A Super Bowl rematch over a decade in the making is on deck to close out the 2025 NFL season.
The New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks remain the last two teams standing in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy after conference championship weekend. With the Pats-Seahawks matchup solidified, you can bet that the Malcom Butler interception highlights from Super Bowl 49 are making the rounds all over social media.
Neither the Patriots nor the Seahawks were expected to be playing in the big game when the season first started. Seattle (+6000) was viewed to be an up-and-coming contender, taking a risk at quarterback by signing Sam Darnold as a free agent. However, in just the second year of the Mike Macdonald era, the Seahawks finished with the best record in the NFC and used a high-flying offense to advance out of the conference with wins over division rivals in the 49ers and Rams.
On the other side, New England (+8000) was also assumed to be a team on the rise, undergoing the second season with QB Drake Maye at the helm, and the first with new head coach Mike Vrabel. The Patriots accelerated that timeline exponentially, winning the AFC East and earning the second seed in the conference. Behind a stout defense, the Pats knocked off the Chargers, Texans and Broncos to get back to the Super Bowl stage.
SN's panel of experts largely agrees with the oddsmakers, as the majority of the predictions are rolling with Darnold and the Seahawks.
Below are all of our expert picks for Super Bowl 60, complete with explanations for each pick and score predictions for Seahawks vs. Patriots (all odds courtesy of Caesar's).
Super Bowl 2026 predictions: Expert picks for Patriots vs. Seahawks
- Location: Santa Clara
- Kickoff time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC
- Point spread: Seahawks -4.5
- Over/under: 46.0
- Moneyline: Seahawks -230, Patriots +191
Vinnie Iyer: The Patriots have proven themselves with their defense in the playoffs, taking most of the winning burden away from Maye. That defense will be a difference-maker again, with Maye getting well prepared by McDaniels during the bye to attack the Seahawks.
Maye has more assets with his physical skill set to believe that his talent will help him overcome his youth and inexperience. Maye joins Brady in winning a Super Bowl in his second season, while Darnold drops to 0-5 in his career vs. The Patriots.
Prediction: Patriots 27, Seahawks 24
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Bill Bender: Can first-year coach Mike Vrabel lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory with a familiar formula from New England's past? The Patriots have allowed 8.7 points per game in the postseason. Seattle has allowed 4.5 rushing yards per attempt in the playoffs. If New England wins the turnover battle, wins time of possession and Drake Maye avoids turnovers, then an upset is possible. Maye has taken five sacks in all three New England playoff games, but he has not thrown multiple interceptions in a game this season.
Seattle has not had a turnover in the postseason under coach Michael Macdonald. Sam Darnold has a 69.85 completion percentage with an average of 235 passing yards, four TDs and no interceptions in the playoffs. That connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba – who had a 75.2% catch percentage in the regular season – has been fantastic all season. The Bill Belichick philosophy always aimed at stopping the other team's best player. Can Vrabel do that with JSN and maintain its strong run defense against Kenneth Walker III? Seattle is 2-1 in games where Darnold has multiple interceptions. There is slightly more margin for error.
This will be a defensive game in the first half before both teams open it up. Seattle, however, will be playing with the lead, and that will be enough to hold on for the franchise's second Super Bowl victory. Darnold earns Super Bowl MVP honors.
Prediction: Seahawks 24, Patriots 20
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Micah Adams: The Seahawks might be a historic juggernaut hiding in plain sight.
If you're part of the 12th man, I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is that Seattle finished the regular season with the 7th-best DVOA of all-time. That was before clobbering the 49ers and outclassing a very good Rams team. The bad news? Not only have recent historic DVOAs not translated to Super Bowl glory (I'm looking at you Ravens), but no team that finished No. 1 in DVOA has won it all since 2013. Back to good news: That team in 2013 was the Seahawks.
Meanwhile, the Patriots just became the first team in NFL history to beat three straight top-5 defenses en route to a Super Bowl berth. Now they get a fourth in Seattle so I doubt they'll lose too much sleep. But unlike the Chargers, Texans and Broncos, the Seahawks don't have that obvious Achilles' heel. They are a complete team on both sides the ball and relatively healthy with Zach Charbonnet the most noteworthy scratch.
Sam Darnold has been playing the best ball of his career while Drake Maye, a lock to finish in the top-2 of MVP voting, has largely struggled throughout these playoffs. You could argue that both are overdue for regression to the mean which would surely benefit the Patriots. But while both quarterbacks have the luxury of leaning on great defenses, only one has a reliable game-breaking playmaker. I expect Jaxon Smith-Njigba to be the difference (and Super Bowl MVP).
Prediction: Seahawks 23, Patriots 17
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Dan Treacy: Very little about this NFL season has been normal or predictable. Hopefully, that means we’re in for a fun, wacky Super Bowl 60 between the two teams that faced off in a thrilling Super Bowl 49.
