone Forsythe (Hand) - Injured Reserve
• QB Jaren Hall (Concussion) - Questionable
The Seahawks lead the all-time series 28-22-1 and have won the last seven meetings:
• 2024: Seahawks won 16-6 in Seattle
• 2024: Seahawks won 21-20 in Arizona
• 2023: Seahawks won 20-10 in Seattle
• 2022: Seahawks won 31-21 in Arizona
• 2022: Seahawks won 19-9 in Seattle
Given Seattle’s dominant recent record in this matchup, bettors looking to back their pick can explore a variety of options using popular NFL sportsbooks. These platforms allow you to wager on everything from the outright winner to more specific bets like point spreads, total points, or even individual player performances. It's a great way to add an extra layer of excitement to this rivalry game.
• Date & Time: Sunday, December 8, 2024, 04:05 p.m. ET
• Venue: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
• Where to watch the match in the UK: Sky Sports (TV), FuboTV, or other live streams
Prediction: Arizona 34, Seattle 30
