Seattle Seahawks Favored Over New England Patriots in Super Bowl Rematch

Posted on: September 20, 2020, 01:47h. 

Last updated on: September 20, 2020, 02:17h.

Bill Huber Read More

Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

On Feb. 1, 2015, the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX. The ending was one of the most memorable in NFL history.

Just 1 yard away from winning the championship, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was intercepted by Malcolm Butler with less than 30 seconds remaining. The win gave New England – a pick ‘em in the odds at kickoff – its fifth Super Bowl victory.

The teams will meet again on Sunday night at Seattle. The Seahawks are four-point favorites in a game between championship contenders. At DraftKings, Seattle is +1,600 to win the Super Bowl, tied for the fifth-shortest odds. New England isn’t far behind at +2,000.

New-Look Patriots

Of course, the passage of time has meant numerous changes to both teams. The biggest is at quarterback for New England, with Cam Newton replacing the legendary Tom Brady. In his debut last week against the Miami Dolphins, a 21-11 victory, Newton was 15-of-19 passing for 155 yards and led the team with 75 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

You’ve got Cam Newton, who is kind of a new wrinkle for a guy like Belichick,” said Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, to Casino.org. “He’s not used to having a quarterback who can run for yards. He’s used to having a guy who can pass. Not that Cam Newton can’t pass, but he’s no Tom Brady at reading defenses and has made a lot of mistakes in his career. But if Belichick can reel him in and cut down on the mistakes, who knows what this season will hold for the Patriots?”

Newton last week became the first quarterback in NFL history with 60 career rushing touchdowns. He had only one completion of longer than 16 yards.

Dominating Wilson

Wilson was superb in Seattle’s 38-25 victory over Atlanta last week. He completed 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards. His four incompletions were matched by his four touchdowns. Belichick heaped praise on him during a call with reporters this week.

“His passing numbers are extraordinary,” Belichick said. “You can put him up against anybody since he’s been in the league – literally anybody – in almost any category. His winning percentage is impressive. He’s there for every game – never missed a game. He’s got a great ability to do the right thing at the right time. He has tremendous vision and sees the field extremely well. I don’t think there’s a better deep-ball passer in the league.”

While the Patriots adapt to life without Brady, perhaps leveling the playing field will be the lack of fans. Playing at perhaps the loudest stadium in the NFL, Seattle’s got one of the best home field advantages. That has impacted the line, Avello said.

“The factor that you won’t get from the Seahawks is the fans in Seattle are usually rowdy and noisy and they contribute to that team’s success,” he told Casino.org. “They won’t have that, so that’s a little bit taken away on the points spread – just a little, because we’re evaluating that week to week.”

The Early Games

These early games had 85 percent of the money placed on one team at FanDuel:

Miami at Buffalo (-5.5): The Bills had 85 percent of the spread money. A late touchdown by Miami, however, meant the Bills won only by 31-28.

Detroit at Green Bay (-6): The Packers had 88 percent of the spread money. Green Bay spotted Detroit a 14-3 lead and rolled, 42-21.

San Francisco (-7) at N.Y. Jets: The 49ers had 91 percent of the spread money. Despite losing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and defensive end Nick Bosa to injuries, the Niners cruised to a 31-13 win.

Also, two early-game underdogs got a lot of love from the public:

Minnesota, as three-point underdogs, received 67 percent of the spread money vs. Indianapolis. Instead, the Colts’ defense dominated in a 28-11 win.

Jacksonville, as 7.5-point underdogs, received 68 percent of the spread money vs. Tennessee. The Titans won the game, but the bettors were right, as it was a 33-30 verdict.