Both the Broncos and Seahawks made a lot of changes this offseason, and both teams will be eager to prove they made the right moves in this Week 1 matchup. Here’s how to bet on the game at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Broncos (+6) vs. Seahawks o/u 41.5
Broncos Team Breakdown
The Broncos made one of the biggest moves of the offseason in trading QB Russell Wilson to the Steelers. They then went on to draft QB Bo Nix out of Oregon in the first round.
The Broncos don’t have a great receiving corps for Nix to work with, however. Trade rumors are circulating around Courtland Sutton, so that always raises some eyebrows. Marvin Mims Jr. and Josh Reynolds are solid players but not good enough to help a rookie QB early on in his career. The Broncos also lost their veteran center Lloyd Cushenberry in the offseason, who could have been a great help to Bo Nix.
This is not like the Super Bowl-winning Broncos team on the defensive side of the ball. This team finished 30th in defensive DVOA last season and didn’t do much to improve the unit this offseason. They did well to lock up CB Pat Surtain II long-term, but this Week 1’s is not a game where Surtain can just take away the other team’s best receiver and the defense will be fine. The Seahawks have three dangerous receivers on the field at once.
Seahawks Team Breakdown
Another major change this offseason in the NFL was the retirement of Pete Carroll. Carroll was replaced by former Ravens DC Mike Macdonald. Macdonald has been one of the best coordinators in the NFL over the past two seasons, and was a great hire for Seattle.
The Seahawks have a lot of offensive talent between Geno Smith, Kenneth Walker III, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Now they should have a much-improved defense to complement their offense thanks to the hiring of Macdonald.
The Seahawks drafted DT Byron Murphy II to help with their run defense. Murphy should provide great depth on this defensive line and help stop the run, especially against teams like Denver. Seattle also added a veteran presence on the line, Johnathan Hankins. Seattle has two young star corners that Mike Macdonald must be thrilled to be working with. This was not a very good defense last season but their new head coach should take all of these pieces and scheme up a defense that will be much improved from last season.
Pick and Prediction
A rookie quarterback hasn’t won on the road in Week 1 since Sam Darnold in 2018. It is hard for any rookie quarterback asked to start from day one, but it gets much harder having to travel to a hostile environment. To make matters worse for Bo Nix, Seattle arguably has the best home-field advantage in the NFL with their 12th-man crowd. Nix could have major issues in this environment against a defense as well-coached as Seattle will be. The best defensive coaches in the NFL dominate rookie QBs, and Macdonald should do that in this game.
The Seahawks’ offense is liable to explode on any play and against this Broncos defense, they should thrive. If the Seahawks start scoring and Bo Nix is forced to throw in obvious passing downs for most of the game, Denver could be in big trouble. The Seahawks have the better offense and the better coaching staff that should propel them to a comfortable win against a rookie quarterback in his first NFL start.
Best Bet: Seahawks -6
Place your NFL bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is blakekrass) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and cannot access any non-public information.
