Seattle Seahawks 2021-2022 Season Preview, Odds and Win Totals

The Russell Wilson MVP campaign was in full effect in the first half of 2020 for the Seattle Seahawks. 

Through the first eight games, Wilson had completed 71% of his passes, thrown for an average of 317.6 yards while connecting on 28 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

The second half was much more subdued. In the final eight games, Wilson through for just over 200 yards/game (208.9) with only 12 touchdowns, five interceptions and was sacked 23 times.

Russ certainly cooked in the first half, but he was hung out in the second half as the Seahawks' offense became cold and eventually stale.

Seattle finished the season 12-4, but was knocked out of the Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams at home 30-20. This lead the Seahawks down a wild offseason filled with trade rumors surrounding their franchise quarterback. Wilson attempted to squash those reports back in June saying, "I did not request a trade ... I've always wanted to play here." We'll see just how true that is come next offseason.

If 2021 is indeed the swan song for Wilson and the Seahawks, they face a challenging road ahead in the most difficult division in football. Regression is expected following a 12-4 year, but Seattle should once again be in serious contention for a playoff spot, as well as the division.

Seattle Seahawks 2021 Team Outlook

Which Russell Wilson will we see this year? Was it the first half version who put the team on his back when the defense was among the worst in the NFL? Or the second half player attempting to move along a stagnant, predictable offense. If it's the first, his +1800 odds to win MVP remain intriguing over at WynnBET.

Wilson's chance to have a more personal impact on the offense should help with the addition of new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Wilson is among the top options at the position, so empowering him to do what he does best; scheming his playmakers open through mobility and play-action should set him up for another excellent season.

The Seahawks' offensive line should be slightly improved, but remains among the bottom half of the league according to Pro Football Focus' 2021 rankings. Duane Brown remains one of the better left tackles in the NFL, and Seattle's trade for Gabe Jackson at right guard should help add to an improved pass protection unit after only allowing one sack last year with the Las Vegas Raiders.

At running back, Chris Carson remains the starting back after signing a two-year deal. Carson scored nine touchdowns a season ago despite being out four games due to injury. Rashaad Penny remains the backup, along with DeeJay Dallas. Penny remains the wild card due to his first round selection, but his health has not allowed him to get much consistent playing time.

With Wilson under center, both D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett should continue to make strides in their young careers. Metcalf led the Seahawks with over 1,300 receiving yards, averaging 15.7 yards per catch. Lockett led Seattle in both targets and receptions, with the two tying for 10 touchdowns each. The rest of their receivers and tight ends will have a different feel this season. They brought in former Rams tight end Gerald Everett as a big, physical and athletic tight end that Wilson has lacked for years. The Seahawks also drafted D'Wayne Eskridge out of Western Michigan in the second round to help stretch the field.

Defensively, the Seahawks were amongst the worst in the NFL in the first half, and all of a sudden figured out after their Week 9 loss to the Buffalo Bills where they gave up 44 points. They gave up less than 24 points in the final eight games of the season after giving up more than 24 in every game but one in their first eight.

Up front looks to be the team's defensive weakness again this season. They invested some draft capital in the position, but for now Carlos Dunlap, Kerry Hyder and Robert Nkemdiche will start in the 3-4 at the defensive tackle and end spots.

K.J. Wright has moved on, leaving Seattle for Las Vegas, but Bobby Wagner still remains and has continued to play at a high level at linebacker. Jordyn Brooks should also make an impact on the outside along with Darrell Taylor as Seattle continues to re-tool.

Lastly, in the secondary, Jamal Adams signed a 4-year, $70 million dollar deal this offseason and has now become one of the key leaders on this improved Seahawks' defense. His play backed up the money he's about to get, finishing as the team's leader in sacks and tackles for loss. His safety-mate, Quandre Diggs went on to lead the Seahawks in takeaways last year. At cornerback, Tre Brown and D.J. Reed will hold down the left and right sides respectively while the team also just acquired Sidney Jones from Jacksonville. Seattle also just traded away Ahkello Witherspoon to the Steelers just a few days ago.

