MNF Odds: Seahawks vs Lions: Expert Picks in NFL Week 4

For the fourth straight season, the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions face off with Seattle winning and covering the past three.

However, the Seahawks will be thin defensively on Monday night and thus the Lions are favored by just over a field goal on the NFL odds.

Seattle Seahawks

DK Metcalf

No Seattle receiver has ever had three such games in a row. Metcalf now has seven career touchdown catches of 50-plus yards, one behind Tyler Lockett and Joey Galloway for the most in franchise history. Metcalf also has three such touchdown catches in the postseason.

Injuries

The Seahawks ruled out outside linebackers Boye Mafe (knee) and Uchenna Nwosu (knee), defensive end Leonard Williams (ribs) and defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (hamstring) on their final injury report Saturday with linebacker Jerome Baker as questionable. With Mafe and Nwosu out, the Seahawks will be without two of their top pass rushers.

“You got four guys that are down, that’s four more guys that are going to be up,” head coach told reporters about the defensive injuries. “Looking forward to seeing those guys play. When you talk about having depth in your football team, you want the feeling to be like, ‘OK, I can’t wait to see whoever is going to get that opportunity now.’ So, that’s our view is that guys gonna have more opportunities than they’ve usually had and looking forward to seeing what they do.”

Seattle’s defense has been lights out against the pass as the Seahawks are the first team since the 1979 Steelers to start a year 3-0 while allowing fewer than 150 passing yards in each game.

The final injury report.#GoHawks x @VMFHealth
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 28, 2024

Rayshawn Jenkins

“I’ll take our defense over pretty much anybody in the league right now,” said safety Jenkins. “We run, we hit, we’re physical, we’re smart. We’re disciplined, which in my opinion, is one of the most important things that you could have on a defense… It’ll be a good challenge. They’re a good offense; we’re a good defense, so we’ll see.”

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Seahawks vs Lions MNF Odds provided by MyBookie Sportsbook

Detroit Lions

Instead of a Cardinals touchdown, that drive eventually ended in a one-yard Goff pass to St. Brown, who pitched to Jahmyr Gibbs, who proceeded to run 20 yards into the end zone on a play that was credited as Goff’s second passing touchdown of the game.

David Montgomery

Montgomery will try to extend his touchdown streak to seven consecutive regular-season games on Monday.

Despite ranking 16th in the NFL in points scored this season (20.7) entering Week 4), the Lions’ offense is No. 4 in total offense, No. 4 in rushing and No. 7 in passing. The scoring numbers are skewed a little bit by Detroit ranking just 26th in red-zone efficiency (38.5 percent). Now that unit faces a Seattle defense that is No. 2 in total defense and No. 1 against the pass, allowing just 132.3 passing yards through their first three games.

“A ton different,” Goff said of the scheme he’s seen on film this week vs. the one he and the Lions have faced the last three seasons playing Seattle. “Completely different staff, so it’s going to change entirely what they’re doing, and (Seattle coach Mike Macdonald) does a good job. It’s a completely different scheme. As far as what you’re looking at schematically, it’s entirely different.”

Stats

Detroit’s defense ranks top 10 in points per drive and top five by several metrics in run defense, while defensive end Aidan Hutchinson leads the league in sacks (6.5) and pressure rate (24.3). Head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both talked this week about how excited they are for the opportunity that sits in front of third-year defensive lineman Josh Paschal now that he’s expected to see his role increase significantly with the loss of veteran edge rusher Marcus Davenport for the season.

Aaron Glenn

“Well, they’re two totally different people and body types, but the one thing that I do think that they’re similar, they are both able to rush with power,” Glenn said this week. “Obviously, Davenport’s the longer guy so he has a couple more tools that he can use than Paschal, but Paschal is more squatty, to the ground, so he’s able to use his spin moves and things like that to win. But they both have advantages between each other that they can go out there and be successful.”

Frank Ragnow

Pro Bowl center Ragnow is out with a pectoral tear and safety Brian Branch is doubtful with an illness. While pectoral tears can have up to a six-month recovery window, the Lions believe that Ragnow not only escaped a season-ending prognosis but may also avoid being placed on injured reserve, meaning he is expected to return sometime in the next four weeks. Detroit likely will move Graham Glasgow from left guard to center, a position he has played in two of his nine seasons. Michael Niese, Kayode Awosika and Dan Skipper are potential candidates to start at guard.

Lions Game Status Update:

DB Brian Branch (Illness) has been added to the Game Status Report. He is listed as Doubtful for Monday’s game vs. Seattle.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 29, 2024