Patriots at Seahawks Betting Preview: Patriots (+4/-110), Seahawks (-4/-110)
New England Patriots
Cam Newton made quite the first impression in his first game since replacing franchise icon Tom Brady, with the former rushing for a team-best 75 yards and two touchdowns in the Patriots’ 21-11 season-opening victory over Miami last Sunday.
Newton lowered his surgically-repaired shoulder and paced a ground attack that was responsible for 217 of the team’s 357 total yards. Newton completed just 15 passes on Sunday, with Julian Edelman reeling in five of those for a team-high 57 yards and N’Keal Harry adding a career-best five receptions for 39 yards.
Edelman, however, has 16 receptions for 208 yards and a touchdown in two career meetings with Seattle, including nine for 109 yards and a touchdown in New England’s 28-24 victory in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015.
Sony Michel followed up his career-best seven-touchdown performance in 2019 by finding the end zone to cap the scoring in the season opener. Fellow running back James White totaled 52 yards from scrimmage (22 rushing, 30 receiving).
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after tossing four touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 38-25 season-opening victory over Atlanta on Sunday.
While the 31-year-old completed 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards in that contest, Wilson likely will be reminded of the one he “completed” to then-Patriot cornerback Malcolm Butler that effectively ended the game in Super Bowl XLIX. Wilson was quite generous in spreading the ball around on Sunday, with nine different players recording at least one catch.
Tyler Lockett had a team-high eight receptions for 92 yards and fellow wideout DK Metcalf added four catches for a club-best 95 yards and a touchdown in the season opener.
Wilson also led the team in rushing with 29 yards, but running backs Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde each made an impact in other ways. Carson accounted for 66 scrimmage yards (45 receiving, 21 rushing) and two touchdown receptions while Hyde had a rushing score in his debut with Seattle.
Patriots at Seahawks Betting Pick for Week 2
Coach Pete Carroll told reporters that the Seahawks do not wish to move away from the ground-and-pound rushing attack that has been his staple since he came to the Pacific Northwest.
Seattle, in fact, had the third-most carries (481) in the NFL for the fourth-best 2,200 yards last season. The Seahawks also received quite the first impression from offseason acquisition Jamal Adams, who notched 12 tackles and a sack in his debut on Sunday.
Adams knows a thing or two about New England from his days with the New York Jets — including returning an interception for a touchdown in his last meeting — and he’ll likely make his presence felt to lift Seattle in this contest.
Patriots at Seahawks Betting Pick:
Seahawks 28, Patriots 20
Patriots at Seahawks Best Bet for Week 2
Sure it’s been five years and Wilson pays the role of being as cool as a cucumber to the hilt, however one has to feel that he will heat up for this game.
Expect Wilson to follow up his sterling season-opening performance with another strong one and put some points on the scoreboard to send the Seahawks to their second 2-0 start in as many years.
Patriots at Seahawks Best Bet: OVER 45 (-120)
–Field Level Media
