After two straight weeks of getting pummeled on the road, the Seattle Seahawks return to the friendly confines of CenturyLink Field for their home opener vs the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. The Seahawks looked inept on offense when they faced the Bears and Broncos and have started a season at 0-2 SU for the first time since 2011. They’ll be hoping their September history is on their side as the Seahawks have won 13 straight games at home in the Sportsbook month of the season. As a result, Seattle opened as a 3-point favorite to get back in the win column.
- Seattle is 13-0 SU and 11-2 ATS in its last 13 home games in September.
- The total has gone UNDER in four of the last five games in this matchup.
- The Dallas Cowboys are second in the NFL in sacks with 9.0.
Cowboys vs Seahawks Game Center
CenturyLink Field is a Graveyard for Opponents in September
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’re fully aware of the home-field advantage for Seattle. The stadium was built to harness sound similar to a rock concert and it was at one time the Guinness Book of World Records holder for the loudest sports stadium.
That’s why coming into this game, the Seahawks can’t be written off … yet. In the month of September, they’re an incredible 13-0 SU in their last 13 home games while going 11-2 ATS. To put that in perspective, the ’Hawks haven’t lost a home game in September since 2009 and are 40-9 SU in their last 49 games as home favorites. But three of those losses came in the second half of last season so the once impregnable fortress of CenturyLink Field may be starting to lose some of its supremacy.
That’s why Seattle’s Sportsbook two games of the season cannot be discounted when trying to cap its chances to beat the Cowboys in Week 3. The Seahawks offensive line has allowed Russell Wilson to be sacked 12 times through two games and the rushing attack has only managed 138 yards on the ground. The offense was always going to be a work-in-progress but if the O-line can’t give Wilson some time to create, then they have no shot at winning.
Injuries and roster moves have made the Seahawks a shell of themselves compared to the Legion of Boom years. WR Doug Baldwin is out indefinitely while linebackers Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright are banged up and may not be as effective even if they manage to play this week.
Cowboys Defense Is A Force to be Reckoned With
That’s a statement that is tough to get used to but after two games, the Cowboys defense may be their strength rather than their weakness. The Cowboys have held the Panthers and Giants to a combined 29 points and rank second in the NFL in sacks with nine. Dallas ranks in the top five in rushing yards and passing yards allowed per game while somehow not being able to manage one interception yet. So, how come they’re not getting more love from sportsbooks?
Well, for all the praise that goes to Dallas’s defense, it’s the opposite end of the spectrum for the Cowboys offense due to its predictability and lack of playmakers. The run game is off due to injuries to the offensive line and defenses can stack eight men in the box because Dak Prescott is averaging an anemic 149 yards passing after two games.
When these teams faced each other in Week 16 last season, the Cowboys got romped 21-12 as 4.5-point faves. Another trend that doesn’t bode well for Dallas is that the Cowboys are 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 games as road dogs of 3 points or more. When you take location out of the equation, Dallas has lost four straight games as an underdog and is 1-5 SU and ATS in its last six in that spot. I like the Cowboys to keep this close but trends and the eye test make it difficult to envision a victory for America’s Team.
Poor Offenses Should Lead to UNDER
The total opened at 44.5 and has since dropped to 41.5. After watching both of these teams for two weeks, the UNDER could be the smart play. Both teams average under 20 points per game and the UNDER has hit in the last six games for the Cowboys with an average combined score of 28.8 points per game. Factoring in that the UNDER has hit in four of the last five games in this matchup with an average combined score of 36.2 points per game, I can’t endorse an OVER bet while the Cowboys and Seahawks are so limited offensively.
My Pick is…
The UNDER 41.5 total. Neither of these offenses has shown anything over the first two weeks to suggest a better offensive scheme is coming. Seven days isn’t enough time to correct those issues for Week 3 and the Cowboys defensive line will have a field day against a Seahawks offensive line that has allowed 12 sacks through two games.
