Pro Picks: Seahawks will edge Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the NFL season

Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will see their championship banner raised before hosting Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the NFL season on Wednesday night.

Are you ready for some football?

The 2026 season begins in Seattle one day before the 49ers and Rams meet in Melbourne, Australia, in the first of nine international games.

Led by their “Dark Side” defense, the Seahawks dominated the Patriots 29-13 to win the franchise's second Super Bowl in February.

They lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, cornerback Riq Woolen, safety Coby Bryant and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. But they're 3 1/2-point favorites against New England.

“It’s going to be electric,” Seahawks All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said on AP's “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “I’m excited. ... Definitely looking forward to being out there again on this new journey with our new team, with our fans, it’s going be awesome.”

The Patriots gave Maye a new No. 1 receiver, acquiring A.J. Brown from Philadelphia. They also signed veteran wideout Romeo Doubs and bolstered the secondary by adding All-Pro safety Kevin Byard.

Pro Picks expects a close one.

SEAHAWKS: 23-22

Line: Rams minus 3 ½

Aaron Donald is back to join Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie on a star-studded defense in Los Angeles. With a dynamic offense led by reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford and All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua, the Rams are Super Bowl favorites. But they’re in the toughest division in the NFL and the 49ers were one win away from the No. 1 seed last season. The teams split in 2025 and the Rams have won four of the last five. Los Angeles was 9-3 against the spread when favored by at least 3 ½ points last season.

RAMS: 27-20

Line: Titans minus 1 ½

Robert Saleh’s first game as coach of the Titans is against the team that fired him in 2024. He has Cam Ward. The Jets have Geno Smith. Saleh is in a better spot now.

TITANS: 19-16

Line: Lions minus 6 1/2

Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Lions have too much offense for the Saints, who had a promising finish last season but lost a few key players in training camp.

LIONS: 30-20

Line: Jaguars minus 8 ½

The Jaguars won 13 games last season and have most of their starters back. The Browns traded Garrett and are giving Deshaun Watson his first start since Oct. 20, 2024. This won’t be close.

JAGUARS 27-12

Line: Bears minus 3

Both teams won their division last season though Carolina did it with a losing record. Expectations are high for Caleb Williams in his second season in Ben Johnson’s offense. Get ready for the first “Good, better, best” chant in Chicago’s locker room of the new season. Not predicting whether Johnson keeps his shirt on.

BEARS: 24-18

Line: Bengals minus 3 ½

After starting 0-2 four times in Joe Burrow’s first five seasons, the Bengals opened 3-0 last year before things went downhill. They bolstered their defense to go with a prolific offense. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers will be a tough test for that new-look defense featuring Dexter Lawrence.

BENGALS: 26-24

Line: Steelers minus 3 ½

Tua Tagovailoa and Kevin Stefanski try to spoil Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy’s reunion. Bijan Robinson gives the Falcons their best chance. Rodgers goes against a depleted pass rush so he should have time to throw to DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman.

STEELERS: 24-17

Line: Bills minus 1 ½

Joe Brady’s first game as Buffalo’s coach will be a major challenge against DeMeco Ryans and his stingy defense in Houston. C.J. Stroud plays his first game since his turnover debacle in the playoffs. Pro Picks has Josh Allen and the Bills beating the Texans in the AFC title game .

TEXANS: 19-17

Line: Ravens minus 3 ½

Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens have high expectations in coach Jesse Minter’s first season. Daniel Jones is back for Indianapolis. So is Sauce Gardner. The Colts finished last season with seven straight losses after opening 8-2.

RAVENS: 23-20

Line: Packers minus 1 ½

Jordan Love and the Packers were 0-5 without Micah Parsons last season. He’s not back until October so they can’t afford to wait for a win. Kyler Murray makes his first start for the Vikings, aiming to become Kevin O’Connell’s next reclamation project.

VIKINGS: 23-20

Line: Eagles minus 5 ½

Jalen Hurts begins his fifth straight season with a new offensive coordinator as Sean Mannion replaced Kevin Patullo. Hurts could have a big year if Mannion unlocks Saquon Barkley and the run game. The Commanders had a terrible defense last season. They added Sonny Styles and some veterans but a banged-up offensive line will struggle protecting Jayden Daniels against Philadelphia’s fierce defense.

BEST BET: EAGLES: 31-16

Line: Raiders minus 3 ½

Two rookie coaches meet in a matchup of two teams that aren’t going to win many games. Kirk Cousins and the Raiders get the first one, though stopping Dolphins running back De’Von Achane will be a tough task for Las Vegas’ defense.

RAIDERS: 20-17

Line: Chargers minus 9 ½

Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers have won 11 games in each of his first two seasons and brought in Mike McDaniel to run the offense led by Justin Herbert. Rookie coach Mike LaFleur is starting the season with veteran Jacoby Brissett. Los Angeles has dominated inferior teams under Harbaugh.

CHARGERS: 30-16

Line: Cowboys minus 3

The Cowboys can score behind Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. They hope new coordinator Christian Parker, rookie safety Caleb Downs and other additions improve the defense enough to make them a contender. John Harbaugh is the new man in charge in New York. Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo and the rest of the Giants will be better for it. Not enough to win this week.

COWBOYS: 26-20

Line: Chiefs minus 2 1/2

Patrick Mahomes is back after tearing his ACL last Dec. 14 and the Chiefs are coming off their first losing season under Andy Reid. He faces one of the NFL’s best defenses. Bo Nix returns for the Broncos after an ankle injury forced him to miss the AFC championship game. Denver has won three in a row in the series and four of five after losing 16 straight.

UPSET SPECIAL: BRONCOS: 23-20

Overall: Straight up: 194-90-1. Against spread: 149-128-8.

Best Bet: Straight up: 15-6. Against spread: 9-11-1.

Upset Special: Straight up: 14-7. Against spread: 15-6.

Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here .

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