Pro Picks: Seahawks get the nod in rematch
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Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will see their championship banner raised before hosting Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the NFL season tonight.
Are you ready for some football?
The 2026 season begins in Seattle one day before the 49ers and Rams meet in Melbourne, Australia, in the first of nine international games.
Led by their “Dark Side” defense, the Seahawks dominated the Patriots 29-13 to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl in February.
They lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, cornerback Riq Woolen, safety Coby Bryant and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. But they’re 3 1/2-point favorites against New England.
The Patriots gave Maye a new No. 1 receiver, acquiring A.J. Brown from Philadelphia. They also signed veteran wideout Romeo Doubs and bolstered the secondary by adding All-Pro safety Kevin Byard.
Pro Picks expects a close one.
SEAHAWKS: 23-22
SAN FRANCISCO vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS, in Australia
Line: Rams minus 3 ½
The teams split in 2025 and the Rams have won four of the last five.
RAMS: 27-20
NEW YORK JETS at TENNESSEE
Line: Titans minus 1 ½
Robert Saleh’s first game as coach of the Titans is against the team that fired him in 2024.
TITANS: 19-16
NEW ORLEANS at DETROIT
Line: Lions minus 6 1/2
Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Lions have too much offense for the Saints, who had a promising finish last season but lost a few key players in training camp.
LIONS: 30-20
CLEVELAND at JACKSONVILLE
Line: Jaguars minus 8 ½
The Jaguars won 13 games last season and have most of their starters back. The Browns are giving Deshaun Watson his first start since Oct. 20, 2024.
JAGUARS 27-12
CHICAGO at CAROLINA
Line: Bears minus 3
Both teams won their division last season though Carolina did it with a losing record. Expectations are high for Caleb Williams in his second season in Ben Johnson’s offense. Get ready for the first “Good, better, best” chant in Chicago’s locker room of the new season. Not predicting whether Johnson keeps his shirt on.
BEARS: 24-18
TAMPA BAY at CINCINNATI
Line: Bengals minus 3 ½
Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers will be a tough test for Cincinnati’s new-look defense featuring Dexter Lawrence.
BENGALS: 26-24
ATLANTA at PITTSBURGH
Line: Steelers minus 3 ½
Tua Tagovailoa and Kevin Stefanski try to spoil Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy’s reunion. Rodgers goes against a depleted pass rush so he should have time to throw to DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman.
STEELERS: 24-17
BUFFALO at HOUSTON
Line: Bills minus 1 ½
Pro Picks has Josh Allen and the Bills beating the Texans in the AFC title game.
TEXANS: 19-17
BALTIMORE at INDIANAPOLIS
Line: Ravens minus 3 ½
he Colts finished last season with seven straight losses after opening 8-2.
RAVENS: 23-20
GREEN BAY at MINNESOTA
Line: Packers minus 1 ½
Jordan Love and the Packers were 0-5 without Micah Parsons last season. He’s not back until October so they can’t afford to wait for a win. Kyler Murray makes his first start for the Vikings, aiming to become Kevin O’Connell’s next reclamation project.
VIKINGS: 23-20
WASHINGTON at PHILADELPHIA
Line: Eagles minus 5 ½
Washington’s banged-up offensive line will struggle protecting Jayden Daniels against Philadelphia’s fierce defense.
BEST BET: EAGLES: 31-16
MIAMI at LAS VEGAS
Line: Raiders minus 3 ½
Two rookie coaches meet in a matchup of two teams that aren’t going to win many games.
RAIDERS: 20-17
ARIZONA at LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Line: Chargers minus 9 ½
Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers have won 11 games in each of his first two seasons and brought in Mike McDaniel to run the offense led by Justin Herbert.
CHARGERS: 30-16
DALLAS at NEW YORK GIANTS
Line: Cowboys minus 3
The Cowboys can score behind Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. John Harbaugh is the new man in charge in New York.
COWBOYS: 26-20
DENVER at KANSAS CITY
Line: Chiefs minus 2 1/2
Patrick Mahomes is back after tearing his ACL last Dec. 14 and the Chiefs are coming off their first losing season under Andy Reid. He faces one of the NFL’s best defenses. Bo Nix returns for the Broncos after an ankle injury forced him to miss the AFC championship game.
UPSET SPECIAL: BRONCOS: 23-20
2025
Overall: Straight up: 194-90-1. Against spread: 149-128-8.
Best Bet: Straight up: 15-6. Against spread: 9-11-1.
Upset Special: Straight up: 14-7. Against spread: 15-6.