The set-up: The Seattle Seahawks are coming off puzzling 14-5 loss at Tampa Bay but still have firm control in the NFC West, a full three games ahead of the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards won the NFC West last year at 13-3 and advanced to the the NFC championship game, where they lost to the Carolina Panthers, who had gone 15-1 in the regular season. That Carolina team is Settle's opponent here in Week 13, as the Panthers limp into Seattle with a 4-7 record, three games back of the Falcons in the NFC South.

Carolina: What a difference a year can make. The Panthers were the NFL's best regular season team in 2015 but got upended by a great defensive effort in the Super Bowl by the Broncos. The Panthers, the Cardinals and the Seahawks opened the 2016 season with almost one of them expected to be the NFC's best team this season. Seattle is the only team left standing. The Panthers averaged a league-best 31.3 PPG and allowed just 19.3 PPG in 2015 but those numbers now sit at 25.1 PPG on offense (down a full TD without an extra-point) and 25.5 PPG allowed on defense (up just over six PPG, as well). They'll be no MVP award for Cam Newton in 2016, as after passing for 35 TDs and running for 10 more in 2015, he's got just 13 TD passes this season and has run for five.

Seattle: QB Russell Wilson QB battled injuries in October, going three straight games without a TD, passing or rushing, to close out the month. However, Seattle was 3-0 in November before last Sunday's game, as Wilson's returned to health. He had passed for six TDs (without an interception) plus he added a rushing and receiving score, as well. "I think the quick bursts that he showed when he had to make the decision was really the confidence he demonstrated he's got," head coach Pete Carroll told reporters in regard to Wilson's health. "I couldn't be more fired up about that. That's when we're playing ball the way we know how to play. It's a big factor for us." However, Seattle couldn't find the end zone at Tampa Bay, with Wilson going 17 of 33 for 151 with two INTs and a season-low QB rating of 38.6. However, the always reliable Settle defense kept the Seahawks in the game and enter this contest first in points allowed at 17.0 PPG.

The pick: The Panthers beat the Seahawks twice last year, in the regular season in Seattle and in the divisional round of the postseason at Carolina. I'm pretty sure Seattle remembers. Coming off that ‘ugly' effort in Tampa, Seattle will be poised to get back on track at home, where the team is 5-0 SU this season, winning by an average margin of eight points (would be good enough here). Meanwhile, the Panthers are 1-7-1 ATS on the road in their last nine road games and there seems little reason to back this team here. Seattle is a 10* play.