Two teams \u2013 too little too late! The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals will both be playing to finish the season .500 \u2013 something that neither team could have imagined two months ago. <\/p>\n
Seattle Seahawks (7-8) at Arizona Cardinals (7-8)<\/strong> The NFC West foes have been playing well as of late and if nothing else, they have given their fans a glimpse of what could be in 2012. With both teams officially eliminated from playoff contention, a battle for second place in the NFC West should provide us a very entertaining game.<\/p>\n The Seattle Seahawks started 2-6 so a potential 8-8 record to finish the season is a decent accomplishment. Improved Defense, Offensive Line, and rushing offense can be credited with the Hawks turnaround \u2013 they were one of the better teams in defense and rushing down the stretch in the NFL.<\/p>\n Seattle enters the final week of the season with the league\u2019s 24th ranked passing game. Tarvaris Jackson made strides this season but is still essentially a game manager, especially since Sidney Rice and Mike Williams were lost for the season. It has been the Marshawn Lynch show for Seattle.<\/p>\n Lynch has taken the Seattle running game from 30th to 21st in the NFL in the matter of eight weeks. Lynch himself has scored at least a touchdown in 11 straight games, has rushed for at least 100 yards in six of his last eight games and he leads the NFL with 855 yards since Week 9. The running game will be heavily featured again on Sunday \u2013 no reason for Lynch to take his foot off the pedal.<\/p>\n Seattle\u2019s defense has also been strong in the 2nd half of the season. They are currently 13th in the NFL in both pass and run defense and they give up the 5th least amount of points in the league.<\/p>\n The Arizona Cardinals are another team that woke up after a slow start. After going 1-6 in their first seven games, the Cards have gone an impressive 6-1 since \u2013 three of their wins have come in overtime. Interestingly, it has been the backup quarterback that has been at the helm during the incredible turnaround. [soliloquy id=”82219″]<\/p>\n Arizona presently owns the league\u2019s 17th ranked passing game. John Skelton has done a terrific job filling in for the injured Kevin Kolb and may have earned another start Sunday. He is 5-2 as the Cardinals starter and clearly gives them a better chance to win than Kolb.<\/p>\n Arizona\u2019s running game started strong this season but has tailed off in a big way. Beanie Wells and company are 25th in the NFL and average just under 100 yards per game.<\/p>\n The Cardinals defense has been a bend \u2013 don\u2019t break unit all season long. They are 18th in the NFL in both rush and pass defense and they give up the 17th most points per game in the league.<\/p>\n Betting Prediction:<\/strong> The Seattle Seahawks are 5-2 SU in their last seven games but are just 6-19 SU in their last 25 on the road. They are 7-17-1 ATS in their last 25 game on the road but have recently gone 4-0-1 ATS away from home. The Hawks are 1-4 SU and ATS in their last five trips to Arizona. The Arizona Cardinals are 4-1 SU in their last five games overall and at home.<\/p>\n This is an interesting game between two teams that are looking to close their season strong. Both have been equally impressive in the second half of the season after a brutal start and both will be auditioning players for what is hopefully a more successful 2012. Looking at the two teams however, there is one player that is scorching \u2013 only one and that is Marshawn Lynch. He is a difference maker and should continue to be on Sunday. Take the Hawks to notch another ultra-rare road win as they close out strong for their popular head coach.<\/p>\n
\n When: 4:15 PM ET, Sunday, January 1, 2012<\/strong>
\n Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix, Arizona<\/strong>
\n Broadcast: FOX<\/strong>
\n Hawks vs. Cardinals Betting Lines from betonline.com<\/strong>
\n Spread: Cardinals -2.5<\/strong>
\n Moneyline: Hawks +125: Cardinals -145<\/strong>
\n Over\/Under: 41 points<\/strong><\/p>\n