Seahawks vs. Cardinals Week 18 Picks: Can Seattle Derail Arizona's Division Title Hopes?

The Arizona Cardinals are pursuing the NFC West crown while hosting the division rival Seattle Seahawks. Read on for our Seahawks-Cardinals picks.

Seattle and Arizona meet in Week 18 in an NFC West showdown. The Seahawks (6-10) would love to prevent the Cardinals from winning the division, while Arizona (11-5) can nab its first division title since 2015 with a victory over the Seahawks and a Rams loss.

Arizona beat Seattle 23-13 on the road in Week 11. That prior game featured Colt McCoy as Arizona's quarterback, and Russell Wilson in his second game back after finger surgery.

Will Seattle end its season with an impressive road win? Or will the Cardinals build playoff momentum with their first season sweep of the Seahawks since 2009?

Here are my Seahawks-Cardinals picks for their Week 18 NFL matchup (odds via Draftkings, and pick confidence is based on a one-to-five star scale).

Seahawks vs. Cardinals Game Info

Date/Time: Sunday, Jan. 9, 4:25 p.m. ETTV: FOXLocation:  University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZWeather: 69 degrees and sunny, five-mph winds

Seahawks vs. Cardinals Odds Analysis

This line actually opened at Arizona -5, but it jumped to Arizona -7 after a heavy influx of bets on the Cardinals. It's gradually returned to the current Arizona -5.5 spread at most books. Seattle is now receiving 55% of the bets and 97% of the money.

The Seahawks are 8-8 against the spread, but they've only covered during three of their past eight games. They're 4-4 on the road ATS too.

Arizona has produced one of the best ATS records this season while sitting at 10-6. However, the Cardinals are surprisingly just 2-5 at home.

Both teams often play low-scoring games, with Seattle (10-5-1) and Arizona (9-7) hitting the Under frequently.

Seahawks vs. Cardinals Picks

Seahawks +5.5 (-110) ????Under 48.5 (-110) ???

SEE ALSO: Top Week 18 Expert Picks

Seahawks vs. Cardinals Predictions

Seahawks +5.5 (-110)

Arizona has been a very different team since starting the season 8-1. The Cardinals are just 3-4 over their last seven contests, including a three-game losing streak.

Losing wideout DeAndre Hopkins to a torn ACL has limited Arizona's passing game. Quarterback Kyler Murray threw 17 touchdown passes over his first seven games, but he's tossed just six over the Cardinals' past six matchups. Without Hopkins to draw the majority of attention from opposing secondaries, the Cardinals have relied on 33-year-old A.J. Green and mediocre veteran Christian Kirk. The Cardinals will be without rookie wideout Rondale Moore, who led Arizona with 11 receptions against Seattle earlier this campaign.

The biggest concern tied to Arizona is the club's once stout defense, which allowed 27.3 points per game during its three-game losing streak. The Cardinals held Russell Wilson to just 207 passing yards during that first meeting this season. But Wilson looked like his old self last week against the Lions while posting the week's second-best quarterback performance and throwing for four touchdowns, the first time he’s hit that mark since Week 1.

Little is separating Arizona and Seattle in terms of overall team efficiency. The Cardinals rank 10th in team DVOA while Seattle is just two spots behind, according to FootballOutsiders. However, the Seahawks hold a massive advantage on special teams while ranking fourth with Arizona sitting 18th.

Seattle has also found its running game with Rashaad Penny, who wasn't active during the first clash between the teams this season. Penny is averaging 125.5 total yards with five touchdowns over his past four games. He's certainly been an upgrade over Alex Collins, who managed just 36 yards on 10 carries previously against the Cards.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is a strong fade at home, especially as a favorite. Kingsbury is just 9-14 (39.1%) at home during his tenure in Arizona, including 4-10 (28.6%) as a favorite.

With Wilson returning to form, Penny providing new life to Seattle's running game, and Kingsbury's history as a home favorite, grab the 5.5 points with a veteran Seahawks team against a struggling Arizona squad.

Under 48.5 (-110)

The Cardinals' defense generated consistent pressure on Wilson during the last matchup while registering four sacks, with the unit disrupting the Seahawks' flow in the second half. Arizona will again create pressure at home against a Seattle offensive line that ranks just 26th and has allowed 45 sacks.

However, the Cardinals' offense will continue to struggle, especially without Hopkins, Moore, and versatile running back Chase Edmonds. The Seahawks' pass rush has found new life while recording seven sacks over the club's last three games.

Seattle ranks eighth against the run, and the Seahawks held James Connor to just three yards per carry in Week 11. Both teams feature explosive weapons, but there's a lean toward the Under during the second intradivisional meeting of a season.

Fade the public and take a number that's been rising all week, especially after these teams posted just 36 points last time out.

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

Seahawks-Cardinals Picks made 11/8/2022 at 2:33 a.m. ET