A sports betting column published by Fox News’ OutKick on Oct. 15, 2026, previewed the Seattle Seahawks’ Thursday night matchup with the Denver Broncos and recommended betting on fewer than 20.5 combined points in the first half. The writer based the pick on the teams’ perceived slow starts and Seattle’s defensive strength. The article presented the wager as the author’s opinion, not a report of the game’s outcome.
Both teams entered the matchup with 3-2 records. Seattle was 1-1 on the road, while Denver had won both of its home games and lost twice in three road contests, according to the column.
The Seahawks had lost to Washington in their first road game, then returned home and defeated the Chargers. Their most recent game was a 32-29 loss to San Francisco. The column described the 49ers game as Seattle’s toughest test so far that season.
Quarterback Sam Darnold had returned after being hurt in Seattle’s opening game, the article said. Across the four games he had played, he had thrown for 755 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. The column noted that six of his touchdown passes had gone to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had also accounted for most of Darnold’s passing yards. It said Denver cornerback Pat Surtain was injured, potentially affecting the Broncos’ ability to cover Smith-Njigba; it did not provide further details about Surtain’s condition.
Denver’s results included a season-opening loss to Kansas City, followed by wins over Jacksonville and the Los Angeles Rams. The column called the Rams victory a notable comeback: Denver trailed for much of the game before winning 30-26. The Broncos then lost 24-14 to San Francisco and beat the Chargers 23-17 in Los Angeles the previous week.
The writer questioned how much Denver’s results against the Rams and Chargers said about the team, characterizing both opponents as having disappointing seasons. The column also highlighted Jacksonville as Denver’s strongest win to that point. Those assessments were the writer’s judgments, rather than independently established measures of team performance.
On defense, the article described Seattle as allowing the fewest yards in the league. It argued that Denver could have difficulty scoring if it failed to establish its running game, while also suggesting the Broncos might be able to limit Seattle’s passing attack. The column did not provide specific statistical support for its forecast that both teams generally begin games slowly.
The author’s final recommendation was the first-half under at 20.5 points. The article included the writer’s account of recovering from a poor start to the football betting season, but did not give a record of wagers or supporting data for the pick. As with any betting recommendation, the prediction was uncertain and did not guarantee a result.
