NFL Week 17 Predictions: St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks

St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, 12/29/13, 4:25 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Seattle -10.5
Current Betting Line: Seattle -12.5
Opening Total: 44.5
Current Total: 41.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Seattle Seahawks have stalled a bit offensively in December

St. Louis has won and covered the number in its last two games, including a 23-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 3.5-point home favorites in Week 16, while winning the statistical battle for the first time in six contests. The Rams should be motivated to finish the season with an even 8-8 record, while defensive end Robert Quinn is making a case to become the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, which is important to consider when making your pro football picks. St. Louis is 3-8 SU and 4-7 ATS as an underdog this season.

The Rams certainly have a youthful look to their roster, as they’ve got 29 rookie, first-year and second-year players. St. Louis ranks third in the league with 49 sacks, while sitting in the same spot in getting to opposing quarterbacks on every 9.84 pass attempts. Offensively, the team is averaging 22.6 points and 314.6 yards per game, but the franchise also enters with a plus-10 turnover margin. It’s important to point out that the team hasn’t won in Seattle since picking up a victory in the 2004 NFL playoffs.

Seattle has alternated wins and losses over its last four games, as it attempts to bounce back from a 17-10 setback to the Arizona Cardinals as eight-point home favorites last Sunday, while going UNDER the betting total for a fourth consecutive contest. The Seahawks will clinch the NFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory, which can’t be ignored when making your NFL betting predictions. Seattle is 10-3 SU and 11-2 ATS in December the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 7-6 in that situation.

The Seahawks need quarterback Russell Wilson to return to his old self before potentially having a week off, which is only possible if offensive tackle Russell Okung is able to handle Quinn. Seattle needs to be balance offensively, but running back Marshawn Lynch has struggled recently and goes against a defense that is allowing 2.8 yards per carry over the past six games.