While the rematch element is fun, nearly nothing about the Patriots and Seahawks is the same as it was 11 years ago. This is the first Super Bowl in 13 years in which both quarterbacks and head coaches are making their first appearance in that role, so there is an element of the unknown in Santa Clara.
I’ve had my doubts about Sam Darnold’s ability to win the big game, but all he’s proven as the stage has gotten bigger is that he is capable of rising to the occasion. It doesn’t hurt that perhaps the most balanced team in the NFL surrounds him. Seattle’s defense isn’t necessarily loaded with superstars but just doesn’t have many weaknesses, meaning there will be no break for the Patriots after facing three excellent defenses to start the playoffs. The unit should hold its own — if not control the game — against a New England offense that has struggled in the playoffs.
The Patriots can’t be counted out. They are here because their defense has been brilliant in these playoffs, and Drake Maye and the offense should benefit from better conditions in Santa Clara. If the Rams could move the ball against the Seahawks in Seattle, the Patriots are capable of doing it at Levi’s Stadium.
Much like the Eagles last year, the Seahawks look like an engine that simply can’t be stopped. Philadelphia had its doubters last season because Patrick Mahomes was on the other side, but in hindsight, their balance overwhelmed the Chiefs. Darnold and the Seahawks have it all working right now and should be able to bring home the franchise’s second championship.
Prediction: Seahawks 30, Patriots 23
Daniel Mader: Defense has been the story of the 2026 playoffs. The Seahawks and Patriots are still alive because of the combined 12 turnovers they've forced in their respective sides of the bracket, allowing Drake Maye and Sam Darnold to each reach the big game for the first time despite a lack of flashy numbers or game-altering passes.
If defense is the trend of these playoffs, I can't pick against the Seahawks to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Seattle now has a 19-game track record of making life tough for opposing quarterbacks — and while Mike Vrabel's unit has also been impressive lately, totaling 12 sacks in three playoff games, I think Maye will have his hands full with the talent and cohesion of the Seahawks' defensive front and secondary.
As long as Darnold's playoff demons don't suddenly return on the big stage, and he can avoid turnovers in Santa Clara, I feel confident that Seattle's defense can stifle New England enough to get one more win. Kenneth Walker has been rumbling through defenses, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba is virtually unstoppable by now. The Patriots may be the class of the AFC, but I don't think they have the versatility or experience to compete in Super Bowl 60.
I'll go Seahawks to win by 13 points, also predicting that Seattle gets a defensive score and Walker finds the end zone twice. Wouldn't it be poetic for a Seahawks running back to get fed some big touchdowns in the Super Bowl against the Patriots, 11 years too late?
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 14
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Daniel Chavkin: No one expected the Patriots and Seahawks to meet in Super Bowl 60, but that doesn't mean the game lacks storylines. On New England's side, Drake Maye has a chance to win a Super Bowl in his second season, while many of his counterparts are well into their careers without one. On Seattle's side, a win would put Mike MacDonald's defense in the same conversations as some of the best defenses to ever win the Super Bowl, including the last time Seattle was in the final game.
I do think the keys to this game will actually be opposites, depending on who has the ball. If Drake Maye is on the field, the Seahawks need to be able to take advantage of New England's suspect offensive line and get to Maye without blitzing much. However, when Sam Darnold is on the field, he needs to effectively navigate the Patriots' timely blitzes that have been so successful this postseason.
Ultimately, the best team all season long has been the Seahawks, who've produced impressive win after impressive win. Seattle's defense is the best unit in the league, but don't discount the Seahawks' special teams unit either, which has made a few big plays in the postseason. Of course, Darnold needs to protect the football better than he did in the regular season, but his zero turnovers in the playoffs inspire confidence that he can keep it up.
The Patriots absolutely can win this game, thanks to their MVP candidate quarterback and how their defense has leveled up in the playoffs, but the Seahawks defense is too good to pick against.
Prediction: Seahawks 23, Patriots 16
Ed Williams: Whether you're leaning towards the Patriots or the Seahawks in this Super Bowl matchup, both sides require you to take a bit of a leap of faith.
The Patriots have battled criticism all season for how easy their schedule was, but at the end of the day you can only play who's on the schedule. Surely the playoffs would be the ultimate test to weed out any doubts, right? Not so fast. They faced a Chargers' squad with a decimated offensive line, knocked off an overwhelmed C.J. Stroud-led Texans team and then snuck past the Broncos with some help from Mother Nature. They also were able to avoid facing Josh Allen and the Bills when Denver sent Buffalo packing in the divisional round. All that being said, the Patriots still had to put up enough points against three excellent defenses. Their 54 points in the first three rounds of the postseason are the fewest of any team that has won each contest in a three-game playoff stretch since 1969. And now they run into another elite defense in the Seahawks.
