NFL Playoff Predictions: Seattle Seahawks vs. Washington Redskins

Seattle Seahawks at Washington Redskins
Sunday, 1/6/12, 4:30 PM EST, TV: FOX
Opening Point Spread: Seattle -1.5
Current Betting Line: Seattle -3
Opening Total: 45.5
Current Total: 45
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Washington Redskins have played just one prior playoff game at FedExField

Seattle closed out the regular season with five consecutive wins, including a 20-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams as 11-point home favorites in Week 17, while going OVER the total in five of its last six contests. The Seahawks really like to punish teams on the ground, as they finished third in the league with 2,579 rushing yards, with Marshawn Lynch accounting for 1,590 of them. Seattle is 0-4 ATS as road favorites of three points or less the last two-plus seasons, with the UNDER going 3-1 in those affairs.

The Seahawks haven’t won a road playoff game since 1983, but they’ve been rewriting history all year under head coach Pete Carroll, who took over control of the sidelines three years ago. Seattle’s clear edge in this game is on the defensive end, as it allowed an average of 321.6 yards per game, while their opponent Sunday allowed 390.8. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 3,118 yards, while finishing with 26 passing touchdowns and a 100.0 passer rating.

Washington earned its first division title since 1999, as it won its final seven games after naming rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III as a team captain. The Redskins mortgaged most of their future in selecting the former Baylor Bears star with the second overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft, but he delivered in setting a rookie record with a 102.4 passer rating. He tossed 20 scores and also ran for 815 yards. Offensively, the team finished the season first in the league in averaging 6.18 yards per play. Washington is 7-2 ATS as an underdog this year, which can’t be ignored when making your NFL picks against the spread Sunday.

The Redskins have taken care of the football this year, setting a team record for fewest turnovers in a season with 14. Washington has also demonstrated the ability to win games even when falling behind, posting a 7-2 mark this season when its opponent hits the scoreboard first. The franchise has played only one playoff game at FedExField, while winning five of eight games at the venue this year.