The Denver Broncos go from the outside looking into a legit Super Bowl with the acquisition of Russell Wilson. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks go from contender to pretender without him.
But all bets are off (or on) this Sunday, and we got you covered on the best Seahawks vs. Broncos betting picks.
Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks
Here are the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks standings from last year:
The Broncos were 7-10 last season, going 8-9 against the spread. On the road, the Broncos were 3-5 straight up and against the spread.
Seattle went 7-10 last year, with a winning record against the spread of 9-8. At home, Seattle was 4-4 against the spread and 3-5 straight up.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are turning to Nathanial Hackett to restore order on the sideline after five consecutive losing seasons and a couple of bad head coaches.
Hacket, who is the former offensive coordinator from the Green Bay Packers, is starting a new era with another Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
Together, he and Russell Wilson hope to replicate what Peyton Manning did with Denver in his final act.
Offense
Russell Wilson was 6-8 in 14 starts last season, throwing for 25 touchdowns and six interceptions while missing three games with an injury to his throwing hand.
Wilson rushed for a career-low 183 yards last season and looked significantly overweight throughout the season.
Wilson Behind a Stronger Offensive Line
This season, Wilson will be behind a much stronger offensive line, two quality tight ends three wide receivers and two running backs with big play ability. Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon both rushed for over 900 yards individually last season.
Wilson will have a lot of freedom to run Denver’s offense, and the stats Broncos put up last season, including their 19.7 PPG, will improve significantly with him behind center.
Defense
The Broncos’ defense is playoff-caliber ready. Denver ranked third in the NFL last season in scoring, only allowing 18.9 PPG.
The strength of this Broncos’ defense is their ability to defend the pass. Led by Patrick Surtain in the secondary and Randy Gregory on the edge, this defense will be hard to throw the ball on.
Running the ball on the Broncos won’t be much easier. The defense is solid up the middle, and inside linebacker, Joses Jewell, is the true definition of a blue-collar tough guy.
Key Injuries
- LB Joses Jewell: Questionable
- ED Randy Gregory: Questionable
Betting Trends to Know
- 4-1 ATS and straight up last season vs. NFC
- 6-2-2 ATS in their last ten season openers
- 18-14-0 in their last 32 season openers
Seattle Seahawks
Offense
Geno Smith played fairly well in Russell Wilson’s three-game absence. In three starts, Smith threw for five touchdowns and just one interception with a 68.4 completion percentage.
The offensive line was horrible, allowing 13 sacks in Smith’s three starts. There will be a ton of pressure on ninth overall pick Charles Cross to fix this and protect the blind side.
Even with a 7-10 record last season, Seattle had a +29 point differential and averaged five yards per carrying.
Third-best Red Zone Offense
All be it with Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks had the third-best red zone offense, and Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf was making explosive plays left and right.
Defense
Last year’s defense was fairly good for Seattle, but it clearly had some holes to fill and won’t improve with Carlos Dunlap leaving.
Fifteen of Seattle’s 34 sacks last season came from Dunlap and Rasheem Green, who are no longer with the team.
Bobby Wagner: Biggest Loss on Seahawks Defense
The biggest loss on defense for the Seahawks will be Bobby Wagner. The tackle machine had 170 stops for a Seattle defense that only allowed 5.4 yards per play and 3.8 yards per rush.
Seattle’s pass defense was atrocious last year, giving up over 4,500 yards threw the air. On the plus side, the Seahawks bent but didn’t break. Seattle had the fourth-best red zone defense and only allowed 31 touchdowns in 2021.
Key Injuries
- CB Artie Burns: Questionable
- CB Sidney Jones: Questionable
- Guard Damien Lewis: Questionable
Betting Trends to Know
- Seattle is 2-4-1 in their last seven season openers.
Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Odds Breakdown
Here are the odds for our Seahawks vs. Broncos betting picks: The Denver Broncos are -270 money line favorites and -6.5 in the point spread.
The Seattle Seahawks are getting 6.5 points in this matchup and are +230 money line underdogs.
Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Betting Picks
Money Line: Give me the Broncos in a blowout in this one. Denver’s front seven will be all over Geno Smith with Seattle’s weak offensive line; that is the reason Russell Wilson left in the first place.
Russell Wilson will pick apart the Seahawks, who lost all their best players, and on the other side, Denver’s defense will pick apart Geno Smith.
ATS: Broncos -6.5
Over/Under: Over 44.5. Russell Wilson and the Broncos’ offense will light up the scoreboard, putting this game away early, and the Seahawks will get a lot of empty-calorie yards and put up some points late with Denver playing prevent just not wanting to give up the big play.
Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Score Prediction
Score Prediction: Broncos 31 – Seahawks 17
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