The NFL has never opened a season on a Wednesday before, and the Patriots have never played on one. Nor has the league staged a Week 1 Super Bowl rematch since 2016. All of that makes the NFL Kickoff Game on Sept. 9 (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) a genuine novelty, but for bettors the details matter more than the history: a New England offense that has been rebuilt at receiver and tackle, a Seattle backfield that lost its Super Bowl MVP, and a defense that produced six sacks and two interceptions the last time these teams met.

Before you lock anything in, shop the board through RG.org’s online sportsbooks hub. A point on the total and a few cents on the moneyline are the difference between a good bet and a great one in a game most models project as a one-score affair.

Patriots vs. Seahawks OddsMarketFanDuelBetRiversLetsBetMDSpreadNE +3.5 (-112) / SEA -3.5 (-108)NE +3.5 (-113) / SEA -3.5 (-108)NE +3.5 (-118) / SEA -3.5 (+100)MoneylineNE +156 / SEA -186NE +160 / SEA -200NE +155 / SEA -192Total44.5 (O -110 / U -110)44.5 (O -110 / U -110)45.5 (O +102 / U -122)

Odds current as of Monday, Sept. 7, and subject to change.

Three things jump off that table. First, LetsBetMD is offering Seattle -3.5 at even money, a full 8 cents better than FanDuel or BetRivers on the same number. Second, LetsBetMD is also the only book at 45.5 on the total, which means under bettors get an extra point there while over bettors should stay at 44.5 elsewhere. Third, the Patriots’ moneyline is best at BetRivers (+160), but that same book charges the most to back Seattle straight up (-200).

BetRivers also posts a “result at end of fourth quarter” market at Patriots +175, Seahawks -177 and tie +1050, a useful alternative if you expect this defensive matchup to bleed into overtime the way the 2024 meeting did.

Super Bowl LX: What the Rematch Is Built On

Seattle’s 29-13 win on Feb. 8 was a defensive masterclass. Maye finished 27-of-43 for 295 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, but 48 of those yards came in the first half, and he was sacked six times, becoming the first quarterback ever taken down five-plus times in four straight playoff games. Seattle’s front got two sacks apiece from Derick Hall and Byron Murphy II, Uchenna Nwosu returned an interception for a touchdown, and the Patriots went 1-of-4 in the red zone and 4-of-16 on third down, per NFL.com.

Kenneth Walker III took MVP honors with 135 rushing yards on 27 carries, while Jason Myers kicked a Super Bowl-record five field goals. That last detail is the one bettors should file away: even at its most dominant, Seattle settled for three points five times.

Both teams finished the 2025 regular season 14-3 atop their divisions. New England averaged 28.8 points per game (second in the league) behind a Maye season that included 4,394 passing yards, a 31-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a league-best 72% completion rate and 113.5 passer rating. Seattle scored 28.4 per game (third) and allowed a league-low 17.2, with 47 sacks to New England’s 35. The Patriots had a +3 turnover differential, the Seahawks -3.

Why Seattle Is Favored

The Seahawks are defending their title with the same head coach, Mike Macdonald, and a defense that still features Devon Witherspoon, Leonard Williams, Hall, Murphy and Nwosu. That unit was top of the league in pressure rate last season while blitzing sparingly, which is exactly the profile that dismantled New England’s protection in February.

Sam Darnold returns after a 4,048-yard, 25-touchdown season with a 99.1 passer rating and 8.5 yards per attempt, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains his primary target. Seattle has also beaten the Patriots four straight times, including a 23-20 overtime win in Foxborough in 2024, and holds a 12-9 all-time series lead.

The trend that most supports the favorite: since 2000, Super Bowl losers are just 7-19 against the spread in their Week 1 games the following season. The hangover, it turns out, tends to belong to the team that lost.

