NFL Odds: Patriots-Seahawks ‘Sunday Night Football’ Pick For Week 2

Football fans will be treated to a Super Bowl XLIX rematch Sunday night.

The Seattle Seahawks will host the New England Patriots in a Week 2 primetime matchup. Both teams enter the contest at 1-0. The Patriots took down the Miami Dolphins in Cam Newton’s New England debut, while the Seahawks earned an impressive road win over the Atlanta Falcons.

While this one might have been projected to be somewhat lopsided prior to the start of the season, the narrative is worth reevaluating after Week 1.

Here’s how we see Patriots vs. Seahawks playing out.

New England Patriots at (-4) Seattle Seahawks
Not only did New England and Seattle both win last Sunday, they each layed the points as betting favorites as well. New England covered the 6 1/2-point spread in a 21-11 win over Miami, while Seattle handily covered the two points the sportsbooks gave Atlanta.

The Seahawks put the NFL on notice in Week 1 by letting Russell Wilson loose. The star signal-caller took to the air 35 times against the Falcons, completing 31 of those attempts for 322 yards with four touchdowns. It’s tough to imagine Wilson will have his way with the defense again in Week 2, as the Patriots boast arguably the best secondary in all of football. In fact, New England’s defensive back-field is so strong that it might be able to mask some shortcomings within the team’s front seven.

That said, Wilson has given the Patriots trouble over the years. He owns a 2-1 career record against Bill Belichick and Co., with the lone loss coming in Super Bowl XLIX. As fans surely will remember, that championship matchup very easily could have swung in Seattle’s favor.

So, Wilson putting together a strong performance is a safe assumption. There’s reason to have similar expectations for his QB counterpart, too. Newton looked like his old self in Week 1 when he took to the ground without hesitation. The 2015 NFL MVP might not carry the ball 15 times again, but it’s something Pete Carroll and his coaching staff will need to prepare for nonetheless.

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels earlier in the week hinted at a revised game plan for Sunday night. With Newton adamant about being at 100 percent health, New England’s offensive possibilities really are endless. We could see the Patriots getting awfully creative with their new quarterback as they try to make a statement against one of the league’s best.

So even if Seattle leaves CenturyLink Field with a win, we imagine New England will keep it close.

Pick: Patriots +4

Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images