Broncos vs. Seahawks Odds, Picks & Predictions: Back Russ in his Return to Seattle

The NFL never ceases to disappoint with their “convenient” way of scheduling games that have extra meaning. Look no further than new Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson’s first game in a Denver uniform, which just so happens to be against his old team in the Seattle Seahawks, on the first Monday Night Football (MNF) game of the season no less.

Now with Wilson at the helm, the Broncos are unsurprisingly the favorites here, with this game being played in Seattle on Monday, Sept. 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET.

Broncos vs. Seahawks Betting Odds

Dawn of a New Era in Seattle

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Seahawks went to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013-2014, and have slowly descended since then.

Granted, they did make the playoffs every year from 2015-2020 except for one, but they never advanced past the Divisional Round. Their vaunted defense led by the “Legion of Boom,” have all moved on, with the only constants being quarterback Russell Wilson, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, and head coach Pete Carroll in the remaining years.

Only Carroll remains from that trio, with a new era starting in Seattle.

To put it bluntly, the Seahawks are in consideration of teams that could legitimately finish with the worst record in the NFL. They figure to have poor quarterback play whether Drew Lock or Geno Smith wins the job, as neither of these options presents much upside.

Outside of QB, the Seahawks have the worst offensive line in the NFL, according to PFF. Defensively, they finished last year as the 11th-worst defense in the NFL, according to DVOA, and figure to be even worse this year after losing Wagner to free agency.

The Seahawks win total over/under is set at 5.5, and the guess here is that they finish the season going under that total.

How Good can Denver be With Wilson?

On the Broncos side, they go from quarterback purgatory to having one of the best QBs in the NFL by trading for Wilson. The Broncos have had an astounding 11 total quarterbacks start a game for them since Peyton Manning retired at the end of the 2015 season.

So, getting Wilson is a huge deal for Denver, but the question is just how good can they be.

To start, some growing pains should be expected from Wilson and the Broncos to start the season. Not only is Wilson playing for a new team for the first time in his career, but the Broncos also have an entirely new coaching staff.

In the offseason, the Broncos fired previous head coach Vic Fangio, and brought in Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett was previously the Packers offensive coordinator from 2019-2021.

The Broncos are ripe with talent on the offensive side of the ball. At the skill positions, PFF gives them the tenth-best set of wide receivers and the ninth-best set of running backs. So, if Wilson is able to click with a new head coach and offensive system, then this Denver team could easily be a Super Bowl contender.

The Broncos also have talent defensively. While they are nowhere near as good as they were during the Super Bowl run back in 2016, they still have the makings of a good defense. Their secondary is led by All-Pro safety Justin Simmons and potential All-Pro second-year player Patrick Surtain.

Surtain had a successful rookie season, as he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team. He has his sights set on becoming an All-Pro in just his second season, and he has the talent to do so.

While it is likely Denvers offense takes some time to adjust with all the changes, I absolutely love backing them in their Week 1 matchup against Seattle on MNF. They are better than Seattle in almost every facet of the game.

The OddsJam Line prices this spread at -6.5, but thanks to line shopping on the OddsJam NFL odds page, I was able to get them at -5.5 on PointsBet.

Broncos vs. Seahawks Betting Pick: Broncos -5.5 | -110 at PointsBet