Henry Roldán
Next Saturday, we could witness one of the most explosive matchups of the NFL season when the Seahawks vs. Chiefs clash in a heavy artillery duel.
Seattle has two consecutive losses after falling 21-13 against the 49ers, while the Chiefs secured their postseason berth with their overtime victory over the Texans, 24-30. Without further ado, JefeBet we bring you the best preview of the match between the Seattle Seahawks vs Kansas City Chiefs.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the Seattle Seahawks vs Kansas City Chiefs NFL Week 16 Game on December 24, 2022
- Where: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Missouri.
- When: Saturday, December 24, 2022, 1:00 PM E.T.
Odds provided by BetMGM.
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Betting on the Seattle Seahawks
Despite being a half-game out of the final NFC wild card spot, the Seahawks got into trouble with four losses in their last five games and a tough regular round series against the Chiefs, Jets and Rams.
The defense, which allowed more than 30 points in two of those last four games, is Seattle’s major weakness. Overall, they rank fourth in total yards allowed with 5,304, demonstrating their inability to halt opposing offenses. While they have done well regarding passes, they have had several gaps on the ground, giving up 2,256 yards, which is the second-most in the league, and 19 passing touchdowns, which is tied for the second-most in the league. We must also consider the fact that opponents score on 60% of their trips into the red zone.
Even though the 49ers halted them in their tracks, Geno Smith and company manage one of the league’s top offenses on the offensive side of the ball. They are seventh in the category with 355 points and have 5.9 yards gained on average per play, which is tied for fourth best. Their weak aspect is their ground attack, where they have a good average of yards per rush but have not been effective with only 12 touchdowns despite having a fantastic season under Smith, with 23 passing touchdowns (fifth in the league). This is reflected in the fact that they are not very good in the red zone.
Betting on the Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs qualified for the postseason for the eighth straight year and for the seventh time in a row as the AFC West champions, a feat they might complete if they beat out the Bills to take first place in the conference.
Win this Saturday’s game at home against Seattle’s porous defense, therefore, will be paramount to achieve that. Numbers support the claim that Kansas City’s offense is the best in the league thanks to Patrick Mahomes: the Chiefs lead the league in a number of categories, including points (414), total yards (6,012), average yards per play (6.5), first downs (351), passing yards (4,333), and passing touchdowns (35). They are also sixth with 66.1% effectiveness in the red zone and the eighth least penalized club.
Defensively, the Chiefs have looked much better than expected, which of course comes in handy considering the offensive power of the team. While through the air they have allowed the most touchdown passes with 30, they are fourth in quarterback catches with 43 and their ground defense is one of the best in the league by allowing the fifth-fewest total yards (1,474) and the fourth fewest rushing TDs with just eight.
However, they shouldn’t let opponents get inside the red zone: here, they have the second-highest percentage of touchdowns conceded at 68.8%.
JefeBet Prediction
Both teams are in dire need of wins, so it makes sense that the offenses, who are aware that the opposing defenses are not among the best in the league, will go out with all their might in an attempt to reach the end zone as frequently as possible.
Smith might have a good day against an inconsistent secondary like the Chiefs, while Mahomes doesn’t need much to have great offensive performances, even more so if he has a struggling team to defend.
Prediction: Over (SEA 26 – KC 31).
