Vegas thinks Seahawks fail at home against the Chiefs

The Seahawks play the Chiefs on Sunday. According to oddsmakers, Seattle will fall to 8-7 with a loss. But why does Vegas think this?

The Seahawks need a win in their final game of 2018 against the Cardinals to make the playoffs. A win this Sunday against the Chiefs would be nice but Seattle could still miss the playoffs if they don’t beat the Cardinals. Playoff races are weird.

But oddsmakers in Las Vegas do not think that the Seahawks will beat Kansas City anyway. According to Odds Shark, the Chiefs are 2.5-point favorites at CenturyLink. And they should be. Kansas City can score a lot of points and Seattle might be without Bradley McDougald.

Being a 2.5-point favorite on the road really means that Vegas thinks the Chiefs will win by almost a touchdown. Kansas City actually has more to play for this week than does Seattle. Seattle needs that final week win and they would be in the playoffs. The Chiefs could either have home-field advantage if they win their last two games or be a fifth-seed if they lose to Seattle.

Kansas City started 9-1 but is 2-2 in their last four. Their defense is not that good overall. But Kansas City’s offense and Patrick Mahomes are so good they simply outscore opponents a lot of the time. Seahawks safety McDougald might miss the game with a knee injury. If he does, Seattle will miss his physical ability some but his experienced communication even more.

One could argue that the point-spread is even a bit low. The Chiefs have struggled in their last four games more than in their first 10 and now need a win badly. Seattle needs one less so. The Chiefs might be the more motivated team on Sunday.