Seahawks To Win Decisive Chiefs Battle

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks face a huge test of their playoff mettle in their clash at CenturyLink Stadium on Sunday

Kansas City missed out on the opportunity to secure the number one seed in the AFC Conference, falling to a last-gasp defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

The result has left the Chiefs vulnerable to not only losing the AFC West, but dropping from the top seed down to number five. A loss against the Seahawks on the road would place them in the Wildcard Round on the first weekend in January, playing away from home.

As a result, Andy Reid’s men cannot afford to drop another contest, although the Seahawks are in the same boat with their push for the playoffs. Seattle should have all but secured their spot in the post-season last week against the San Francisco 49ers.

However, the Seahawks put forward an insipid display and were beaten by their NFC West rivals at Levi’s Stadium. The race for the Wildcard Round is intense in both Conferences, but it’s particularly close in the NFC, with Seattle desperately attempting to cling on to the fifth seed.

It’s a crucial showdown between two well-coached teams at CenturyLink Field.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks missed a huge opportunity to secure their path to the post-season. They faced off against the 49ers on the road, who had only claimed three wins prior to the meeting. However, Seattle were picked apart by George Kittle and Nick Mullens, with the 49ers pulling off the win in overtime.

The defeat dropped the Seahawks down to 8-6 in their campaign, narrowly ahead of the group of three teams trying to edge into the final spot in the Wildcard Round. Seattle are still in a strong position and need only a victory over the Chiefs to close out their playoff place, but it will take fine performance to see off the Chiefs.

Carroll’s men have lost two matches at home over the course of the campaign. Both of those defeats have come at the hands of quality oppositions. The Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers both left Seattle with the victory. Kansas City have the same amount of quality on offense and will be confidence of their chances.

Russell Wilson will need to up the ante with the Seahawks offense. The unit has been up and down this term, although he has been on point throwing 31 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He will need to be at the peak of his powers to outduel Mahomes, while Chris Carson has to continue to be effective in the ground game.

Without their defensive stars of old Seattle’s defense has been susceptible to giving up yards, although they are ranked in the top 10 in fewest points allowed. The defense has to limit Mahomes and company to give their offense a chance on Sunday.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were one play away from securing the number one seed in the playoffs. Los Angeles’ decision to go for two on the final play of the game was an all-or-nothing decision. However, Philip Rivers connected with Mike Williams in the endzone to cap an incredible comeback win for the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City seemingly had the game under control in the fourth quarter, but then allowed the Chargers to rally from a 14-point deficit to secure the victory.

It has been a problem for the club against the elite teams in the AFC, losing to their rivals along with the New England Patriots. Kansas City are now in a position where they cannot afford to drop another game. The pressure will either be raised or eased given that the Chargers play on Saturday, although Reid will be determined for his team to enter the playoffs with momentum.

Mahomes was impressive once again even though his team slipped to a one-point defeat. He has now thrown 45 touchdowns on the season with only 11 interceptions to his name. The 23-year-old has shown poise, although his decision-making late in his side’s defeats has raised eyebrows.

Mahomes’ performances will decide whether the Chiefs are Super Bowl bound or not. Without Kareem Hunt, the passing game has not been as open as previously seen in the campaign due to the lack of threat from the backfield. As a result, Kansas City need more from their defense to ease the burden on their quarterback. Chris Jones has been dominant, but the secondary needs to rise to the occasion to hold on to late leads.

Head to Head

Games Played: 51 Seattle Seahawks: 18 Kansas City Chiefs: 33

The Chiefs have historically dominated the matchups between the two teams, boasting a far superior record in the head-to-head duel. Seattle used to ply their trade in the AFC Conference before being moved to the NFC in the realignment in 2002, explaining the amount of games that the two sides have played over the years.

The Chiefs have won the last three meetings, including the last contest in the 2014 season – a year when the Seahawks reached the Super Bowl. Reid’s men secured a 24-20 triumph thanks to an unanswered touchdown from Knile Davis in the fourth quarter. Kansas City would give a whole lot for a repeat result on Sunday.

Betting Options

Both teams have to win the game for their own playoff objectives. The Seahawks always have an advantage playing at home given the vociferous nature of their fans inside CenturyLink Stadium. Mahomes will not have played in an environment like it during his fledgling career. It will be a tough challenge for the quarterback and his offense with the lack of a running game to ease the pressure. Wilson has thrived in home conditions and has the propensity to raise his game when the stakes are raised.

It will be interesting to see whether Mahomes can match the exploits of his counterpart. It will be a close contest, but back the Seahawks to emerge with the victory at odds of 2.30Bet €100 to win €23013/10Bet £100 to win £230+130Bet $100 to win $2301.30Bet HK$100 to win HK$2301.30Bet Rp100 to win Rp230-0.7692Bet RM100 to win RM230  with BetOnline, while take Seattle on a +2.5 spread at 2.00Bet €100 to win €2001/1Bet £100 to win £200+100Bet $100 to win $2001.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$2001.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp2001.0000Bet RM100 to win RM200  with TopBet. The over/under line has been set at 54.5 total points to be scored in the contest. Given the two offenses involved there will be points scored so take the over at odds of 1.90Bet €100 to win €1909/10Bet £100 to win £190-111Bet $100 to win $1900.90Bet HK$100 to win HK$190-1.11Bet Rp100 to win Rp1900.9000Bet RM100 to win RM190  at BetOnline.

Tips Summary

Seattle Seahawks To Beat Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday 23^rd December 2018 20:20 ET (Monday 24^th December 2018 01:20 GMT)
Odds: 2.30Bet €100 to win €23013/10Bet £100 to win £230+130Bet $100 to win $2301.30Bet HK$100 to win HK$2301.30Bet Rp100 to win Rp230-0.7692Bet RM100 to win RM230

Seattle Seahawks +2.5 Spread
Sunday 23^rd December 2018 20:20 ET (Monday 24^th December 2018 01:20 GMT)
Odds: 2.00Bet €100 to win €2001/1Bet £100 to win £200+100Bet $100 to win $2001.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$2001.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp2001.0000Bet RM100 to win RM200

Over 54.5 Total Points To Be Scored
Sunday 23^rd December 2018 20:20 ET (Monday 24^th December 2018 01:20 GMT)
Odds: 1.90Bet €100 to win €1909/10Bet £100 to win £190-111Bet $100 to win $1900.90Bet HK$100 to win HK$190-1.11Bet Rp100 to win Rp1900.9000Bet RM100 to win RM190