Colts at Seahawks NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds

The Indianapolis Colts will have franchise quarterback Andrew Luck back on the field for the 2018 regular season after the former overall top pick in the 2012 NFL missed the entire 2017 season with a shoulder injury the franchise kept shrouded in mystery. With that said, no one really knows what to expect out of Luck or a Colts team that has a bunch of question marks on both sides of the ball heading into the 2018 preseason. The Seattle Seahawks are in the midst of some sweeping changes following what had been a five-year run of excellence that included one Super Bowl win and consecutive appearances in the NFL’s championship game. Gone are former Legion of Boom stars Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett and safety Kam Chancellor and defensive end Cliff Avril both have career-threatening injuries. Seattle is now centered around the all-world talents of MVP-caliber quarterback Russell Wilson, but can he alone get them back in the playoffs after their five-year postseason run came to an abrupt halt last season? With both teams looking to improve in a big way heading into 2018, let’s find out which playoff hopeful is offering the best betting value in their Week 1 preseason matchup when it goes down live from the Great Northwest on August 9.

Colts at Seahawks NFL Preseason Week 1 Odds

Coach 87 is in the building. #ColtsCamp pic.twitter.com/WCj142qp4F

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 1, 2018

When: Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 10:00 PM ET Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington Live Stream: NFL Game Pass NFL Odds: Seattle -3 / Total: 34.5

Why Bet on the Indianapolis Colts?

Why should you bet on the Indianapolis Colts in this Week 1 preseason matchup? The best reason is that Indianapolis has the far better backup quarterback situation in this pairing. While head coach Frank Reich has no preseason career mark to look at, the Colts have gone 2-2 in each of the last two scrimmage seasons. More importantly, Indianapolis will be playing backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett in this one first and foremost and that’s a good thing, seeing how the young signal-caller played some seriously admirable football for Indianapolis a year ago. As a matter of fact, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said he wants to retain the 24-year-old quarterback, moving forward no matter what happens with Luck. “He’s committed, he’s a great teammate, he’s got juice, he holds people accountable, he holds himself accountable. I love Jacoby,” Ballard said. “Jacoby Brissett is going to play in this league a long time. If I learned anything last year, it was the value of a backup quarterback who can get it done, and I think Jacoby can do that.” Brissett was sacked a league-high 52 times last season and won just four games in 15 starts, but for a second-year quarterback he played outstanding football by completing 58.8 percent of his passes with 17 total touchdowns (four rushing) and only 10 turnovers (seven INTs). Third-stringer and former Miami University signal-caller Brad Kaaya will play once Brissett leaves.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 16.44
• Total Yards: 284.56
• Pass Yards: 180.75
• Rush Yards: 103.81

Defense:

• Average Score Against: 25.25
• Total Yards: 367.06
• Pass Yards: 246.50
• Rush Yards: 120.56

Why Bet on the Seattle Seahawks?

Why should you bet on Seattle in this contest? Well, the best reason is that head coach Pete Carroll clearly likes to win games no matter what time of year it is. He’s a blistering 22-10 in the preseason in his career and Seattle went a perfect 4-0 in the scrimmage season a year ago. Seattle also has a fairly experienced backup in veteran Austin Davis.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 22.88
• Total Yards: 330.37
• Pass Yards: 228.56
• Rush Yards: 101.81

Defense:

• Average Score Against: 20.75
• Total Yards: 323.31
• Pass Yards: 209.25
• Rush Yards: 114.06

Expert Analysis and Prediction for Colts at Seahawks

I’m going with the Seattle Seahawks to get the win in this one if only because I’m not expecting Jacoby Brissett to play as much as he normally would with Luck still on the mend and the Colts being super cautious with him. Austin Davis is a good backup quarterback and Pete Carroll apparently wants to win games badly, even in the preseason. NFL Preseason Week 1 Pick: Seattle Seahawks -3