Patriots vs. Seahawks Picks: How We’re Betting Sunday Night Football

The Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in the second Sunday Night Football matchup of the 2020 NFL season.

Our staff takes a closer look at the spread and total for Sunday night.

Seahawks vs. Patriots Picks

Click a pick to skip ahead to that analysis.

Brad Cunningham: Patriots +4 vs. Seahawks 

Even though they had a number of opt-outs on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, the Patriots still look like one of the best defenses in football. Bill Belichick and company held the Dolphins to just 4.6 yards per play and forced three turnovers. It was a carryover from last season, as the Patriots ranked in the top six in both defensive passing success and rushing success. They’ll face a step up in competition this week, though, as Russell Wilson and the Seahawks boast a top-five offense in the NFL.

In 2019, the Seahawks ranked inside the top 10 in both passing and rushing success, which almost led Wilson to the MVP. The Seahawks' passing attack looked fantastic against Atlanta in Week 1, but the Falcons have one of the worst secondaries in football. The key for Seattle’s offense in this game will be its offensive line. It graded out as one of the worst offensive lines in football by PFF last season. If it can’t protect Russell Wilson, it’s going to be a long night for the Seahawks. 

Cam Newton looked like his old self against the Dolphins, throwing for 8.2 yards per attempt and rushing for 5.0 yards per carry. The Patriots didn’t open their passing game much as Newton attempted only 19 passes. However, I don’t think it really matters because the Patriots' identity this season is going to be on the ground. Seattle’s defensive line is weak now that Jadeveon Clowney isn’t there. It was so dependent on him to pressure the quarterback, and now, it doesn't have a viable replacement. I expect McDaniels and Newton to run the ball all night long, controlling the clock and keeping Wilson off the field. 

I have the Patriots projected as only +0.32 underdogs in Seattle, so I think there's plenty of value on them at +4 tonight. 

The Pick: Patriots +4

[Bet New England at PointsBet and get $150 if the Patriots score a point]

Brandon Anderson: Under 45

These two have a long history of rivalry. No, not the Patriots and Seahawks — Cam Newton and the Seahawks. Newton’s Panthers played the Seahawks eight times in seven seasons, a rare non-division rivalry. Seattle got the best of Cam six times, with the teams splitting a pair of playoff games.

The early iterations of the rivalry were low-scoring and turgid: 16-12, 12-7, 13-9. Those could be baseball scores. More recent games have been higher-scoring, but I expect this Sunday night affair to look a bit more like those early ones.

Bill Belichick is still working in a new offense. Though it was a new offense, it was a pretty simple one last week. Very few passes down the field from Newton, with lots of runs and simple schemes as the team adjusts to something very new. Seattle was much more dynamic in the opener, but Pete Carroll lamented the lack of a run game afterward.

This game looks like a chess match with both teams running the ball, using the clock, and limiting their opponents' chances. I think Belichick, in particular, will try to keep this one very slow. He trusts his defense, and his elite secondary should stop Russell Wilson from going wild down the field. Belichick is loving this old school football, running early and often, valuing possession, and playing things close to the vest.

I think points will be at a premium Sunday night. I’ll take the under 45 and enjoy the chess match, even if it doesn’t have as many fireworks. I’d play to 43.5.

The Pick: Under 45 (down to 43.5)

[Bet the Patriots-Seahawks under now at PointsBet risk-free up to $250]