First look: Giants vs. Seahawks prediction, picks, odds and best bet to make for NFL Week 5

The Seattle Seahawks will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season in Week 5, when the New York Giants visit Lumen Field at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday. Seattle lost at Detroit in an offensive slugfest on Monday night, 42-29.

The Giants have lost three of their first four games, including a 20-15 home defeat by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. New York will be attempting to avoid a 1-4 start to the season for the third time in four years.

Seattle is a 6-point favorite, according to the Week 5 NFL odds. The Seahawks did put up a valiant offensive effort against the Lions but primarily were done in the absence of five injured starters.

They also lost safety Julian Love to a quadriceps injury during the loss.

In their third home game of the season, the Seahawks will get another winnable matchup against a seemingly inferior opponent. They opened the schedule against Denver, and after winning at New England, easily handled the Dolphins.

To be considered a playoff team, though, Seattle must beat who it has to beat. Handling the ultra-potent Detroit offense is a major challenge for any defense.

This week, the Seahawks get a reprieve against New York, which only has exciting rookie Malik Nabers as a notable offensive playmaker.

To stay in this game and have a puncher’s chance of pulling off an upset, the Giants will rely on their pass rush to, hopefully, slow down a former backup QB for the team, Geno Smith. Daniel Jones will have to show he can make plays against a tough Seattle pass defense when he cannot find Nabers open.

Giants vs. Seahawks predictions and best bets for NFL Week 5

• Giants +6 (-108 at DraftKings; 1 unit)
• Seahawks To Score In Every Quarter (+165 at bet365; 1 unit)
• Seahawks To Win By 1-6 Points (+295 at DraftKings; 0.25 unit)

The Seahawks are 1-2-1 ATS so far this season. They won their first two games by six and three points, and that was when the defense was mostly healthy.

New York lost its two road games by five and six points, and while I don’t expect them to win, Seattle only blew out Miami without Tua Tagovailoa. The Seahawks have certainly earned respect as a good team under new head coach Mike Macdonald, but they are no lock to run away with this one.

The Giants are 1-1 ATS as road underdogs and 2-2 ATS overall. If they can get the ground game operating at least adequately behind Devin Singletary, then New York can possibly employ a balanced offensive attack and have a chance to stick close.

Macdonald will want to re-establish his defense after the unit was torn up by Detroit. The Lions averaged 7.8 yards per play and rushed for three touchdowns.

QB Jared Goff also had a historic night in which he completed all 18 of his passing attempts, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to complete all of his passes on 10-plus attempts.

Seattle’s defensive-minded head coach will be looking for a quick rebound performance on that side of the ball. Getting healthier would certainly help matters.

On Monday, the Seahawks were without defensive linemen Leonard Williams (ribs) and Byron Murphy (hamstring). Linebackers Boye Mafe (knee), Jerome Baker (hamstring) and Uchenna Nwosu (knee), who has not played yet this season, were also out.

The Seahawks’ defense ranked second in the NFL before Week 4, and now it ranks eighth. New York’s defense ranks 12th and should perform well enough to help them cover the spread.

The Giants rank third in the NFL with 15 sacks. So the Seahawks will want to establish a running game behind the explosive Kenneth Walker III, who is coming off a terrific game with 103 rushing yards and three TDs.

Seattle will move the ball well enough to position Walker as a prime prop play, to go over 75 rushing yards and score more than one TD. The Giants have allowed five TD receptions to wide receivers, which ranks 27th in the NFL.

WRs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are viable anytime TD prop plays. The Seahawks rank 22nd in rushing yards allowed to RBs. Be sure to check on the prop yardage for Singletary, who is averaging 55.3 yards per game and should be able to surpass that number in this matchup.

NFL Week 5 Giants vs. Seahawks odds

The Giants opened as 6.5-point underdogs at most sportsbooks, and the odds remain the same at FanDuel Sportsbook. The other platforms, however, have moved New York to 6-point underdogs.

FanDuel has the best odds for the Giants at +235, while several other sportsbooks are at +220 and DraftKings is at +210. FanDuel has Seattle at -290, and DraftKings is at -258 as the odds vary by site.

The over/under is set at 43.5 at all sportsbooks other than FanDuel, which has the total at 42.5.

Giants vs. Seahawks moneyline odds analysis

Why the Seahawks could win as the favorite

Best odds: -258 at DraftKings

After four weeks, Seattle’s offense ranks fifth in the NFL. Smith passed for a career-high 396 yards at Detriot. He leads the NFL in passing yards (1,182) and is second in completion percentage (72.3) among regular starters.

Walker thrived against one of the NFL’s better run-stopping defenses when he faced Detroit, and if the Giants cannot stop him, then Smith will be free to pick them apart with a WR trio that is among the best in the league.

Metcalf is third in the NFL with 366 receiving yards, and he already has registered three 100-yard games this season. Second-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a regular target out of the slot, and 32-year-old Lockett is still a prominent option in key situations.

Seattle also has another outstanding trio at cornerback, led by rising star Devon Witherspoon, top cover corner Riq Woolen, and the underrated Tre Brown.

In the head-to-head series, Seattle has won six of the past seven matchups. In Week 4 of the 2023 season, the visiting Seahawks routed the Giants, 24-3, as Witherspoon returned an interception 97 yards for a TD, and Seattle tied a team record with 11 sacks.

Why the Giants could win as the underdog

Best odds: +235 at FanDuel

It’s not totally impossible for the Giants to pull off the upset at Seattle. They did topple the Seahawks in Week 13 of the 2020 season, in a 17-12 road victory that quieted the loud Lumen Field Crowd.

Metcalf is third in the league in receiving yards, but he is behind Nabers, who is second with 386 yards. The outstanding rookie leads the league with 35 receptions and has caught three TD passes. He is also tied for the NFL lead with seven catches of 20-plus yards.

Watching Nabers go up against the Seattle secondary will be must-see NFL TV. No defense has been able to contain Nabers yet, as he is New York’s most thrilling WR since the heyday of Odell Beckham Jr. The Seahawks allowed a 70-yard TD reception to WR Jameson Williams on Monday.

Daniel Jones will have to protect the football, as he already has three interceptions. New York can make its best push for a win on defense. Seattle’s offensive line is dealing with some injuries and inconsistency.

Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and safety Jason Pinnock have registered three sacks each. Pinnock also has three tackles for a loss and the defense has forced three fumbles.