Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts Betting Preview

It is opening weekend for the NFL, and what better way to get your Sunday kicked off than with a matchup of postseason hopefuls as the Seattle Seahawks take on the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts will host this one at Lucas Oil Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 pm ET.

Both of these teams made the playoffs last year, and they are looking for even more success this year.

For the Colts, they finished tied with the Tennessee Titans at 11-5 atop the AFC South but settled for the seven seed as the Titans held the tiebreaker. They lost in their opening matchup 27-24 to a tough Bills team.

Seattle finished first in the NFC West with an impressive 12-4 record. In the postseason, they were the three seed but were knocked out by the Rams 30-20 in the first round.

The Seahawks are the favorite despite playing on the road. They are -154 to win while the Colts’ moneyline sits at +130. The spread features Indianapolis +3 (-114), and the over/under for total points is 48.5.

More Odds

In what should be a very competitive division, the Seahawks currently have the third-best odds of winning the NFC West at +270. They are +2000 to win the Super Bowl.

Only the Titans have better odds in the AFC South as the Colts are currently +150 to win the division. Indianapolis is +3300 to win it all this year.

By The Numbers

Indianapolis has not won a single Week 1 matchup since 2013. In their last 16 contests, they are 11-5; however, they are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six.

While Indy has struggled to start seasons, the Seahawks are 8-1 in their last nine September games. They are 4-1 in their last five overall.

Seahawks Need Every Win They Can Get In Tough NFC West

Currently holding the third-best odds to win the NFC West, the Seahawks know that every win will be crucial as they compete with the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and even an improved Arizona Cardinals.

Leading the way for the Seahawks is quarterback Russell Wilson. Last season, the 32-year-old Wilson threw for 4,212 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also rushed 83 times for 513 yards and another two scores.

Wilson’s name surfaced this offseason in trade rumors, but he ultimately stayed put. Out to prove that he is one of the elite quarterbacks in the league, Wilson will look to have a big game against the Colts.

Luckily, he has plenty of weapons to throw to, most notably D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Last year, Metcalf had 83 receptions for 1,303 yards and ten touchdowns, while Lockett had 110 receptions for 1,054 yards and ten scores.

Colts Turn To Third Quarterback In Three Years

With Philip Rivers retiring after his lone year with the Colts, Indianapolis will be turning to their third quarterback in as many seasons as Carson Wentz takes over under center.

Last season, with Philadelphia, Wentz threw for 2,620 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in just 12 games. One of Wentz’s biggest problems has been health, as he has played in 16 games just twice in his career.

Wentz has been limited in his first preseason with Indianapolis as he struggled through a foot injury and also missed time due to COVID-19 issues.

Wentz will be without his best receiver as T.Y. Hilton is out for the foreseeable future after having neck surgery. This means that Michael Pittman is probably the number one receiver for the Colts. Last season, Pittman had 40 receptions for 503 yards and a touchdown.

Take Seattle To Win And Cover

The Seattle Seahawks are not a perfect team as their defense is going through a bit of a transition year, but they should be able to take advantage of a shorthanded Colts team.

Not only have the Colts struggled to start seasons, but they will be without both T.Y. Hilton and offensive lineman Eric Fisher (COVID-19). On top of that, Wentz may still have to shake some rust off, something even harder to do with a brand new team.

While the Colts will likely be a solid team this season, this may be an opportunity for the Seahawks to jump on them for an early victory.

Take Seattle to both win and cover the 3-point spread.