Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 15 2026
The Seattle Seahawks are heading to Denver on Thursday night, and I'm still trying to figure out what to make of these two teams. Seattle put 29 points on San Francisco last Sunday and lost. Denver barely moved the football against the Chargers and somehow came away with a win. Go figure. The teams will meet at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on October 15, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 PM ET, with Prime Video carrying the game. Seattle comes in favored by three points, and the total is sitting around 41.5. That's down from the opening total of 42.5. I don't have much trouble deciding which team has the better offense, but picking a winner against the spread is another matter. Denver has been tough at home, and the Seahawks have been giving away too many chances. Make sure you check out all of our free NFL picks.
Seattle Seahawks Keep Finding Ways To Hurt Themselves
Seattle is sitting at 3-2 on the season and has gone 1-1 away from home. The Seahawks have dropped two of their last three games, including Sunday's 32-29 loss to San Francisco. That was a rough one. Seattle moved the ball well enough to win, but four turnovers ended up giving the 49ers 21 points. You aren't going to beat many good football teams doing that. The Seahawks had beaten the Chargers 30-23 the week before, so it's not like this group has forgotten how to win. I actually thought Seattle played some pretty good football against San Francisco. The problem was that every time it seemed to get something going, another mistake came along. Coach Mike Macdonald has to be getting tired of watching that happen. Now the Seahawks have a short week to get things cleaned up before playing a Denver defense that likes taking the ball away.
The Seattle offense has put up 134 points in five games, which works out to 26.8 per contest. Most of the damage has come through the air. The running game hasn't been nearly as steady, and that's something Denver will probably try to take advantage of. Personally, I'd keep throwing the football if I were Seattle. The Broncos have some injury problems in their secondary, and that's not an opportunity the Seahawks should pass up. Seattle's defense has given up 105 points, or 21 per game. It has also done a good job stopping opponents on third down, holding them below a 30% conversion rate. Denver has struggled in that area, so the matchup looks pretty good for the Seahawks. Of course, that won't mean much if Seattle starts handing the Broncos the ball around midfield. There's only so much a defense can do when its own offense keeps putting it in bad spots.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a big part of Seattle's success throwing the football. He's picked up 583 receiving yards through five games and had another 102 yards against San Francisco. The Broncos could have their hands full with him, especially if their injured defensive backs aren't ready to play. Sam Darnold has made plenty of good throws this season, but the two interceptions against the 49ers didn't help anybody. He needs to be smarter with the football Thursday. Seattle has some injuries of its own. Smith-Njigba was listed with an ankle problem on the early estimated injury report, while Leonard Williams has also been dealing with an ankle injury. Drake Thomas was listed as a nonparticipant, and Zach Charbonnet is still working his way back from a knee problem. That's quite a bit to deal with when you've only got a few days between games. I still like Seattle's offensive talent, but the Seahawks need their main weapons available.
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Denver Broncos Keep Leaning On Their Defense
Denver improved to 3-2 with a 23-17 win over the Chargers last Sunday. The Broncos have also won both games they've played at home, which should give them some confidence with Seattle coming to town. Still, I wasn't impressed with the way Denver played against Los Angeles. The Broncos finished with only 224 total yards and needed their defense to come up with some big plays late in the game. They got the win, and I suppose that's what matters most. But come on, this offense has to do more than that. Denver has won two of its last three games and looked a lot better when it beat the Rams. That's what makes the Broncos so hard to figure out. One week they look like a team that could give anybody trouble. The next week, getting a first down seems like a major accomplishment. I give Denver credit for finding ways to win, but the offense is still a problem.
The Broncos have scored 97 points through five games, an average of 19.4. That's quite a difference from what Seattle has been putting up. Denver is also converting only 33.8% of its third downs. Those numbers aren't going to scare many defensive coordinators, especially with the way Seattle has been playing on third down. I'd expect Denver to spend a good part of Thursday trying to get the running game going. That would take some pressure off Bo Nix and help keep Seattle's offense on the sideline. The Denver defense has been making some nice plays, including forcing three turnovers and holding the Chargers to 237 yards. But here's the thing. You can't depend on getting three turnovers every game. Denver has allowed 111 points this season, so opponents have been finding ways to score. The Broncos need their offense to help out instead of waiting for the defense to save them again.
Bo Nix didn't have much going against the Chargers, throwing for only 123 yards. He did find Courtland Sutton for a touchdown late in the game, which helped Denver pull out the win. J.K. Dobbins added 68 yards rushing and a touchdown. That was a solid effort, and the Broncos could use more of it Thursday. I think Sutton and Dobbins will have to carry a good share of the offense if Denver hopes to keep up with Seattle. The other thing I'm watching is the injury report. Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga were both listed as nonparticipants on Tuesday's estimated report because of ankle injuries. Riley Moss was limited with a rib problem. Those aren't the names Denver wants to see on the injury list before facing Seattle's receivers. The Broncos can bring pressure and try mixing up their coverage, but somebody still has to cover Smith-Njigba. If those defensive backs can't play, things could get interesting in a hurry.
Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos Picks and Predictions
Against the Spread Pick: Denver Broncos +3
I've gone back and forth on this game because Seattle has the better offense, and I don't think there's much doubt about it. The Seahawks can throw the ball, they've been scoring more points, and Denver could be missing some important players in the secondary. That's a lot to like about Seattle. So why take the Broncos? For one thing, Denver has won both of its home games. The Broncos also have a defense that can make things tough on Darnold, and we just watched him make some costly mistakes against San Francisco. I expect Denver to run the football quite a bit and try to keep Seattle from getting too many possessions. That won't work if the Seahawks jump out to a big lead, and that's my biggest worry with this pick. Still, I think the Broncos can keep things close enough to cover. Getting three points is important. I'd be a lot less interested at +2.5, but I'll take Denver +3 at home.
Total Pick: Under 41.5 Points
I'm going with the under here, and Denver's offense is the main reason. The Broncos are putting up only 19.4 points per game and have had a hard time keeping drives going. Seattle's defense has been pretty good at getting teams off the field, so I don't expect Denver to suddenly start scoring touchdowns on every other possession. The Broncos should also try running the football to keep the clock moving. Seattle is another story. The Seahawks have the receivers to score points, and Denver's injury problems could make that even easier. That's what worries me most about this pick. A couple of turnovers could also put quick points on the board without either team having to drive very far. But I just don't see Denver scoring much more than 17 or 20 points unless Seattle gives it some help. I could see a game ending 21-17 or somewhere around there. That seems more likely than both teams putting up big numbers. Under 41.5 is my pick, although I liked the opening 42.5 better.
Final Picks: Denver Broncos +3 and Under 41.5 Points.
Disclaimer: Betting odds, injuries, and weather conditions can change before kickoff. Check the latest information before placing a bet.
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