Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Picks, Predictions, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Week 1 of the NFL Season will conclude on Monday night with a highly anticipated showdown between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. Coverage begins from Lumen Field in Seattle, WA at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Updated on 05/04/2024

BetMGM Exclusive Offer: Get a 20% Deposit Match up to $1,600 in Sports Bonus!

Bonus Code VIBONUS1600 Claim Now

Must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER

DENVER BRONCOS vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS BETTING PREDICTION

Russell Wilson will waste no time making his grand return to Seattle, as the Seahawks host the Broncos on Monday night, and while it makes for an intriguing pregame narrative, this contest might get ugly quick. Geno Smith gets the start at QB for Seattle this season, who’s completed just 59% of his passes for 6,917 PYDS and 34-37 TD-INT throughout his eight-year NFL tenure, yielding a career record of 13-21 as a starter. However, 30 of those starts came in a Jets’ uniform, so I’d cut him some slack for his lackluster career numbers thus far.

The Broncos finished last in the AFC West with a record of 7-10 last season; but it wasn’t all bad for the Broncos, as they posted a sturdy 7-6 record in matchups QB Teddy Bridgewater fully participated in, and they went 0-4 in contests that he sat out. I’m not quite sure if the addition of Wilson immediately elevates them to title-contender territory, but they’re certainly a force to be reckoned with, and I don’t think this Seattle squad stands much of a chance on Monday night.

I’ll back Denver here, as the Broncos were already a .500-ish squad with Bridgewater under-center last season; and upgrading at the QB position should only help build upon that success moving forward. While at first glance, this Seahawks’ roster appears to be the worst in the NFC West by a considerable margin.

Score Prediction: Broncos 31, Seahawks 17
Best Bet: Broncos -6.5 (-110)

DENVER BRONCOS vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

DENVER BRONCOS vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Monday, Sept. 12, 2022
Matchup: AFC West vs. NFC West
Venue: Lumen Field
Location: Seattle, Washington
Time-TV: ESPN, 8:15 p.m. ET

DENVER BRONCOS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Broncos saddled up for the homestretch of last year’s regular season sitting well within striking distance of a playoff spot at 7-6. However, Bridgewater suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14 and Denver limped to the finish line with an 0-4 skid, resulting in a relatively lackluster 7-10 mark for the season

Denver’s defense is rarely the issue, as the Broncos ranked 2^nd in points allowed and 9^th in total defense last season (18.9 PPG, 326 YPG), despite their offense providing very little support, as Denver ranked just 23^rd in points scored and 19^th in total yardage (19.7 PPG, 331 YPG).

The Super Bowl window for Denver might be relatively brief with Wilson turning 34-years-old this season, however, the Broncos have an elite defense partnered up with a talented young offense now helmed by savvy veteran; and while it’ll probably take Wilson a few weeks to build chemistry with his new teammates, Denver should still handle business against bottom-tier squads like Seattle with relative ease starting Day 1.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Seahawks finished last in the NFC West with a record of 7-10 last season, marking just the second time Seattle has missed the playoffs since Russell Wilson became the starter back in 2012. However, the Seahawks finally decided it was time to start from scratch, as Seattle shipped Wilson to Denver in exchange for Drew Lock plus a massive haul of draft picks this offseason.

The Seahawks’ offense ranked top-ten in scoring for three straight seasons prior to last year. They took quite the nosedive during their latest campaign though, as Seattle scored just 23.2 PPG on 324 YPG last season, which ranked 16^th and 20^th in the league respectively.

Frankly, it didn’t matter who played QB for Seattle last season, as the Seahawks’ O-line left both Wilson and Smith scrambling for their lives throughout the year, and their offense never really settle into a rhythm as a result. However, some of that unsteadiness also stemmed from a defense that ranked and 31^st against the pass and 17^th against the rush last season (114 RYPG, 266 PYPG), which inherently forced Seattle’s offense to play from behind in most contests.

DENVER BRONCOS vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS BETTING TRENDS

• The Broncos are 2-4 ATS in their last six games.
• The Seahawks are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone UNDER in eight of Denver's last 11 games.
• The total has gone OVER in five of Seattle's last six games.
• The Broncos are 13-5 SU in their last 18 games against Seattle.
• The total has gone OVER in four of Seattle's last five games against Denver.
• The Broncos are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.
• The Seahawks are 3-6 SU in their last nine home games.
• The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the last 14 matchups between the Broncos and Seahawks in Seattle.

Where to place a bet this NFL Season?

• Use our exclusive BetMGM Bonus Code VIBONUS1500 to unlock BetMGM’s welcome offer for new sportsbook users!
• Compare the latest NFL Odds from the best sportsbooks before placing a bet on this week's games.
• Check out the North Carolina Sportsbooks just before they launch legal online sports betting.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson