NFL Preseason Week 1 Predictions: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos
Thursday, 8/7/14, 9:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Denver -1
Current Betting Line: Seattle -1.5
Opening Total: 37
Current Total: 37
Odds Courtesy of 5Dimes

The Seattle Seahawks have been known to play great football in the preseason under Pete Carroll

Seattle insists that going to Denver and facing a team that it crushed in last year’s Super Bowl won’t be a big deal, which is important to consider when making your NFL betting picks, as the intensity on both sides will ratchet up when meeting in Week 3 of the regular season. The Seahawks are expected to feature backup running backs Christine Michael and Robert Turbin, especially since Marshawn Lynch missed the first few days of camp. Other offensive question marks come at the wide receiver position, with Doug Baldwin and Percy Harvin being the main perimeter threats for signal-caller Russell Wilson, as the group waits to see if rookie Paul Richardson can emerge as a reliable target.

The Seahawks have lost in the preseason since a 23-20 setback to the Broncos in the third game of the 2011 exhibition campaign—winning all four such affairs last year by at least a touchdown. Wilson figures to play just a series or two, as head coach Pete Carroll is interested to see if Terrelle Pryor can challenge Tarvaris Jackson for the No. 2 spot. On the other side of the ball, Seattle is interested to see how the officials proceed with some new rules emphasizing defensive holding.

Denver is the clear favorite to win the AFC championship for a second consecutive season, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro football odds page, but it has some holes to fill. The Broncos have some question marks in the backfield behind star quarterback Peyton Manning, especially since former Wisconsin Badgers star Montee Ball underwent an emergency surgery Monday. The team is confident some changes will have it better prepared to face an opposing defense like Seattle, as it moved Ryan Clady back to left tackle and replaced wide receiver Eric Decker with Emmanuel Sanders.

The Broncos won’t have star linebacker Von Miller on the field for this matchup, as he’s in the final stages of recovering from a torn ACL, while former Dallas Cowboys star DeMarcus Ware has missed some early practices as well. Denver won’t be too concerned about gaining revenge in this spot, considering only about 10 plays will include the starters from last year’s humiliating loss in the Big Apple.