Oddsshark recently released over/under regular season win totals for National Football League teams.
Here is a look at the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West.
Over/under
Oddsshark has Seattle at 11 regular season wins. Last year, the Seahawks went 12-4 in the regular season.
The upside
Complacency shouldn’t be a problem. It may have been a problem had the Seahawks just ran the ball in from the 1-yard-line to win the Super Bowl, but with the way the Seahawks lost in the big game, the players should be motivated.
Where do you start on the strengths? The offense should be better with the addition of Jimmy Graham. The defense returns every starter but one. And the division actually got worse, with the rapid decline of the San Francisco 49ers.
Life is good for the Seahawks. During the last three seasons, the Seahawks have lost two home games. In the previous two seasons, Seattle also has gone 9-3 inside the division. That divisional record should remain in the above-.500 category, since the Seahawks will likely be favored in each divisional game, except possibly at Arizona.
That will give bettors at least five games where Seattle will be favored. Seattle also should be heavily favored in four other contests, too. The rest of the match-ups are likely toss-ups, where either team could be favored depending on how well the season goes for each squad.
The downside
The one defensive player who is not returning will be tough to replace. Cornerback Byron Maxwell was part of the Legion of Boom, and his absence will be missed.
And while the Seahawks do have a significant home-field advantage, the Seahawks have been good for one loss a year in the last two seasons, and the rest of the contests haven’t exactly been blowouts.
The experience also is there, but age may become a factor at some point, especially with main offensive weapon Marshawn Lynch. Lynch has been a workhorse during the last four seasons, but with the amount of punishment he takes, how long can he continue his ability to keep moving the chains?
And the schedule does include several match-ups that will be difficult. The Seahawks must travel to St. Louis on opening day (which won’t be easy), and then have other road contests against Arizona, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Dallas, Minnesota and Baltimore.
The verdict
On paper, the Seahawks should be better. And the team should have a certain edge to them after last year’s difficult ending.
However, that schedule just doesn’t set up nicely for plenty of wins. And although the division won’t be as good, the Seahawks have several out-of-division games that will test the two-time NFC champions. Seattle won’t need 12 wins to win that division and it won’t get that this year.
The Seahawks may get to 11, but it likely won’t reach 12. Seattle will make the playoffs, but expect the under to be a more realistic pick than the over.
