Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers 2020: Prediction, Line For NFL Divisional Playoff Game

Every team that had a first-round bye in the 2020 NFL playoffs is favored in the divisional round. The Green Bay Packers are the given best chance to suffer an upset, and with good reason.

Green Bay is a four-point favorite against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The other home teams are all favored by at least six points, according to OddsShark.

Seattle won on the road on Wild-Card Weekend, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 17-9. The Seahawks never trailed, holding off the NFC East champions and Josh McCown, who played most of the game because Carson Wentz suffered a concussion.

Aaron Rodgers, of course, presents a tougher test to Seattle’s defense. The Seahawks didn’t face the most difficult challenge in Philadelphia, but the Packers earned the NFC’s No.2 seed by avoiding difficult challenges throughout the regular season.

The Packers had the easiest schedule of any NFC team with their opponents posting a .453 winning percentage. Green Bay went 3-2 against playoff teams, defeating the Minnesota Vikings twice and beating the Kansas City Chiefs when Patriots Mahomes didn’t play because of a knee injury.

The Eagles beat the Packers at Lambeau Field 34-27 in Week 4. San Francisco blew Green Bay out 37-8 when the two teams met at Levi’s Stadium in Week 12.

The Seahawks weren’t exactly dominant in the regular season. Seattle only outscored its opponents by seven total points, overcoming a poor defense and winning a bunch of close games.

Seattle also faced the most difficult schedule of any playoff team. They were forced to take on San Francisco twice—the Seahawks handed the 49ers their first loss—in addition to matchups with the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens.

Russell Wilson is the best quarterback in the NFC and the likely 2019 MVP runner-up. He engineered one of the NFL’s best offenses. Seattle finished eighth in total yards, ninth in points per game and 10th in yards per play.

Even with Rodgers still playing better than most signal callers, Green Bay’s offense isn’t close to ranking near the top of the league. The Packers don’t have a particularly good defense either.

Green Bay finished 18th in both total offense and yards per play. The Packers were 18th in total defense and 19th in opponents’ yards per play.

By just about any measurement, Green Bay isn’t better than average on either side of the ball.

Matt LaFleur is making his playoff debut as an NFL head coach. Pete Carroll has coached a whole season’s worth of playoff games with the Seahawks, going 10-6 in January and February.

The Packers haven’t faced a top tier quarterback all season long. They missed Mahomes and didn’t have to deal with the likes of Lamar Jackson or Drew Brees like the Seahawks did. Green Bay stacked wins over Mitchell Trubisky, Joe Flacco and a bunch of rookie signal callers for a 13-3 record.

Wilson was incredible in the wild-card game, going 18-30 for 325 yards and a touchdown. It didn’t matter that Seattle was without its top three running backs and starting left tackle.

It won’t matter in Green Bay when Wilson is, once again, the best player on the field and the reason Seattle reaches the NFC Championship Game for the third time in seven years.

Prediction: Seattle over Green Bay, 23-20