It’s been a whirlwind opening week in the NFL, and it’s capped off by one of Seattle’s favourite Son’s heading back to CenturyLink Field in his first ever start for his new team. Yes, Russell Wilson has moved on and now calls Mile High home, and it had to be some behind the scenes work by the NFL schedule makers to come up with this matchup for Monday Night Football. And whilst the Broncos are now firmly in the Super Bowl picture, the Seahawks are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. How quickly things change.
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Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks Preview & Betting Tips
CenturyLink Field, Tuesday 10:15am AEST
I would imagine it’s been a long time since two teams that finished 7-10 were apart of Monday Night Football in week 1 of the following season, but such is the intrigue of Russell Wilson’s return to CenturyLink Field that this is one of the most anticipated match ups of week 1.
Wilson was drafted in the 3rd round by the Seahawks in 2012, spending 10 seasons with the NFC West team, winning Super Bowl XLVIII, as well as being named to the Pro Bowl on 9 occasions. There had been rumblings for years that Wilson wanted out, and he finally got his wish during the off season, signing a multi-year deal with the Broncos. Denver have been quietly building their roster, and with a superstar quarterback now under centre, appear ready to become relevant once again.
Geno Smith started 3 games for Seattle last season whilst Wilson dealt with a finger injury, losing his first two games before beating the Jaguars. He looked replacement level at best, and the fact he has won the starting quarterback job over Drew Lock is a stinging indictment of the former Broncos QB.
The Seahawks are well in the conversation for number 1 overall pick in next season’s draft. They are thin at several positions, and arguably have the worst starting quarterback in the league, not to mention the ancient play calling of Head Coach Pete Carroll. If Wilson and his new offensive teammates have any sort of chemistry this early in the season, they should have far too much for the Seahawks in this game.
Both sides have injury concerns, however nothing that would alter my handicapping of this matchup. Despite the Broncos finishing last season with a losing record, their for and against was actually in the positive, thanks in no small part to their defence, which ranked 3rd in the league in points allowed. I expect this side of the ball to continue to dominate, especially against a Seahawks offense and quarterback that has shown to struggle to score points. The big question is whether the Broncos offense can gel, and if they do early this could get ugly for the Seahawks.
My number is close to market, so I’m looking at a team total in this game. I would prefer the Broncos at the handicap if I had to pick, but I’ll just take them to shut the Seahawks down and keep Seattle’s score to a minimum.
Alternate Bet: Denver Broncos (-6.5) - $1.96 @ Betfair (1u)
Seattle Seahawks (team total) under 19.5
$1.83 (2.5 Units)
