Commanders Vs Seahawks Week 9 NFL Betting Picks and Predictions

The Return of Jayden: Commanders Throw Their Rookie Back to the Wolves vs. Seattle

The Commanders are finally going for it: rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will lead the squad against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night. Coach Dan Quinn made the announcement Friday, and the audible collective groan of relief and trepidation could be heard among the Commanders' faithful. Jayden Daniels has been benched twice this season already—the first time due to a sprained knee in Week 2, and the more recent stint due to a hamstring injury that sat him out the Monday night pummeling at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Marcus Mariota started the season 1-1 in his two stints as a fill-in QB. The one for the Chiefs.well. Yeah. We witnessed that. Mariota had no clue what he was doing out there. The offense was a non-factor. They were downright embarrassed. Daniels returns in a desperate situation. The team needs a spark, badly. They're hosting a tough Seahawks squad, and the pressure is real.

Meanwhile, the 5-2 Seahawks are rolling, mostly. They're a playoff contender, but the buzz around their secondary has been impossible to ignore. Specifically, cornerback Riq Woolen was once the center of trade rumors leading up to the November 4th deadline. Everyone from league execs to talking heads was saying he was a “strong trade candidate.” The logic? He's a free agent next year, and he hasn't been quite the Pro Bowl ball-hawk he was as a rookie under the new defensive scheme. But hold up, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo dropped a report just a day or two ago, saying it's now "more likely than not" that Seattle might hold on to him. 

GM John Schneider sees him as a piece of their long-term puzzle, and with Devon Witherspoon battling a lingering knee issue, trading a guy with Woolen's elite physical tools—that 4.26-second speed, seriously—would be a huge risk for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The trade deadline drama is heating up, but for now, it seems the Seahawks are going to keep their speedster on the roster to face Daniels this weekend. Woolen's presence, along with the possible return of Witherspoon, will be a huge test for the young Commander quarterback.

It's hard for me to back the Commanders, given their history this year, but oddsmakers are cutting this one close. They have Seattle at -160 to Washington's +140. That seems particularly thin, as does the 3-point spread, which Seattle can easily cover. The Seahawks are 3rd in the league ATS this season, and they'll improve on Sunday.