The Seattle Seahawks Week 3 game against the Carolina Panthers should result in a win for Pete Carroll's squad. Seemingly. With two days left until the Seahawks-Panthers game, our Seahawks Week 3 predictions suggest that a Seattle victory might not be so easy to come by.
The Seahawks narrowly avoided a 0-2 start by defeating the Detroit Lions 37-31 in overtime in Week 2. One week earlier, Seattle was on the wrong side of an upset, suffering an embarrassing 30-13 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. Coming off a big win in Detroit, the Seahawks will return home to face one of the worst teams in the NFL.
This certainly isn't the start to the 2023 season that the Panthers envisioned. The Atlanta Falcons dismissed Carolina 24-10 in Week 1. Not only did Bryce Young look overwhelmed when the New Orlean Saints beat the Panthers 20-17 in Carolina's home opener, but the quarterback suffered an ankle injury that is expected to sideline him in Week 3. Just two games into Young's career, Andy Dalton is poised to start under center for the Panthers.
The Seahawks are 5.5-point favorites over the Panthers at FanDuel Sportsbook. Seattle has -230 odds to win outright. Will the Seahawks take care of business or is Week 3 going to be reminiscent of Seattle's Week 1 disaster?
Let's make some bold Seahawks Week 3 predictions. Note that these are bold predictions. It's unlikely that they will all come to fruition, but the predictions have a better chance of occurring than what the odds indicate.
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3. Carolina Panthers QB Andy Dalton will have at least 275 passing yards
Dalton has +400 odds at FanDuel to throw for at least 275 yards against the Seahawks in Week 3. That's tremendous value for an outcome that absolutely can happen Sunday. Whether the Seahawks-Panthers game is close or not, Dalton can stumble into a 275-yard passing day.
Dalton is one of the most reliable backup quarterbacks in the NFL. The veteran completed two-thirds of his passes last season as the New Orleans Saints' primary starter. He threw for 18 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
Opposing quarterbacks didn't have much trouble moving the ball past Seattle in Weeks 1 and 2. Matthew Stafford looked like the signal caller who won a Super Bowl a couple of years ago, finishing with 334 yards through the air. Jared Goff had 323 passing yards on 9.2 yards per attempt. Even if the game isn't close and Seattle runs away with it, Dalton can get to 275 yards in garbage time.
2. Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith will have fewer than 200 passing yards and throw more interceptions than touchdowns
Geno Smith's first two games couldn't have gone any differently. The Seahawks quarterback was held to just 112 passing yards in Seattle's Week 1 loss. In Week 2, Smith reminded the Seahawks why they signed him to a $105 million contract, completing 78.1% of his passes for 328 yards. Smith can be a volatile quarterback, and there's a decent chance that Sunday will be one of his poor performances.
The Seahawks will still be without one starting tackle, if not both tackles, in Week 3. That could spell trouble against the Panthers' pass rush. Carolina ranks third in the entire NFL in sack percentage. Brian Burns has two sacks and could be in Smith's face for much of the afternoon.
The Panthers' pass defense has not been responsible for the team's winless start. Smith has failed to throw for more than 215 yards in four of his last five regular-season games. Smith's over/under is 242.5 passing yards at FanDuel. He has -440 odds to throw for at least 200 yards. It would be a risky bet to make, to say the least.
1. The Seahawks will lose to the Panthers in Week 3
Young's injury probably helps the Panthers' chances of beating the Seahawks. The No. 1 overall pick projects to be a better starter down the line, but Dalton might be the more effective quarterback right now. It doesn't take an elite offense to put up points against Seattle. The Seahawks are the only team that has given up at least 30 points in each of their first two games.
For what it's worth, Dalton did help the Saints beat the Seahawks 39-32 early during the 2022 campaign. It was a Saints team that didn't go to the playoffs. Seattle has a better chance than Carolina of reaching the postseason this year, but the Panthers are desperate for a win with a quarterback who's looking to prove that he still has something left in the tank.
Grab the 5,5 points if you're making a bet against the spread in the Seahawks-Panthers game. Carolina +190 to win outright is probably worth a sprinkle, as well.