Seattle Seahawks 2021 NFL Draft

With just three draft picks in 2021, the Seahawks need to hit on their selections, especially spread out throughout the draft.

In Round 2, Western Michigan receiver D'Wayne Eskridge should help Russell Wilson downfield and help take a little less pressure off of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. In Round 4, Oklahoma cornerback Tre Brown should start right away, and Florida offensive tackle Steve Forsythe adds some more depth to a position of need.

Seattle Seahawks Team Odds: Division (+260), Conference (+1500), Super Bowl (+3000)

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are split right down the middle based on the WynnBET odds. Both L.A. and San Francisco are tied as co-favorites at +180 odds to win the toughest projected division in football this season. The Seattle Seahawks follow at +260 odds, with the Arizona Cardinals behind all three at +500.

The Seahawks come in at +1500 odds to win the NFC this season, doubling up for their Super Bowl 56 odds at +3000.

Seattle Seahawks Regular Season Win Total: 10 WINS | OVER (-110), UNDER (-110)

Ben Heisler: 

Something's fishy about this Seahawks team this season.

The drama-filled offseason hasn't really been Russell Wilson's brand, and there appears to be more than just smoke with regards to their trade discussions this offseason.

Wilson this offseason now says his relationship with Pete Carroll is "stronger than ever," but if the offense remains stagnant, those feelings could change very quickly. I'm also an advocate that when big egos begin to interfere, both have to put theirs aside for the relationship to repair, and quite frankly, I don't expect that to be the case in Seattle between Carroll and Wilson.

On the field, it was beyond perplexing to watch one of the most dynamic offenses in the league just completely fall apart in the second half. It was just as shocking to see a defense completely ripped to shreds in the first half become one of the league's best in the final eight games.

Talent-wise, the Seahawks are among the best in the NFL, with elite options at key positions. Establish the Run's Evan Silva points out that under Carroll, Seattle has had 10 or more wins in eight of its last nine seasons.

Unfortunately, there's too much Jeckyll and Hyde for me to really get behind the Seahawks' chances to win the division, let alone get to 10 wins this season in the best division in football with the Rams, 49ers and Cardinals.

I think we're headed down a road where Russell Wilson will be playing his last season in Seattle this year, and the marriage that started off so promising, ends up very better at the end.

Seattle is an eight-win team this year.

PREDICTION: UNDER 10 WINS (-110)

EXACT WIN TOTAL:  8 WINS (+600)

Donnavan Smoot: 

“Let Russ Cook” was the mantra at the beginning of the Seahawks season last year and for the first half, it was working -- and Russ was cooking. Their scheme was eventually caught on to and now the Seahawks say they have a new system to show the world. 

Seattle is going to have to hope that its new system is amazing because in a division with the Rams’ defense and the 49ers’ defense, points are going to be hard to come by. The Seahawks are going to be a good, respectable team per usual, but I don’t see them winning the division. I see them coming in behind the Rams and 49ers, but still above the Cardinals. 

The Seahawks’ defense, although it improved as the season went on, was one of the main weaknesses of the team. If Jamal Adams and the rest of the crew can get it together, Seattle may have a chance at proving me wrong. 

Offensively, Seattle is going to lean on Wilson and D.K. Metcalf to keep the sticks moving. Metcalf had a breakout year in 2020, but still has lots of room for improvement. He needs to improve his route running and catching tougher passes, which will make the Seahawks one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL.

Playing in the hardest division in the NFL isn’t ideal, but with Wilson and Pete Carroll, Seattle has the infrastructure to be competitive.

PREDICTION: 10 WINS (PUSH)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 10 WINS (+325)

Peter Dewey:

Russell Wilson may have faded over the second half of the 2020 campaign, but the Seahawks still won 12 games and the NFC West. 

It was a tale of two seasons for Seattle, as the defense struggled in the first half of the year while Wilson dominated, then the two switched roles over the team’s final eight games. If Seattle, who brought back Carlos Dunlap, re-signed Jamal Adams and will still have Quandre Diggs on defense, can be more consistent, it should make a playoff push again in the NFC. 

