Like most teams in the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks have a dynamite starting quarterback. Russell Wilson is one of the top signal-callers in the league. He led an offense that averaged over 28 points per last season. Unfortunately for the Emerald Hawks, the defense was one of the worst in the league against the pass. Seattle fans can’t hope the Seahawks improved their defense enough to challenge the 49ers and Rams in the division, which is why as NFL handicappers we must assess Seattle’s offense and how it might affect this season’s NFL Betting lines.
NFL Betting – Seattle Seahawks Offense Expert Betting Analysis For the 2021-22 Season
2021 NFL Season
- When: Sep. 9, 2021 – Jan. 9, 2022
Seattle’s Offense – An In-Depth Look
Up until Week 6 last season, Russell Wilson was a lock to win MVP. Russell had thrown for a combined 1,502 yards. His TD to INT ratio was 19-to-3. Nothing was going to stop Wilson from not only winning the MVP, but also leading the Seahawks to an NFC West division title.
But then something strange happened in Week 7. Wilson and the Seahawks fell off track. Seattle lost 3-of-4 and suddenly football fans were questioning whether Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense could carry the struggling defense.
A deeper dive into the stats reveals that Seattle’s issues on offense started when Pete Carrol and the coaching staff decided to start rushing the football. When Carrol allowed Wilson to throw at will, Seattle found ways to win.
Once Carrol decided to go to a rush first offense, Wilson either had to catch up from deficits or struggled to get into a rhythm. Either way, Seattle’s coaching staff blew what could have been a special season.
Russell did end up throwing for over 4,200 yards and 40 TDs. But he also threw 13 interceptions. The Seahawks averaged 123.2 rushing yards per, which is decent. Wide receiver DK Metcalf had a breakout season with 83 catches for 1,399 yards and 10 TD catches.
However, Seattle failed to find an offensive identity, which is one of the reasons the Rams bounced them from the playoffs in a wildcard contest.
How Will the Seahawks’ Offense Affect Betting Lines?
In 2020, Seattle went 8-8 against the spread. The under went 9-7 to the over. Both the ATS record and the total record suggest Seattle’s offense didn’t perform as well as many expected.
Going into this season, it’s difficult seeing Seattle playing much better against the spread. First, there’s no way to tell if, or when, Carroll decides to start rushing more than passing. If we ran the team, we’d tell Wilson to call his own plays.
That’s how good of a football player Ciara’s husband is. But Carroll may not do that. In a way, rushing the football more makes sense. Wilson is the franchise, which means Pete must keep him healthy.
But Russell excels when he’s allowed to create. If Carroll puts more faith in Wilson and lets him do his thing, the Seahawks could surprise because the offense should be more effective. If the coaching staff forces Wilson to go to the rush, Seattle will struggle against the better teams.
Also important? Strength of schedule. Last season, the Seahawks played against the NFC East and AFC East, the two worst divisions in the NFL. This season, Seattle has games versus the AFC South, which means the Titans and Colts are on the schedule, and the NFC North, which means the Emerald Hawks must face the Bears, Packers, and Vikings.
The games versus the AFC South and NFC North is in addition to contests against the Saints, the WFT, and their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers.
Unless Carroll unleashes Russell in every game, a less than .500 season ATS and a total record with more unders than overs is probable.
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