The New England Patriots open the 2026 season at the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9, and the spread has already moved off its opening number. Seattle opened as a 4.5-point home favorite in May. The spread now sits at 3, with the Seahawks laying -120 and the Patriots getting +100. This is the NFL Kickoff Game, and it doubles as a Super Bowl LX rematch after Seattle handled New England 29-13 in February. Below is a breakdown of the current spread, the moneyline, the total, the public betting split, and what the line movement says about this opener.
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Lumen Field, Seattle WA |
| When | Wednesday, September 9 – 8:20 PM ET |
| TV | NBC |
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks Matchup Overview
Both teams arrive at 0-0, but from the same place. Seattle and New England each finished 14-3 in 2025. The Seahawks took the NFC’s No. 1 seed, scored 483 points (third in the league) and allowed just 292 (first). The Patriots won the AFC East, earned the No. 2 seed, and finished second in scoring at 490 points while allowing 320, fourth-best in the NFL.
New England’s road profile was the defining number of its 2025 run. The Patriots went 8-0 away from Foxborough in the regular season, then won three straight postseason road games. That made them the first team in NFL history to finish 9-0 on the road. Mike Vrabel returns for his second season with Drake Maye at quarterback. The headline offseason move was the trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown, acquired from Philadelphia.
Seattle counters with continuity. Mike Macdonald is back for year three, Sam Darnold remains the starter, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba returns after winning the 2025 AP Offensive Player of the Year award. The Seahawks also went a full postseason without a turnover.
The injury reports are quiet but not empty. New England center Ben Brown (knee) is out and did not travel. Running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) did not practice Monday, while defensive tackle Christian Barmore (knee) was a full participant. For Seattle, safety Ty Okada (hamstring) sat out, and safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle), wide receiver Tory Horton (hamstring) and tackle Josh Jones (knee) were limited.
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | +3 (+100) | +160 | O 44.5 (-110) |
| Seahawks | -3 (-120) | -185 | U 44.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of Tuesday, September 8, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NFL Odds – Futures – Props
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Patriots | 52% | 48% | Seahawks |
See the latest NFL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
NFL Betting Angle for New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
The spread is the story here. Seattle opened -4.5 at -110 in May and now sits at -3 at -120. That is a full point and a half of movement toward the Patriots, and it lands the number squarely on the most important figure in football. The moneyline tells the same story more quietly. Seattle opened -195 and has shortened to -185, while New England drifted from +165 to +160. The total has not moved at all, sitting at 44.5 since it opened.
Movement from 4.5 to 3 changes the math. At 4.5, a field goal loss cashes the underdog ticket. At 3, the same result pushes. The juice on the Seahawks side climbed to -120 rather than the spread sliding to 2.5, a standard way for a market to hold a key number. In contrast, anyone taking Seattle now gets a worse number than was available in May and pays extra for it.
The public betting split offers no strong signal. New England is drawing 52 percent of spread tickets and Seattle 48 percent, which is close to a coin flip and well short of the 70 percent threshold where a fade angle becomes interesting. That near-even split is itself notable given Seattle is the reigning champion and playing at home. It suggests the market has not treated the Super Bowl result as predictive of this rematch.
The case for Seattle is straightforward. The Seahawks return the league’s best scoring defense and the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, at home, at night, with a banner going up. The case for New England is nearly as clean. This is a 14-3 team that never lost a road game last season, now with an upgraded receiving corps, catching a short number. The flat total suggests neither side expects a shootout, and a low-scoring game keeps a three-point spread live to the final possession. For more Week 1 line context, see today’s odds preview of the Thursday opener.
New England’s Rebuilt Passing Game Meets Seattle’s Top Scoring Defense
The biggest change to this matchup since February is A.J. Brown in a Patriots uniform. New England scored 490 points last season without him and still managed only 13 in the Super Bowl against this defense. Brown gives Drake Maye a receiver who wins contested throws outside the numbers, the type of target New England lacked when Seattle’s coverage squeezed the middle of the field.
Seattle’s answer is the same unit that allowed a league-low 292 points. Macdonald’s defense finished sixth in total yards allowed while ranking first in scoring, a gap that usually points to red-zone and turnover work rather than pure yardage suppression. Adding one receiver does not solve a scheme problem. However, it does force different coverage decisions.
There is a real counterweight up front. Ben Brown is out at center, and New England’s interior protection was the visible weakness in February. If Seattle’s front wins there again, the receiver upgrade matters less than the time Maye has to use it. That tension is the cleanest way to frame both sides of this spread.
NFL Patriots vs. Seahawks FAQ: Wednesday September 9, 2026
What time does the Patriots vs. Seahawks game start?
Kickoff is set for 8:20 PM ET on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, which is 5:20 PM local time in Seattle. The game opens the 2026 NFL regular season on a Wednesday night rather than the league’s usual Thursday start, and it is the first game on the Week 1 schedule.
What channel is the Patriots vs. Seahawks game on?
The game airs nationally on NBC. Mike Tirico handles play-by-play alongside analyst Cris Collinsworth, with Melissa Stark reporting from the sideline. As the NFL Kickoff Game, it carries the full primetime national broadcast window.
Where are the Patriots and Seahawks playing?
The game is at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, the Seahawks’ home stadium. Seattle earned the opener by winning Super Bowl LX, since the league traditionally opens its season at the defending champion’s home venue.
Who won the last meeting between the Patriots and Seahawks?
Seattle won the last meeting 29-13 in Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026. It was the second Super Bowl title in Seahawks franchise history and their first since the 2013 season.
Who is starting at quarterback for the Patriots and Seahawks?
Drake Maye starts for New England and Sam Darnold starts for Seattle. Both quarterbacks started every playoff game for their teams last season, including Super Bowl LX, and neither appears on the Week 1 injury report.