Best Bet
Seattle Seahawks -7.5 at $1.99. We like the Seahawks to win well at home, but crossing a touchdown makes this a medium-confidence bet rather than a standout.
The reasoning
Seattle are the reigning champions and are 2-1. They beat the Patriots 13-10 and the Cardinals 31-7, then lost a 31-33 shootout to the Commanders last week. Even after that game, they are conceding only 16.7 points a game and allowing the fewest yards per play in the league. They also outgained Washington by a long way in that loss.
The Chargers are 0-3 and have not covered a line. They lost 14-26 to the Cardinals, 14-26 to the Raiders and 16-24 to the Bills. That last result is a worry for them, because they forced five turnovers in Buffalo and still lost. They are scoring 14.7 points a game and conceding 25.3.
One of our research sources makes the Seahawks about 10-point winners, which is more than the 7.5 line. Another prefers the Chargers with the start because the line has moved past seven. We side with Seattle, because the Chargers have not shown they can score enough to stay close.
Injuries matter on both sides. The Seahawks are without running backs Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price. The Chargers have four players ruled out and five more questionable, including Derwin James and Ladd McConkey. Check the final team lists before kick-off.
Same Game Multi (SGM)
SGM (3 legs):
- Seahawks -7.5 - our Best Bet, for the reasons above.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba anytime touchdown - he has scored in all three games this season, six touchdowns in total, and in 13 of his last 23 games.
- Omarion Hampton anytime touchdown - he has scored in two of three games this season and in 7 of his last 13, so he is the likeliest Chargers scorer even in a loss.
Combined price: $6.80
How we’d play it
Bet the Seahawks line with a normal stake. If the 7.5 worries you, the Seahawks head-to-head at around $1.25 is the safer option, but it pays much less. The SGM is a smaller bet. Smith-Njigba is the strongest leg, and Hampton is the riskiest because the Seahawks defence has been very hard to score against.
