Week 1 NFL picks: Experts mostly backing Broncos against Seahawks
Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season has a number of revenge games on slate, two of which feature marquee matchups for quarterbacks playing their former teams. Monday night’s matchup between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks caps the action with Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson’s return to Lumen Field for the first time since the March trade between the two squads.
Denver is favored by 6.5 points, according to Tipico Sportsbook.
For the most part, NFL experts have picked the Broncos to win on the road. However, there are a few outliers.
Pro Football Talk-NBC Sports: Broncos win
PFT contributors Michael Flores and Michael David Smith both predict a Denver win. Smith sees the Broncos barely edging Seattle at home, 17-14, while Flores has Denver winning by two touchdowns, 28-14. “The Seahawks lack the horses to keep up with the Broncos and Russell Wilson,” said Flores.
Sporting News: Broncos win
Vinnie Iyer sees a victorious Wilson and Co. in his return to Seattle. “Wilson will have the greater motivation to deliver for Denver and his new teammates,” said Iyer, “The Broncos make sure there’s no doubt about revenge being served.” Iyer predicts a 27-10 win for the visitors.
ESPN: 8 out of 9 analysts predict a Broncos win
Almost all ESPN experts foresee Denver coming out on top at Lumen Field on Monday night. The lone dissenter is Chris Fowler, who sees Seattle pulling out a difficult win at home against the new-look Broncos.
CBS Sports: 7 out of 8 predict a Broncos win
The trend of one writer disagreeing with a consensus Denver victory continues at CBS Sports. CBS Sports’ board of senior writers, senior fantasy writers, writers and insider Jason La Canfora see the Broncos winning against the Geno Smith-led Seahawks. CBS Sports Senior Writer Will Brinson is the odd man out, predicting a Seattle win.
NFL Network: Seahawks win
NFL Network’s Around the NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal is one of the lone exceptions this week, seeing a Broncos loss. His reasoning? “Led by a sneaky-deep group of pass rushers, the Seattle defense has a chance to hurry Russell Wilson into mistakes,” Rosenthal wrote on NFL.com. Rosenthal sees the Seahawks winning, 18-17.
As you can see, most experts see the Broncos pulling out a win in Seattle Monday night. This game is almost a must-win for head coach Nathaniel Hackett and Wilson. It will be a test of the offensive scheme implemented by Hackett and the success of the defense instituted by defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Is this Denver team worthy of the preseason expectations of a postseason berth?
To borrow the words from a favorite Carrie Underwood song, “[We’ll be] waitin’ all day for a [Monday] night!”
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