Why the Patriots Are Live

New England’s offseason was built around fixing what Seattle exposed. Mike Vrabel traded for A.J. Brown, reuniting with the receiver he coached in Tennessee, after a 78-catch, 1,003-yard season in Philadelphia. The Patriots also signed Romeo Doubs, drafted tackle Caleb Lomu in the first round to shore up the blind side, and added All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, who led the league in interceptions last season. Maye has been careful not to call it a revenge game, but he has acknowledged the Super Bowl loss can’t be undone and the opener is the first chance to show the fixes took.

Seattle, meanwhile, is not the same team it was in February. Walker left in free agency, Zach Charbonnet is on the reserve/PUP list with a torn ACL and will miss at least four games, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak departed for Las Vegas, leaving Brian Fleury to call plays in his first game in the role. The running game now belongs to rookie Jadarian Price, who did not play in the preseason and hasn’t taken a snap in a game since November, and George Holani. Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe and Coby Bryant are also gone from the championship defense.

Injury Report and Line Movement

The first official injury reports carry real betting weight. New England listed running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle), defensive tackle Christian Barmore (knee) and center Ben Brown (knee) as non-participants, per Patriots.com, though Barmore had practiced the previous day and may simply have been rested. Brown, a former Seahawk, was signed only this week.

A bigger story is Christian Gonzalez. The Patriots’ No. 1 cornerback, who broke up two passes in the Super Bowl, is in a contract standoff, has declined to say whether he’ll play Wednesday, and has not ruled out a trade request if talks stall. Losing him against Smith-Njigba would change the shape of this game.

Seattle’s issues are at safety. Ty Okada (hamstring) did not practice and Nick Emmanwori (ankle) was limited as he works back from surgery, with his Week 1 status uncertain. Guard Anthony Bradford, tackle Josh Jones and receiver Tory Horton were also limited, according to Seahawks.com.

The spread has held at 3.5 across the market, a point shorter than the neutral-site closing number in the Super Bowl, which reflects both Seattle’s home edge and the respect bettors have for New England’s offseason. Bettors in Maryland can compare these numbers with the rest of the state’s market through our Maryland betting sites guide.

Patriots vs. Seahawks Prediction

The case for Seattle is structural: the defense that beat Maye is largely intact, it plays at home, and the Patriots are missing their starting running back, a center and possibly their best cornerback. The case for New England is that it has spent an entire offseason preparing for this specific defense and Seattle’s offense has lost its identity in the backfield.

Both cases point to the same conclusion about scoring. Two of the NFL’s top-four scoring defenses, a Seattle offense breaking in a new coordinator and unproven backs, and a Patriots offensive line that has yet to prove it can protect Maye against this front add up to a low-scoring game. We lean Seattle to win outright, but without the margin bettors saw in February.

Score prediction: Seahawks 23, Patriots 17

Best Bets for the NFL Kickoff Game

Under 45.5 (-122 at LetsBetMD) — The extra point at LetsBetMD is worth the juice. Seattle allowed 17.2 points per game last season and held this Patriots offense to 13 in the Super Bowl, and its own offense now leans on rookie runners and a first-time play-caller. If 45.5 disappears, 44.5 at -110 on FanDuel or BetRivers is still a play.

Seahawks -3.5 (+100 at LetsBetMD) — Even money on the champion at home, against a team that is 7-19 ATS in this exact spot historically, with a depleted offensive line and a cornerback situation still unresolved. The number is identical everywhere, so take the best price.

Seahawks moneyline (-186 at FanDuel) — For anyone who wants Seattle without the spread risk, FanDuel is 14 cents cheaper than BetRivers on the same outcome, and it pairs well as a parlay leg with the under.

If you prefer the Patriots, take +160 on the moneyline at BetRivers rather than the points; a New England win in this spot is more likely to come by a field goal than by a blowout loss.

The NFL Kickoff Game will attract more handle than any Week 1 contest, and the market will move as Gonzalez’s and Henderson’s statuses become clear. Open accounts at FanDuel, BetRivers and LetsBetMD so you can grab the best number on either side when it’s posted. Compare the latest sportsbook promos before you deposit, check our list of the best betting apps for a smooth in-game experience, and review every US sportsbook we rate before making your choice.