Two teams without any playoff hopes tangle in Week 17 of the NFL season as the Seattle Seahawks host the Detroit Lions at Lumen Field.
NFL betting lines have swung big time for this contest with the Seahawks opening as high as 9-point favorites on Sunday night before moving down to Seattle -6.5, then settled at -7.5.
Here are our best free Lions vs. Seahawks betting picks and predictions for Sunday, January 2, with kickoff at 4:15 p.m. ET.
Lions vs Seahawks odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Seahawks opened as 9-point favorites with the Over/Under at 42. Early money came in on Detroit, shifting the line to Seattle -6.5 while the total ticked up to 42.5. After Detroit announced that starting quarterback Jared Goff was doubtful on Friday, the spread grew to Seattle -7.5 and the total dropped to 41.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full NFL odds before placing your bets.
Lions vs Seahawks predictions
- Prediction: Seahawks -7.5 (-110)
- Prediction: Under 41.5 (-110)
- Best bet: Lockett Over 56.5 receiving yards (-115)
Predictions made on 12/31/2021 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Lions vs Seahawks game info
• Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
• Date: Sunday, January 2, 2022
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX
Lions at Seahawks betting preview
Weather
Monitor gametime conditions with our live NFL weather info and learn how weather impacts NFL betting.
Key injuries
Lions: Jared Goff QB (Out), Jason Cabinda FB (Out), Alex Anzalone LB (Out), T.J. Hockenson TE (Out), Amani Oruwariye CB (Out), Frank Ragnow C (Out), Trey Flowers DE (Out), Romeo Okwara DE (Out), Jeff Okudah CB (Out), Quintez Cephus WR (Out), Jerry Jacobs CB (Out).
Seahawks: Sidney Jones IV CB (Out), Alex Collins RB (Out), Brandon Shell T (Out), Damien Lewis G (Out), LJ Collier DE (Out), Bless Austin CB (Out).
Find our latest NFL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 18-6 in the Seahawks' last 24 games overall. Find more NFL betting trends for Lions vs. Seahawks.
Lions vs Seahawks picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Seattle entered this season expecting to make the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years but those hopes have evaporated with a 5-10 record. The Seahawks are fresh off a last-minute loss to the Bears and are 2-5 SU and ATS in their last seven games.
Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson missed three games with a thumb injury before returning at less than 100%, but Seattle's problems go well beyond that. The Seahawks are vulnerable on defense, their offensive line continues to be a sore spot, and their play-calling has been so poor that personnel changes seem inevitable.
In perhaps the understatement of the year, the Lions have also struggled this season. Detroit is 2-12-1 and ranks 29th in the league in both offense DVOA and defense DVOA according to Football Outsiders. The Lions came into this season with low expectations and injuries haven't made things any easier.
They are currently missing seven defensive players who were projected as starters during the preseason, while as many as five offensive starters could be out on Sunday, none more important than quarterback Jared Goff.
Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Friday that Goff is doubtful which means that Tim Boyle will start for the third time this season. Boyle threw for 187 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Falcons putrid defense last week and mustered only 77 passing yards in his NFL debut in Week 11.
Despite their brutal record, the Lions have been a profitable play on the spread, going 10-5 ATS this year. However, Boyle isn't good enough to take advantage of Seattle's poor pass defense and the Lions will likely rely on their ground game which will be stifled by a Seahawks stop-unit that allows the second-fewest yards per carry (3.7) in the league.
While Wilson has looked out of sync at times this year, he has more than enough talent around him to get things done against a banged-up Lions D. Take Seattle on the spread.
Prediction: Seahawks -7.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The weather is a factor to consider with showers expected along with winds averaging 18 miles per hour. But even if it was a beautiful day we'd still probably be leaning towards the Under with the way these two sides have played recently.
The Lions have been very scrappy on defense and have allowed more than 20 points just twice in their last seven games. Since Week 10, the Lions defense ranks a respectable 15th in the league in EPA/play and success rate.
Despite allowing the second-most yards per game in the NFL, the Seahawks rank seventh in the league in scoring defense by limiting foes to 20.5 ppg. Seattle ranks third in the league in red-zone defense while holding opponents to just 17.6 ppg since Week 7.
The Under has cashed in six of the Lions' last seven games on the road while the Seahawks are 10-3 to the Under in their last 13 games overall. Back the Under again on Sunday.
Prediction: Under 41.5 (-110)
Best bet
Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett is coming off an off-day against the Bears where he caught just three of six targets for 30 yards. However, Lockett may have been still dealing with the after-effects of a tough bout with COVID that kept him out of the previous week's matchup against the Rams.
Prior to that Week 15 showdown in Los Angeles, Lockett had reeled off four straight contests with at least 68 receiving yards, averaging 105.3 receiving yards per game during that span.
The Detroit Lions have been getting torched through the air all season and things could get even worse in their final two games. Detroit placed Amani Oruwariye, the team leader in interceptions and passes broken up, on the IR last Saturday, joining fellow cornerback Jerry Jacobs who was placed on the season-ending IR the week before. That leaves the Lions extremely thin at corner, where they have shifted safety Will Harris to a less familiar spot on the boundary.
With D.K. Metcalf struggling to make an impact during the second half of the season, expect Wilson to get the ball to his most reliable target in Lockett.
Pick: Tyler Lockett Over 56.5 receiving yards (-115)
