Seattle Seahawks vs Washington Commanders Betting Pick & Prediction

Seattle Seahawks (5-2 SU, 5-2 ATS) vs. Washington Commanders (3-5 SU, 3-5 ATS)
NFL Football Week 9
Date/Time: Sunday Night Football, November 2, 2025, at 8:20 PM EST
Where: Northwest Stadium, Landover, Maryland
TV: NBC

The Seattle Seahawks make the trip out east for an NFC showdown against the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football. The Commanders are in dire need of a positive development, following a 28-7 stomping in Kansas City against the Chiefs on MNF—their third straight loss, which sent them to 3-5. Seattle, meanwhile, is sitting pretty at 5-2, coming off a bye and an October 20 win over the Texans, 27-19. Can they keep it rolling when they come into Landover on Sunday night, or will the Commanders get things pointed in the right direction again?

Issues at Large

There is a bit of a contrast between these two teams as we creep up on week 9 of the season. Seattle is pretty healthy, with all their viable pieces intact. Since an opening-week loss, they’ve won 5 out of 6. Washington, meanwhile, is reeling and really came up short on MNF in a tepid showing. At 3-5, things are already beginning to slip away for a team that made it to the NFC title game last season. Their Quarterback, Jayden Daniels, has been banged up; they’ve had health issues with both of their top receivers, and they are already missing some guys on both sides of the ball. The team they envisioned has seldom been on the field with all the different injuries they’ve been forced to withstand.

A lot of times in this league, a team’s fortunes are determined by this aspect. No disrespect to Marcus Mariota, but his viability as a starter against opponents like Seattle is not too rosy. The Jayden Daniels aspect of this equation looms large. A hamstring is something that could seriously compromise a player like Daniels, and even if there has been some positive news with his health, it’s probably unrealistic to expect a vintage version of Daniels to materialize for this game. And we’ll see about WR Terry McLaurin, who returned last week and is still nursing an injury. Still, with word that Daniels will practice this week, one could assume there will be a push for him to appear this Sunday.

Watch out for Seattle

I’m always leery of going against teams in spots like this when their results are better than what you’d suspect they’d be on paper. Sure, that Seattle defense has made some strides recently, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has stepped forward as one of the top receivers in the league. Still, the defense isn’t automatic in any way and can be exploited in spots. And offensively, outside of JSN, it’s sometimes slim pickings. Yet here they are, an interesting dark-horse contender sitting atop their division.

Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold has been pretty good and made a nice connection with JSN, as he uses him in heavy volume. They can run the ball with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, while neither of those guys commonly puts up big single-game numbers. And the supporting pass-catching cast is pretty thin, led by a depreciated Cooper Kupp. But they are well-coached and steady on offense. And their “D” has picked up any slack, featuring a better-than-advertised pass rush and a disruptive secondary that can be quite stout in spots.

What to Expect

While some may have predicted a downturn for the Commanders following a surprise trip to the conference title game last season, not many saw this coming. Still, you have to grant them some grace based on the injuries. Even with that consideration, something seems off with the Commanders. The addition of Deebo Samuel, in light of McLaurin’s missing time, hasn’t really registered. The diversity of their run game has yet to produce real results, and their defense, outside of some big plays here and there, hasn’t been very good. And after allowing 72 combined points in their last two games, is there a chance we see the foundation start to crack?

The way each team heads into this game casts a somewhat stark equation. On one sideline is a Seattle team in winning form, having experienced minimal adversity in the personnel department, coming off a bye they really didn’t even need. On the other sideline is a deflated Commanders squad, operating at below expectations with injuries galore coming off the short week after a drubbing in Arrowhead. But maybe looking at it that way can lead one astray. It’s still a long road trip for the Seahawks against a team that is facing a real fork in the road moment. Urgency can be an overplayed card in the betting streets. Playing the game of what means what to whom and how things might be more important for one side over the other is a dangerous game to play. Still, the inner resource this Commander’s team showed in order to so dramatically alter course last season should be factored into this analysis on some level.

Take the Road Favorite

A 4-5 record is just so much more hopeful than 3-6, and I’d expect the Commanders to be gunning hard to avoid the latter. Still, is it their predicament that is hastening Daniels’ return? Are there certain football realities that have befallen the Commanders that one week, higher urgency, and the return of Daniels will not undo? I just sense that whatever issues the Commanders are dealing with, the Seahawks will not be sympathetic, while continuing to steadily do what they do. And maybe facing an all-around team that is well-coached and rested like Seattle isn’t really what the doctor ordered when the Commanders are seeking a get-well spot. I’m taking Seattle in this one.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread:

I’m betting on the Seattle Seahawks minus 3 points.