The Seattle Seahawks close their 2026 exhibition schedule on the road, and the spread has quietly become the story. Kansas City opened as a one-point home favorite, but the number flipped this week, and Seattle now sits at -1 in what is essentially a pick’em. The total has dropped from 36.5 to 34.5 as oddsmakers brace for a backup-heavy night. Patrick Mahomes is sidelined, both coaches are resting their front-line starters, and this preseason finale will be decided by depth rather than stars. Our best bet leans on that roster math, and the reasoning is below.
Last Updated: Friday, August 28, 2026
Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City MO |
| When | Friday, August 28 – 8:00 PM ET |
| TV | KSHB (Kansas City) / KING 5 (Seattle); NFL+ stream |
Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs Betting Preview
Both teams arrive with the same plan. Protect the regulars, and let the roster bubble decide the game. Kansas City will hold Patrick Mahomes out of the finale as he continues his recovery. That hands the start to rookie Garrett Nussmeier, a seventh-round pick who has drawn praise from Andy Reid after extended reps in the first two exhibitions. A handful of Chiefs offensive starters may see only a few early snaps before the backups take over.
Seattle mirrors that approach. Head coach Mike Macdonald has sat his established starters through the entire preseason, and he will do it again at Arrowhead Stadium. Third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe is set to play all four quarters, which gives the Seahawks continuity even if the offense around him is thin. In contrast, Kansas City will rotate through its depth chart, so neither side offers a settled unit. This is a battle of second- and third-teamers, and that context drives every number on the board. For more on how each club has handled the exhibition slate, see our recent Seahawks preseason coverage and latest Chiefs preview.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | -1 (+105) | -110 | U 34.5 (-125) |
| Chiefs | +1 (-125) | -110 | O 34.5 (+105) |
Odds accurate as of August 28, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NFL Odds – Futures – Props
Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Seahawks | 58% | 42% | Chiefs |
See the latest NFL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Seahawks vs. Chiefs Prediction — Can Road Favorite Cover?
The line movement frames this side. Kansas City opened as a one-point favorite, then the market flipped the number to Seattle -1 once Mahomes was ruled out. The public splits sit close to even at 58 percent on the Seahawks, so this is not a heavy crowd fade. It is a coin-flip number searching for the sharper team.
The case for Seattle is continuity. Milroe plays the whole game, so the Seahawks keep one rhythm at quarterback while the Chiefs shuffle arms. Still, the flip toward Seattle leans hard on Mahomes sitting, and he was never going to log meaningful snaps in a finale anyway. That makes the two-point swing feel generous. Meanwhile, Nussmeier has looked the steadier backup this month, and he gets the night at Arrowhead with a home crowd behind him. In a true pick’em decided by reserves, taking the home team and the hook is the more defensible position. The upside is the extra point of insurance if this one ends on a one-score margin.
The Pick: Chiefs +1 (-125)
Seahawks vs. Chiefs Prediction — Will the Offenses Struggle?
The total tells its own story. Oddsmakers dropped it from 36.5 to 34.5, a two-point move that signals a backup-heavy, low-scoring expectation. Both offenses lean on reserves, both defenses will rotate through roster hopefuls, and neither quarterback room offers a proven starter. Sustained scoring drives are hard to string together when the lines in front of the passers are third-teamers fighting for jobs.
However, the other side deserves a fair hearing. Preseason finales feature bubble players pressing, and that mix produces turnovers, short fields, and the occasional cheap score. The number has already been beaten down, so the Over at plus money carries real value if either backup unit catches fire. On balance, the resting starters and the sputtering offenses point the other way, and the low number still looks reachable to fade rather than chase.
The Pick: Under 34.5 (-125)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
This is a low-information spot, and the sizing should reflect that. Neither pick depends on star power, because there will not be much of it on the field. Both leans track the same theme: reserve quarterbacks, resting starters, and a game script built on depth. If you want a bonus angle, the moneyline sits at a true pick’em, so Chiefs backers who dislike laying juice on the hook can play Kansas City straight up at -110 instead. The margin between the two prices is small, and the underlying read is identical.
To recap our two best bets: Chiefs +1 (-125) on the spread and Under 34.5 (-125) on the total. Both stay honest to the roster math that defines a preseason finale.
NFL Seahawks vs. Chiefs FAQ: Friday August 28, 2026
What time does the Seahawks vs. Chiefs game start?
The Seahawks and Chiefs kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT) on Friday, August 28, 2026, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. It is the preseason finale for both teams before the regular season opens in September.
What channel is the Seahawks vs. Chiefs game on?
The game airs locally on KSHB in Kansas City and KING 5 in Seattle, and it streams on NFL+. There is no national television window for this preseason finale, so viewers outside both home markets should plan to use the streaming option to watch.
Where are the Seahawks and Chiefs playing?
The Seahawks and Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, with Seattle serving as the road team. Kansas City hosts the exhibition finale as both clubs finalize their 53-man rosters ahead of the Week 1 openers.
Who is starting at quarterback for the Seahawks and Chiefs?
Kansas City starts rookie Garrett Nussmeier with Patrick Mahomes resting, while Seattle gives third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe the entire game. Both teams are sitting their established starters, so backups will handle nearly every snap on Friday night.