The Seahawks are in good spirits after demolishing the
Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Even so, they're still considered underdogs for
Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. See how we choose this NFL pick.
Seahawks vs. Packers: ATS Pick
NFL odds makers have made the Packers favorites. They're
giving away three points to the Seahawks.
Entering Week 3, Green Bay and Seattle are both 1-1 ATS, but
it's the Packers that are getting all of the love from the public. They're
receiving almost three-fourths of all the action leading up to kickoff, pushing
the line up to 3.5 in some places.
That being said.....
The Seattle Seahawks will win if:
Marshawn Lynch takes control.
The fact Lynch has almost the same number of carries (47) as
Russell Wilson has passing attempts (54) this season should tell you all you
need to know.
The Seahawks are going to continue revolving their offense
around the hard-nosed running of Lynch. He tore up the Dallas Cowboys last
week, rushing 26 times for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Coming in, the Packers have been excellent at stopping the
pass, but they've been terrible in run defense. They're allowing 140.0 YPG, so
be prepared for another significant workload from Lynch here in Week 3.
It's also going to go a long way if Seattle can capitalize
on any mistakes that Green Bay makes (like they did against Dallas). The
Seahawks used the crowd to make a couple big plays early on and that set the
tone for the rest of the game.
The Green Bay Packers will win if:
They handle the crowd noise well and execute like they did
all of last season.
It's Green Bay's first road game of the young season. They
went 1-1 at Lambeau, beating the Chicago Bears a week after losing their opener
to the San Francisco 49ers.
Seattle's home-field advantage is no joke either. There
isn't a team in the league that enjoys playing at CenturyLink Field, yet if
there's an offense that can withstand the pressure and volume of the fans it's
these Packers.
Aaron Rodgers is running the show, and though he's not
completely tearing through defenses like he normally does, the potential is
always there for an offensive explosion.
The sheer number of legitimate weapons around the Green Bay camp
is going to be the stiffest test yet for the Seahawks. The Packers will likely
have Greg Jennings back too, something that shouldn't be overlooked. His
presence makes life a lot easier for Rodgers and the other receivers.
NFL Pick
No doubt Green Bay is the sexy pick, but I think Seattle is
the right side in this matchup.
We certainly know what the Packers are capable of doing, and
sure they could explode at any moment, but I'm staying away until I actually
see it come to fruition this season.
Teams are taking away the long ball from Rodgers' arsenal
and Green Bay hasn't yet adjusted. The Packers have been forced to run more
than they'd normally like to and that's just not what's brought this team
success in the past.
When Seattle has the ball, they're going to try and get
Lynch going however humanly possible. The Packers can't seem to stop anyone
from running at will, so I think the Seahawks will be successful in that
regard.
Considering the hosts have incredible fan support and are
getting over a field goal worth of points, I think there's value to be had on
Seattle on MNF. Good luck!
Seattle Seahawks +3.5
Be sure to check out our O/U play for this prime-time
matchup here.