The Seattle Seahawks will look to stay undefeated with a Monday Night Football game against the Detroit Lions.
New head coach Mike Macdonald has rejuvenated the Seahawks. The defense has been incredible, and the offense has done enough to push them to 3-0 in the season. But they’ll face the most challenging test to date against the Detroit Lions.
The Lions are currently 2-1 with wins against the Rams and Cardinals. Detroit’s loss came against the Buccaneers in Week 2. The Lions outplayed the Buccaneers in the box score but didn’t finish with enough points.
Detroit’s offense was expected to be elite this season. So far, they’ve scored no more than 20 points in any game during its regulation period. That’s something to consider before betting on Monday’s first Monday Night Football game.
Our AI Model believes the Lions will win 24-23. However, the Lions are 3.5-point favorites. That means the Model likes the Seahawks at +3.5 and believes the Over 46.5 will hit.
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Picks Summary
- Seahawks +3.5 (-110)
- Over 46.5 (-110)
*All odds from Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions
Monday, September 30, 2024 – 08:15 PM ET at Ford Field
Seattle’s Defense
According to many reports, Seattle’s new head coach, Mike Macdonald, was shocked by how poor Seattle’s conditioning was when he took the job.
Macdonald came from the Ravens and implemented different training techniques, which the players admitted were not fun. But it looks like those techniques are paying dividends.
The Seahawks are 3-0 and have allowed only 14.33 points per game. In addition, the defense has allowed just 132.33 yards in the passing game and 116.33 yards in the run game. They’ve been excellent.
Is Goff Back on Track?
While the run defense and pass rush have been effective, the secondary is carrying the ball club. That’s big, especially with Detroit’s QB Jared Goff struggling to find a rhythm in 2024.
Goff was known for making good decisions with the ball. He’s also a veteran quarterback with a lot of experience. However, the Detroit quarterback has thrown four interceptions through three games this season. It’s entirely unlike him. It’s also unlike the offense to score just 20.67 points per game. They’ve added more than 20 points per game due to an overtime game in the week’s first season. But, again, in regulation, the Lions haven’t scored more than 20 points per game.
You’d have to imagine the Lions will eventually click. It’ll all come together if they limit turnovers and make better coaching decisions around the red zone. But against the Seahawks, it might be hard.
Geno Smith Has To Beat The Detroit Secondary
The best way for the Seahawks to win this game is for Geno Smith to air it out against a Detroit secondary that has been average at best. The Lions have allowed 216.67 yards in the air per game but just 76.67 yards on the ground. It’s unlikely the Seahawks will find gaping holes for significant gains on the ground.
But if the pass protection can hold up, Smith will be able to find success down the field against the Lions. The worst portion of Detroit’s defense is the coverage unit. Meanwhile, the worst part of Seattle’s offense is the pass protection.
Therefore, the Seahawks will have to scheme well and find ways for Smith to get rid of the ball quickly. That might not result in big plays down the field. However, consistent drives that wear a defense down could help set up a massive play down the field.
NFL Computer Picks
For one, the Lions are better than they’ve shown over the last few weeks. With their weapons, the offense is more than capable of putting up 28 points a game. Detroit needs to make adjustments, though. When the Lions lost to the Buccaneers, it was ultimately poor coaching decisions and bad decision-making from Goff that led to the loss.
But while the Lions can score a lot, so can the Seahawks. Seattle’s been getting more consistent play from Smith and could have starting running back Kenneth Walker back in the starting lineup after he missed a couple of games due to injury.
Therefore, let’s listen to the AI Model and back the Seahawks at +3.5. Let’s also take the Over 46.5 at -110 betting odds.
If the Seahawks want to stay in this game, they’ll have to wear down the Lions and score consistently. I think they can do that.
NFL Pick: Seahawks +3.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
NFL Pick: Over 46.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
