Mike Macdonald has a short week to get his Seattle Seahawks ready following their frustrating loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5. This week, the Seahawks will visit the Denver Broncos for a Thursday Night Football showdown.
Sometimes the short week can be a blessing, since it gives Seattle a chance to get the bad taste out of its mouth from their latest loss. Of course, it won't be easy since the Broncos are no pushover. They haven't been the same team we saw in 2025, but they were in the AFC Championship Game for a reason and can win against anyone.
With the stage set, let's checkout what various media outlets expect to happen on Thursday with a roundup of expert selections.
Sports Illustrated
- Eva Geitheim: Seahawks
- Mike Kadlick: Seahawks
- Gilberto Manzano: Seahawks
- Conor Orr: Seahawks
- John Pluym: Seahawks
- Matt Verderame: Seahawks
- Iain MacMillan: Seahawks
- Peter Dewey: Seahawks
ESPN
- Matt Bowen: Seahawks
- Mike Clay: Seahawks
- Dan Graziano: Seahawks
- Kalyn Kahler: Seahawks
- Pamela Maldonado: Broncos
- Eric Moody: Seahawks
- Ben Solak: Seahawks
- Lindsey Thiry: Seahawks
CBS, Pete Prisco
Pete Prisco is also chosing Seattle, and he believes the Broncos' offensive struggles will be the reason they fall short in this one.
"The Seahawks lost a tough one to the 49ers last week and now face a short week on the road against Denver. The Broncos' offense has struggled, even with Sean Payton taking over as the play-caller. Bo Nix has to pick it up, but this is a tough defense to try and fix things. Seattle takes a tough road game," Prisco wrote. "Pick: Seahawks 23, Broncos 17"
Final expert tally and my prediction
The experts are heavily favoring the Seahawks, with only one pick going for the home team. Of course, with the game being on Thursday, not every outlet had their full predictions ready, but it's still interesting to see how heavily favored Seattle is going into this one.
Seahawks: 16
Broncos: 1
For me, I see Macdonald being able to get his team focused following the loss. The Seahawks should go into this one with the right mindset, which is the norm for them following a defeat. That said, the Broncos aren't a team that should be overlooked and Sean Payton is an elite coach in his own right. That said, the Seahawks escape with a win on the road, setting them up for a mini-bye before taking on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.
Prediction: Seahawks 24, Broncos 20
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