The division has improved, with Matt Stafford now in Los Angeles and the San Francisco 49ers getting healthy, but Wilson is still the best quarterback in the division. That goes a long way to winning anything in the NFL, and new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will be tasked with unlocking the best version of Russ this season. 

Seattle seems like a lock to win 10 games in my book, so I’ll take the over at -110 in hopes that they can have similar success to last year. 

PREDICTION: OVER 10 WINS (-110)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 11 WINS (+550)

Iain MacMillan:

The Seattle Seahawks might be one of the toughest teams to predict how they’ll perform this upcoming season. In the first half of the 2020 campaign, their offense was one of the best in the league while their defense was one of the worst. Then in the second half of the season, it was the complete opposite. The offense couldn’t move the ball but their defense was stout.

The key to whether or not the Seahawks will be a good team this year will be new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The offensive system and play calling the past few years was the team’s downfall, so it’ll be interesting to see how Waldron utilizes the weapons that Seattle possesses.

This team could finish from anywhere between 6-12 wins, and I wouldn’t be surprised. Arguably the toughest win total to make a pick on in the NFL. With it being set at 10 at WynnBET, I’m going to take the under. I think it might be a game too high.

PREDICTION: UNDER 10 WINS (-110)

EXACT WIN TOTAL: 9 WINS (+400)

Will the Seattle Seahawks Make the Playoffs? | MISS THE PLAYOFFS (-105), MAKE THE PLAYOFFS (-125)

Ben Heisler: 

There are three teams making the playoffs in the NFC West in 2021, and the Seahawks will be on the outside looking in.

PREDICTION: NO (-105)

Donnavan Smoot:

Despite my projection of Seattle finishing third in the NFC West, I still think the Seahawks get to the playoffs. There aren’t many teams that have a quarterback as good as Wilson in the league, let alone the conference. Chris Carson is going to give them a balanced attack on offense and take some of the load off of Wilson’s shoulders, which will let him play more freely.

Seattle is going to compete with teams like the Cowboys and the Vikings for the wild card spot, but I don’t think they are in the same tier. Seattle has experience, talent, good coaching and an actual home-field advantage, so I will stick with them to get to the playoffs.

PREDICTION: YES (-125)

Peter Dewey: 

In 11 seasons with Pete Carroll as the Seahawks’ head coach Seattle has made the postseason nine times. Since Wilson became the team’s starter, it has made the postseason eight out of nine seasons and has never had worse than a 9-7 record. 

The Seahawks have consistently been one of the NFL’s better teams, and I don’t expect that to change in 2021. Wilson and Carroll simply know how to win games, and even when the team hasn’t been as talented, they’ve figured out ways to hit double digit wins and at least make the wild card. 

With seven teams making the playoffs in each division and the NFC East and NFC North looking extremely weak outside of the Packers (and maybe the Cowboys? Don’t quote me on that), Seattle will easily work its way into a wild card spot if it can’t repeat as division champs. 

At +260 odds to win the NFC West behind the Rams and 49ers, Seattle believers could take a chance on Wilson and company to prove the oddsmakers wrong and win another division title for much better value than simply taking them to make the postseason.

PREDICTION: YES (-125)

Iain MacMillan:

Once again, there’s almost no result for the Seattle Seahawks this season that would shock me. One of the toughest to predict teams in the NFL this season. With that being said, I think they’re going to have a tough time in the NFC West, and they were given no favors with their extra 17th game this season being against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I think the NFC West will cannibalize itself in a sense, and the Seahawks will finish on the outside looking in come time for the postseason.

PREDICTION: NO (-105)

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Every day from the start of NFL Training Camp, the BetSided team of Ben Heisler, Donnavan Smoot, Peter Dewey, and Iain MacMillan are breaking down the win totals, playoff, and Super Bowl odds for every team in the NFL.

Up next, we preview the betting outlook for the Arizona Cardinals and check out our earlier team-by-team betting previews.

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