Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers: NFL Week 8 Betting Odds and Predictions

Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday, 10/26/14, 1:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Seattle -3.5
Current Betting Line: Seattle -5
Opening Total: 44.5
Current Total: 45
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Seattle Seahawks have gotten off to a rough start as defending Super Bowl champions

Seattle hasn’t looked like the same team that won the Super Bowl a year ago, as it fell to 3-3 SUATS on the year after suffering a 28-26 defeat to the St. Louis Rams as 6.5-point road favorites Sunday, while going OVER the betting total for a second consecutive affair. The Seahawks have made some roster changes recently, which can’t be ignored when making your Week 8 NFL predictions, with the main transaction being the trade that sent wide receiver Percy Harvin to the New York Jets. Seattle is 2-2 SUATS as road favorites of 3.5 to 7 points the last two-plus seasons, with the OVER going 3-1 in that situation.

The Seahawks are capable of turning things around, which is important to consider when looking over the NFL betting odds, as third-year signal-caller Russell Wilson is coming off a 419-yard performance in total yards last week. Seattle must get after it on the defensive end, as the unit is allowing 23.5 points per game, which is far different than its league-leading mark of 14.4 during its championship season.

Carolina returns home after dropping a 38-17 decision to the Green Bay Packers as 6.5-point road underdogs last week, as it lost the statistical battle for a sixth consecutive affair. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton hasn’t enjoyed much success throwing the ball in his last two games against the Seahawks—completing just 53.8 percent of his passes for 266 yards and a single touchdown. Carolina is 6-2 ATS as underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points the last two-plus seasons.

The Panthers have built a reputation of being one of the top defensive teams in the NFC South division, but they rank 29th in the league in giving up 27.9 points per game in 2014. Carolina is allowing an average of 388 yards per game, which is very surprising due to the unit being led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly.