It is a full slate of NFL action with 10 preseason games taking place across Friday night. With kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET, the Seattle Seahawks will take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Both sides are still searching for their first preseason victory this year.
Looking at the odds, the Chiefs enter as narrow 1.5-point favorites with -113 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Seahawks hold -106 odds of winning outright, with the game total set at 33.5 points.
Seahawks at Chiefs Prediction, Pick
Seattle Seahawks Preview
The Seattle Seahawks are off to an 0-2 start to the preseason following last year’s Super Bowl win. They opened up the year with a 17-7 loss to the Cowboys before falling 19-16 to the Titans in the previous game. With the success last year still fresh in its mind, Seattle has not shown much in preseason as Sam Darnold has remained completely off the field, while Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe have taken the entirety of the quarterback snaps. Several other key contributors have also been kept away during preseason, as the Seahawks have the Week 1 matchup circled as their true mark.
But the action on the field must take place regardless, and these are meaningful reps for the players deeper on the depth chart or battling for a roster spot outright. Both Lock and Milroe are looking to find their NFL footing, and have each had some notable ups-and-downs already. Lock is coming off an efficient 12-for-14 passing game against the Titans in which he completed a touchdown, while Milroe has put his dual-threat ability on display even if the pair of interceptions in the previous game were an issue.
Defense is where there are bigger questions for this Seattle roster. The Seahawks built an identity last year, dominating on this side of the ball, which included allowing the fewest points per game in the NFL. However, they’ve lost several key contributors this offseason, headlined by Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant. The team brought in Bud Clark and Julian Neal through the draft process, but Clark broke his ankle in last week’s preseason matchup, and Neal has battled a neck injury all of camp. There is still plenty up for grabs on the defensive side of the ball for this Seattle roster, and expect players lower on the depth chart to be given a chance to prove what they can do in this preseason finale.
Kansas City Chiefs Preview
The Kansas City Chiefs are also off to an 0-2 start to the preseason, falling 20-12 to the Rams and 16-15 to the Buccaneers thus far. While they fell well below their sky-high standard last year, Kansas City is also not showing much in this preseason run. Patrick Mahomes continues to recover from his ACL tear and is on track to be ready for Week 1, but will not take the field tonight. The Chiefs lured away Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency, but he is also being held out tonight, as he is dealing with a minor ankle injury. These teams will face off during Week 7 of the regular season, and Walker III will then get a chance for revenge on his former team.
Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier have taken on the bulk of the quarterback responsibilities while Mahomes has been sidelined. Chris Oladokun has also seen some chances under center, but will miss tonight as he is in concussion protocol. Fields has shown off his ability with his legs, but has not shown much progress in reading defenses in the way you would hope. Nussmeier has had more impressive flashes, but still has left some to be desired in terms of production, and this is an important matchup for him tonight. With roster crunches occurring around the league, and Nussmeier expected to take the bulk of the snaps, this is a great chance for the LSU product to show he belongs.
Outside of the quarterback position, there are still quite a few positional battles to be mindful of. The wide receiver depth chart is far from solidified; there are plenty of questions about the offensive line; and backup tight end is a position to monitor. Head coach Andy Reid has not ruled out the possibility of either Rashee Rice or Xavier Worthy potentially taking some snaps in this matchup. However, neither has seen the field in preseason yet this year, and Reid did not commit to either.
Seahawks at Chiefs Best Bet
Garrett Nussmeier has been the most impressive of the quarterbacks that will take snaps in this game, although there is fair reason for optimism for Drew Lock, as well. Given the importance of this matchup to his future career path, expect all-out effort from Nussmeier as the seventh-round pick looks for a pathway to belonging in the NFL. However, the biggest point of concern in this contest is Seattle’s ability to rush the quarterback against a vulnerable Kansas City offensive line. My lean is toward the Chiefs getting the outright victory, even with this matchup disadvantage in mind.
However, my best bet in this matchup is for the total to remain under 33.5 points. Neither of these teams is interested in showing much in preseason, given the success that each organization has had of late and their desire to repeat this. This is especially the case considering they will face off in the regular season. You don’t want to provide an advantage on tape down the line.
The Seahawks have been limited to 23 combined points across their first two preseason games, while the Chiefs have not cracked 15 points in either of their games. Seattle may not be the clear best defensive unit in the league the way they proved to be last year, but there is still plenty of defensive talent across this roster, and they have established a culture and system that extends beyond this. Expect there to be some noteworthy flashes in which the Seahawks take over defensively and make life hard on the Chiefs’ depth pieces.
While Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Andy Reid’s creative ways to score points may be the first things that come to mind when thinking of the Chiefs, Kansas City has quietly shifted into more of a defensive mindset, as well. They finished last season ranked sixth in opponent points allowed and have brought in further reinforcements as they hope to build off this. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo remains in place and is still sorting through the hierarchy of their defensive depth chart.
Points do not come at a premium in the preseason, and expect this to especially be the case given the caliber of offensive talent that will remain on the sideline tonight. Count on each defense largely winning the battle and for both teams to limp to a low scoring total. The game total has remained under 33.5 in three of the four games played by these two combined teams in preseason thus far, and expect tonight’s game to add to this trend.
