Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons 2017: Prediction, Betting Odds, Preview For NFL Divisional Playoffs

As a staple in the playoffs over the last five years, the Seattle Seahawks look to continue their postseason success when they visit the Atlanta Falcons Saturday afternoon. The divisional playoff game will be Atlanta’s first postseason appearance since 2013, but the Falcons have the edge over the more experienced opponent.

After three years of failing to register a winning record, Atlanta won the NFC South with a historically good offense and the leading MVP candidate. They are 4.5-point favorites over Seattle, who might not have what it takes to win at the Georgia Dome.

There have been plenty of legitimate criticisms regarding Matt Ryan in the past, but they haven’t applied this year. He was better than any other quarterback that played the entire regular season, leading the NFL with a 117.1 passer rating while finishing second with 4,944 yards and 37 touchdowns. Even when Julio Jones missed two games, Ryan still led an offense that scored more than 40 points in back-to-back weeks.

Ryan was remarkably consistent with a good performance nearly every week, including against some of the league’s top defenses. He had a 98.4 passer rating in a victory against the Denver Broncos and their No. 1 pass defense, and he threw for 297 yards while helping the Falcons score 28 points against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ryan even put up big numbers against Seattle, whose success has been based largely on its vaunted secondary.

The quarterback threw for 335 yards and three scores in a losing effort at CenturyLink Field in Week 6. Seattle got by Atlanta 26-24, but the Seahawks will have trouble having a repeat performance on the road.

Seattle’s first-round win over the Detroit Lions was their record-setting 10th straight home playoff victory, improving their overall home record this season to 8-1. The Seahawks have just three wins in nine road games dating back to last year’s playoffs, and their defense has not looked the same in recent weeks.

After safety Earl Thomas suffered a season-ending injury against the Carolina Panthers, the Seahawks closed out the regular season by giving up 24.5 points per game over the final four weeks. On Saturday, they’ll visit a team that’s been held below 23 points just once this season. Atlanta’s 33.8 points per game are good for eighth all time, and they’ve scored at least 30 points 11 times.

It’s why the over/under is set at 51.5, even though only two teams gave up fewer points than Seattle in the regular season. It’s possible that allowing six points to Detroit was a sign that the Seattle defense of old will show up this postseason, though that likely had much more to do with a struggling Lions offense.

The Seahawks are ninth in the league, having allowed opponents to post an 85.0 passer rating. In the previous four years, they never ranked worse than fifth.

The Falcons’ defense ranks just 25th overall, and it’s the reason why the team has five losses. Atlanta has given up at least 24 points in each of their defeats, and they’ve lost four times when putting up 24 points or more.

Now that Russell Wilson is healthy, he should play well enough to at least keep Seattle competitive in a shootout. He just might not have the necessary weapons to keep pace with Atlanta’s high-powered offense. The loss of wide receiver Tyler Lockett and one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines could be too much to overcome.

Just as this isn’t the same defense that led the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances, this isn't the same Matt Ryan that has struggled in past postseasons. If he plays the way he has all year long, the Falcons will be headed to the NFC Championship Game for a date with either the Dallas Cowboys or Green Bay Packers.

Prediction: Atlanta over Seattle, 30-23