Patriots vs. Seahawks prediction: NFL Week 1 picks, odds, bets, player props

Rhamondre Stevenson quietly put together one of the more efficient seasons of his career in 2025.Now, the veteran back gets a chance to kick off 2026 strong with the Patriots’ backfield potentially tilted heavily in his direction in Wednesday night’s season opener against the Seahawks.Second-year ball carrier TreVeyon Henderson has missed two weeks of practice with an ankle injury, leaving his status very much in doubt for the Super Bowl rematch.That could leave Stevenson with the kind of workload he rarely received a year ago.Stevenson rushed for only 603 yards last season, a total brought down by both injuries and his timeshare with Henderson, but averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per carry.His underlying numbers were even better.Stevenson forced 33 missed tackles on just 130 carries and averaged 3.8 yards after contact per attempt, according to Pro Football Focus.Volume shouldn’t be nearly as difficult to find Wednesday if Henderson sits.Seattle, meanwhile, enters the opener without an established workhorse following Kenneth Walker III’s offseason departure and with Zach Charbonnet on the PUP list.George Holani is listed atop the Seahawks’ depth chart but totaled only 73 yards on 22 carries last season, and he and first-round rookie Jadarian Price figure to split the workload early, with third-stringer Emanuel Wilson also in the mix.Stevenson doesn’t necessarily need to dominate a difficult Seattle defense to be the game’s biggest rusher.A 15-to-18 carry night while none of the Seahawks’ backs separates from the pack could be enough to give Stevenson the edge in a wide-open rushing market.The play: Rhamondre Stevenson to be the game’s leading rusher (-110, FanDuel Sportsbook)Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports.He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA....