The Seattle Seahawks once again face another “must win” scenario. Is this a “must win” in the way playing the Los Angeles Rams was, or what the San Francisco 49ers game will be next week? No, not necessarily, but the Seahawks should absolutely treat it as such! A loss will almost assuredly put the Rams back into the drivers seat for the NFC West and the No. 1 seed, assuming they take care of business against the hapless Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.
Seattle is a heavy favorite against Carolina, and they should be able to defeat them, but they cannot overlook how dangerous the Panthers can be. We at Seahawks Wire, as well as our friends over at our sister site Panthers Wire, take some time to give predictions on how this Week 17 NFC clash will play out. We also give some betting information as well. All of that can be read in the article below!
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday, December 27th, 2025
Moneyline: Seahawks -340Spread: Seahawks -7Over/under: 42.5Kole Musgrove – Seahawks Wire Managing Editor
Seahawks 28, Panthers 24: The Carolina Panthers are a dangerous team. I’m not saying they are contenders, nor am I even suggesting they are even “good” but they are dangerous. This team knocked off the Rams at home earlier this month, giving Seattle a solid favor. Now they are literally a first place team, and if the season were to end today, they’d be a playoff team. I have written extensively how the Seahawks cannot afford to overlook them on Sunday, because this Panthers squad would love nothing more than to help clinch a playoff spot of their own by playing spoiler to Seattle. Carolina is a young team coming into their own, and part of that is learning how to play the upper crust of the league competitively. I expect the Panthers to make it a game, but the Seahawks come out on top.
Justin Melo – Seahawks Wire Contributor
Seahawks 23, Panthers 20: It’s a defensive battle in Carolina, as the Seahawks come away with a narrow road win. Riq Woolen seals it with a late interception.
Dom Skene – Seahawks Wire Contributor
Seahawks 27, Panthers 21: The Seahawks allow two rare rushing touchdowns, but Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon keep Tetairoa McMillan at bay. Meanwhile, Bryce Young will be under duress by Leonard Williams and Co., while Jaxon Smith-Njigba goes over 100+ yards again to avoid the “trap” game.
Anthony Rizzuti – Panthers Wire Managing Editor
Seahawks 27, Panthers 24: The Panthers are a very live underdog. Plus, they could, with the help of a Tampa Bay loss or tie, clinch the NFC South off a win—so they’re still playing for their postseason hopes. But can they pull off a third upset over a No. 1 seed? That’s a pretty tough ask, for any team.
Seahawks vs Panthers, TV channel todayKickoff time: 10:00 am Pacific TimeTV Channel: CBSLivestream: Paramount+, and Fubo (free trial)