We hoisted the Lombardi after securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed last season, giving us that crucial first-round bye and home-field advantage through the whole damn conference run. The 12s were absolutely deafening every single playoff game at Lumen Field, and it paid off big time, helping Seattle on its way to a Lombardi Trophy. You’d think after pulling off a championship run like that, the oddsmakers would be giving us more respect for the 2026 season’s top spot.
NFC West Has The Niners On Top, But We’re Still Champs!
So, what are the oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook saying *now* about our chances for the No. 1 spot? A baffling +2000 for the Seahawks! It’s wild to think we’re sitting at those odds after being the undisputed top seed and bringing home the hardware in 2025. Yeah, the San Francisco 49ers are currently favored at -140 and off to an undefeated start through Week 6. They look good, no doubt. But are they *that* good? Better than the reigning champions? Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings are at +330 and the Chicago Bears at +1200.
Let’s not forget the history here: that No. 1 seed is no joke. It was pivotal for our run last year, and it’s been a common theme for champs across the league. Six of the 13 Super Bowl winners since 2013 were the top seed in their conference. Think about it: that first-round bye and home-field advantage are absolutely massive in the chase for the Lombardi. We saw the Rams finish with the conference’s second-best record last season, but they were the No. 5 seed after placing second in the NFC West. That just shows how important winning the division and claiming that top spot truly is.
AFC Chiefs Are Rolling, But The Road Is Tough
Over in the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs are absolutely tearing it up, looking like their old selves after shockingly missing the playoffs last season. They’ve rocketed from +780 before the season to +240 to earn the No. 1 seed, and they’re off to a blistering 5-0 start. Patrick Mahomes is straight-up lighting it up; his win over the Chargers on Sunday was his 100th career victory in just 131 starts, tying Tom Brady as the fastest quarterback to hit that insane milestone. Mahomes and Andy Reid are a legendary duo already, joining the ranks of Belichick/Brady, Dungy/Manning, and Grant/Tarkenton as coach-quarterback pairs with at least three 5-0 starts. They claimed the top seed four times with Mahomes already (2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024), reaching the Super Bowl in each of the last three instances. The Buffalo Bills are right behind them at +250.
Remember last season, the Denver Broncos actually earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed before falling to the New England Patriots in heartbreaking fashion in the AFC Championship Game. And in 2023, the Baltimore Ravens finished 13-4 to secure the top spot, only to get eliminated by these same Chiefs in the conference championship. Getting that bye and home field is no guarantee, but it sure makes the road easier.
So, here we are, 12s. We know how huge that No. 1 seed is. It got us a Lombardi last year! While the oddsmakers have the 49ers as the current favorite and our Hawks sitting at +2000, we’ve got work to do. But hey, we’ve seen what this team can do when they click. Let’s keep that championship momentum rolling and prove everyone wrong all over again. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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