This is an important matchup for playoff seeding. The Seahawks clinched a postseason berth, but the NFC West is still up for grabs. Meanwhile, the Panthers are leading the NFC South and need to win the division to make the playoffs.
Seattle is a seven-point favorite and -375 on the moneyline, while Carolina is +295 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 42.5 points.
Here are my favorite player props for this Week 17 NFL game between the Seahawks and Panthers.
Seahawks vs. Panthers Best Prop Bets
Jaxon Smith-Njigba over 90.5 receiving yards (-111)
The NFL single-season record for receiving yards is 1,964 set by Calvin Johnson in 2012. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is leading the NFL with 1,637 receiving yards through 15 games.
He needs 327 more yards to tie the record—a bit much to ask for in two games. Smith-Njigba is averaging 109.1 yards per game, so he’d have to have two excellent performances to claim the title.
For this game specifically, however, his receiving yards line is set at 90.5. That’s well under his average, making this an easy total to hit.
The Panthers rank 16th in yards allowed, so they’re perfectly mediocre. Even if the unit plays above this ranking, it’s unlikely that the secondary slows Smith-Njigba down. Only two teams have kept Smith-Njigba under 90.5 receiving yards this season: Vikings (23) and Cardinals (79).
With Seattle playing for a division title, the offense should remain the same: throw it to Smith-Njigba and let him make some magic happen.
Rico Dowdle under 48.5 rushing yards (-109)
The Carolina backfield is an interesting story this season. Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard have traded roles in the offense throughout the year, causing some instability at the running back position. One week may be Dowdle. The next may be Hubbard. Dowdle seems to be the guy heading into Week 17, but he faces a stout defense.
The Seahawks are one of the best run stopping defense in the NFL. They allow the third fewest yards, second fewest rushing touchdowns, and the least yards per carry. Seattle has held opponents to under 100 total rushing yards in eight games this season. This includes quarterbacks and any other player who recorded a rush.
Additionally, the carries are split between Dowdle and Hubbard. Dowdle played in 57.4% of offensive snaps, while Hubbard played in 40.7% in last week’s win over the Cardinals. Between the elite defense and snap share, it’s unlikely Dowdle has a good game.