The NFL preseason is officially underway. And while the preseason may be an excellent opportunity for the new up-and-comers to show off, it’s not what sportsbook fans like to wager on. So instead of taking a sportsbook look at this year’s preseason matchups, we’re skipping all the way to the Broncos’ Week 1 matchup against the Seahawks. The Seahawks have been very successful over the last couple of years and are not to be taken lightly. According to BetNow sportsbook, the odds on this matchup are as follows:

NFL Betting Odds:
Seattle Seahawks +2½ (-105) 42 (-110)
Denver Broncos -2½ (-115) 42 (-110)
So with that in mind, let’s break down this matchup to see where the best betting value lies.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos – Sunday, September 9th
Kickoff: 4:25 pm ET
Venue: Broncos Stadium, Denver, Colorado
TV Broadcast: Fox
Online Stream: Fox Sports Go, NFL Game Pass

Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks turned in a 9-7 record last season to finish 2nd in the NFC West, narrowly avoiding a playoff berth. Unsurprisingly, 2017 marked the first time in 6 years that Seattle failed to snatch up a spot in the postseason. This accurately reflects how dominant Seattle has been in the NFC West over the last couple of years or so. Furthermore, had it not been for the unexpected rise of the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks would have taken the division handily last season. As for this upcoming year, it’s looking like Seattle has too many unresolved problems in the locker room to be considered too large of a threat. The League of Boom isn’t what it used to be, and Wilson is continually coming under fire from his defense. This shouldn’t trouble them too much in Week 1 but it could still pose a problem.

Players to Watch: Russell Wilson (3,983 passing yards, 34 TD, 11 INT), Russell Wilson (586 rushing yards, 3 TD, 6 F), and Doug Baldwin (991 receiving yards, 8 TD, 75 REC).

Denver Broncos
After failing to make the playoffs in 2016, the Broncos were hoping 2017 would have better results. That didn’t turn out to be the case as the franchise turned in a meager 5-11 record. Early on it looked like the defense was having some unresolved issues. As the season wore on, the defense returned to it’s former strength. However, at times, it looked like the offense was no where to be found. In short, the Broncos were plagued all season long by a lack of a defined starter at the quarterback position. In the offseason, the Broncos acquired Case Keenum to help plug that hole. Keenum is coming off a great season but was helped out tremendously by the Vikings, his former team, defense. Luckily for the young quarterback, he’ll have another elite defense backing him up this season.

Players to Watch: Case Keenum (3,547 passing yards, 22 TD, 7 INT), CJ Anderson (1,007 rushing yards, 1 F, 3 TD), and Demaryius Thomas (949 receiving yards, 5 TD, 83 REC).

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos Betting Predictions
Trends:
Seahawks went 5-3 STRAIGHT UP on the road last season
Seahawks went 4-3-1 AGAINST THE SPREAD on the road last season
The TOTAL went UNDER in 6 of Seattle’s 8 road games last season
Broncos went 4-4 STRAIGHT UP at home last season
Broncos went 3-4-1 AGAINST THE SPREAD at home last season
The TOTAL went OVER in 8 of Denver’s 16 games lasts season

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos Betting Picks
So, what’s the best bet to take on this matchup? The money line isn’t out yet but that could be a lucrative option. But if you were to bet today, it would probably be a good idea to take Denver on the spread. The vig is very low and it has a high percentage of coming into fruition.

Score Prediction: 14-10 Denver.