Seahawks-Lions: What Experts Are Saying About the Game

RENTON, WA - The Seahawks are favored to win against the Detroit Lions in the wild card playoff matchup on Saturday. In betting, the opening line favors the Seahawks by 7-1/2 points. But nothing is guaranteed, as shown by the Seahawks' last-minute loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve.

Here's what NFL experts are saying about the Seahawks' advantages and disadvantages in advance of Saturday's game:

CBS Sports on Earl Thomas: The loss of Seahawks safety Earl Thomas leaves a vulnerable spot on the field. "[O]pposing quarterbacks completed one pass to the deep middle of the field in the 10 games Thomas was healthy. They only even attempted nine throws to that area, so great is their fear of throwing anywhere in his vicinity. In the six games after he was injured, opposing quarterbacks threw to that area of the field 10 times, completing six."

Detroit Free Press on the Lions' defense: The Lions need to stop the Seahawks' running game. "The Lions are 2-7 when allowing more than 100 yards rushing in a game this year (7-0 when they haven’t), and they gave up more than 150 in season-ending losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers."

ESPN on Russell Wilson: He's got to hit two Seahawks stars in particular. "He is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly, target Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham often and capitalize on big-play opportunities when they present themselves."

Vancouver Sun on rushing: Where's the star running back? "This season, six different players carried the ball at least 30 times for the Seahawks and their leading rusher, Christine Michael, was released in mid-November."

NBC Sports on Golden Tate: The now-Lion might be a little more motivated against his former team. "It’s deeper than me. I want to win because I think this organization deserves to win. I think we’ve earned our way into the playoffs. We had a great week of practice. It’s time to win. But I'd be lying if I said personally I don't want to win as much," he told the Detroit Free Press.

Bleacher Report on Matthew Stafford: The Lions quarterback is not healthy. "Stafford finished the season with a 65.3 completion percentage, 4,327 passing yards and a 24-10 TD-interception ratio. However, Stafford has thrown just two TD passes in his last three games and three interceptions."

Yahoo Sports on why the Seahawks win: "The Seahawks still have a core of players who know what winning a Super Bowl – and being a part of two – feels like. This really cannot be overstated. The players who have loads of playoff experience have not only the knowledge of how to win in the playoffs but are also really good: Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Michael Benett, Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, along with several others. Therein lies the hope for all Seahawks fans in this upcoming playoff."

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