NFL Betting – New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks
Life without Tom Brady doesn’t look too bad for the New England Patriots. With former MVP Cam Newton behind center the Pats did on opening day what they did over 77 percent of the time during the regular season with Brady calling plays – win. It was vintage Cam as he ran for a pair of touchdowns and the defense did the rest against the Dolphins. And speaking of vintage, Russell Wilson earned the season’s first NFL Player of the Week award after dissecting the Atlanta Falcons in the opener. The QBs have battled a number of times from when Newton was with Carolina, with each winning a playoff game over the other during a Super Bowl run. New England is getting points on the NFL betting line, the first time that’s happened since the 2016 season. Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1000)
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks
Date and Time: Sunday, September 20, 2020, 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA
Opening NFL Odds: Seahawks -3.5, O/U 44
Patriots at Seahawks TV Coverage: NBC
Odds Analysis
This is unfamiliar territory for Bill Belichick and the Patriots. It’s been 64 regular season games since the Pats were getting points on the betting line. Just like Brady leaving, I guess all things come to an end. It’s a distant memory now, but the deflategate scandal was the impetus the last time the Pats were a dog. With Brady suspended Jimmy Garoppolo got the nod in the 2016 opener at Arizona. Getting 9-points on the line the Pats still emerged with a 23-21 victory. In Newton’s debut the Pats were efficient on offense and devastating on defense covering the 7-point spread in a 21-11 victory. Seattle opened with a road cover while also cashing the over in its 38-25 rout of Atlanta. There hasn’t been much movement on the line with Seattle laying 3-points with a total of 44.
New England Patriots
The Pats had the No. 1 defense in terms of yards and points last season and the group picked up right where it left off. While all the attention was focused on Cam, the defenders quietly went about their business holding Miami to 269 total yards. With the McCourty twins and reigning DPOY Stephon Gilmore roaming the secondary, it’s going to be difficult to move the ball through the air. Just ask Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitz was held to 191 passing yards and was picked three times.
There definitely will be a different look this week. Russell Wilson isn’t Fitzpatrick and the Seahawks are further developed than Miami. If the defense is that good the group will get a chance to prove it on Sunday night. Wilson is the dual-threat Fitz isn’t. So while the D could sit back and play the pass, they won’t have that luxury against Seattle.
The Pats probably have to be more productive on offense to beat the Seahawks. Newton’s first game in almost a year wasn’t spectacular, but it was efficient. We never saw Brady run like Cam did in Week 1, which gives the offense a new identity. Newton had a pair of touchdowns on 15 carries for 75 yards and threw for 155 yards. When the team rushes for 217 yards and over five yards per carry, there isn’t much need to throw the ball. Newton completed 15 of 19 passes and the Pats amassed 357 total yards.
Seattle Seahawks
The 12th man won’t be in the stands taking a big part of what makes the Seahawks such a strong home team out of the equation. There will be plenty of references to Super Bowl XLIX ahead of the game. You remember that one, the Seahawks driving for the game-winning score in the final minute before Wilson was picked at the goal line allowing the Pats to escape. A lot of faces have changed since then, but Wilson and Pete Carroll are still around. The teams have played one game since then, but a regular season matchup in November isn’t quite the same.
Wilson took care of business in a big way against Atlanta in the opener completing 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards and four touchdowns in the 38-25 win. In an effort to ‘let Russ cook’ the offense was more aggressive from the outset throwing the football on 21 of its first 35 plays. Wilson may not throw as many passes and he likely won’t be as accurate, but the performance gives New England’s defense something to think about.
Nine different players caught a pass in the opener with DK Metcalf averaging nearly 24 yards on his four grabs. Chris Carson had two touchdowns on his six receptions, and Tyler Lockett had a team-high 92 receiving yards. “We wanted to get the ball to a lot of different guys. We wanted to be aggressive in our approach,” Wilson said. Mission accomplished.
Bet Patriots at Seahawks at BookMaker.eu
The Seahawks allowed 450 passing yards and over 500 total yards last week, so there is a chance the Patriots can move the football. And Wilson poses a much bigger threat for the Pats than last week’s opponent. I have a feeling this one is going to be close and I anticipate the offenses will be clicking, which it does more often than not with Wilson and Newton running the show. The total spiked slightly from its opening number, but it’s still low enough for me to throw down on the OVER.
NFL Score Prediction: Seahawks 26, Patriots 23
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
