Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers Preview
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
When: Sunday, September 10, 2017, 4:25 PM ET
Line: Seattle Seahawks (+3) at Green Bay Packers (-3); total: 51.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
NFL News and Previews
- Washington Redskins vs. Kansas City Chiefs Preview - October 2, 2017
- Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos Preview - October 1, 2017
- Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots Preview - October 1, 2017
- 2017 NFL Week 4 Picks and Predictions
Betting on the Seattle Seahawks (+3)
Going undefeated in the preseason has got to be comforting for the Seattle Seahawks, who saw first-hand how their backup units fared in action following an injury-riddled 2016, particularly on defense.
Seattle’s defensive anchors, safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas III, both suffered significant mid-season injuries the last time out and that led to the team surrendering nearly seven points more on average to the opposition compared to when they were on the field. Having health in the secondary is imperative, especially against the high-scoring Green Bay offense in Week 1. The team even added stud defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson from the Jets this past weekend to bolster their already imposing front seven corps.
On the bright side, the Seahawks should have a much better offense this upcoming season. Wideout Doug Baldwin finally broke out as the top receiving option downfield, and Jimmy Graham also showed how well he’d bounced back from his own serious injury the season prior. With Russell Wilson offense getting one more year of working as a unit with his weapons, the former Rookie of the Year is in line to have an MVP-like season this 2017.
What’s got to be a concern, though, is Seattle’s offensive line. This unit ranked near the bottom in pass protection and run blocking categories and saw little to no upgrades during the offseason outside of lineman Luke Joeckel, who struggled in Jacksonville last season. That means the backfield consisting of newly-signed Eddie Lacy, and holdouts Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise, may need to deliver more production in the short-passing game than on the ground.
Kicking off the regular season in Lambeau is not what the Seahawks had in mind. They went just 5-6-1 on the road last season (3-8 ATS), counting their loss to the Falcons in Atlanta during the divisional round of the playoffs.
Betting on the Green Bay Packers (-3)
The Green Bay Packers began the 2016 season with a mere 4-6 record through 10 games. Then the offense started to click, running away with six straight victories en route to capturing their fifth NFC North title in six years.
Like Seattle’s Wilson, Aaron Rodgers is in a position to win the MVP award following another fantastic performance in 2016. Rodgers threw for over 4,000 yards and had 40 passing touchdowns to just seven interceptions, and he should post close to the same numbers this upcoming season given his arsenal’s depth that even got better with the addition of tight end Martellus Bennett (701 receiving yards, seven TDs with the Patriots).
Green Bay’s defense, meanwhile, may lead to the team’s undoing yet again. The Packers secondary was porous last season, and drafting young cornerback Kevin King in the second round of this year’s draft may not have done enough to fix this unit.
Still, there’s way too much firepower in the team’s offense that should be able to make up for a lackluster D like in the past couple of seasons. Hosting the Seahawks in Week 1 also works in their favor, as they’ve gone 7-3 at home last season (6-3-1 ATS), including a 38-10 blowout of Seattle in mid-December.
Writer’s Prediction
The Packers win a tough one on Opening Week and perform well enough to cover the +3 spread, 33-28.
The much-awaited NFL regular season has finally arrived! Create a betting account now to place your stakes on Week 1’s slate and beyond!
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