Meanwhile, if you're eyeing the Seattle side, you're putting all your eggs in the Sam Darnold basket, which can be a scary proposition. But Darnold did as good a job as he possibly could have to put those fears to rest against the Rams in the NFC championship game. He was 25-for-36 for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He went to his No. 1 target Jaxson Smith-Njigba early and often, as the Ohio State product tallied 10 catches fr 153 yards and a score. But Darnold had a rough postseason debut last year with the Vikings (sacked 9 times) and wasn't asked to do much in the win over the 49ers in the divisional round. Will we get the Sam Darnold that roasted the Rams? Or will we get the Sam Darnold that's seeing ghosts? For what it's worth, Sam Darnold is 0-4 against the Patriots in his career and has been outscored 123-23 in those games.
Both Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald are Coach of the Year candidates. Both teams boast excellent defenses. Both teams have question marks that give you pause. So which way do you go? The Seahawks just seem to be more battle-tested, and their offense has more momentum after dropping 72 points in their first two playoff games. Plus, it's hard not to root for someone like Sam Darnold who was cast off by the Jets, Panthers, 49ers and Vikings.
Prediction: Seahawks 23, Patriots 20
David Suggs: The Lombardi Trophy beckons for one of the Seahawks and Patriots on Super Bowl Sunday. That would've been an unlikely refrain to deliver before the season. Alas, after a regular season of carnage and a postseason teeming with drama, we are finally here.
Firstly, it must be acknowledged just how impressive New England's performance has been throughout the year. Drake Maye is a worthy MVP candidate, blessed with an innate ability to find targets down the field and dance past defenders. The Patriots defense might be the NFL's best, posting numbers that have it bumping shoulders with the 1985 Bears, 2000 Ravens and 2002 Buccaneers in NFL immortality.
And yet, it's hard for me to look past the Seahawks. They were undoubtedly football's best side throughout the regular season. Their displays in the playoffs have done little to change that notion. Sam Darnold looked unfettered by his oblique strain in Seattle's win over the Rams in the NFC Championship, while they received timely contributions from the likes of Kenneth Walker II and Cooper Kupp. The Seahawks also might be the only team in the league whose defense can surpass New England's might (sorry Texans and Broncos fans).
I think this game will be marked by the individual matchup between All-Pros Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Christian Gonzalez. Smith-Njigba's performances might have tailed off slightly towards the end of the regular season. But he looked lively in Seattle's win over Los Angeles. Gonzalez was similarly effective on frozen tundra. But there's a massive difference between playing Jarrett Stidham and playing Darnold -- especially under Klint Kubiak's spell.
Simply, I think the Seahawks have too many tools at their disposal to inflict damage upon the Patriots on both sides of the ball. Mike Macdonald picks up his first Super Bowl as Seattle caps one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory.
Prediction: Seahawks 25, Patriots 17
Jake Mozarsky: A rematch of Super Bowl 49 is exactly what the NFL ordered for 2026, with the Seattle Seahawks looking to finally exorcise the demons of the one-yard line against a New England Patriots team that has defied every expectation to return to the mountaintop. The storylines are dripping with drama on both sides: Can Mike Macdonald's "Dark Side" defense officially cement itself as the modern-day Legion of Boom? Will Jaxon Smith-Njigba follow up his historic regular season by taking over the biggest stage in sports?
But as a Jets fan, this game hits different because of one man: Sam Darnold. This is the closest thing I’ve had to a "team" in the playoffs in a long time, let alone the Super Bowl. I was there in Detroit for his first-ever game — the pick-six on the first play that somehow turned into a blowout win. I was at MetLife for his return from mono when he took down the Cowboys with a spleen protector on. And, unfortunately, I was in the stands for the "seeing ghosts" game against these very same Patriots. Watching him go from that rock bottom to leading a Super Bowl charge feels personal. For us Jets fans, seeing Sam finally get his revenge on the franchise that broke him is the ultimate surrogate victory.
It’s tempting to look at New England’s gritty path to Santa Clara and think they have the veteran poise to pull this off again. Their defense has been otherworldly, holding the Broncos to just seven points in a blizzard to clinch the AFC. But this Seahawks team feels different. While the original Legion of Boom relied on legendary secondary play, this "MOB" (Macdonald's Owners of the Backfield) thrives on a relentless pass rush and a secondary led by Devon Witherspoon that hits just as hard as Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor once did.
The biggest factor, however, will be Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The league’s leading receiver has spent the season making elite corners look ordinary. Whether he’s lined up in the slot or out wide, JSN is a nightmare to bracket, and against a Patriots secondary that can occasionally be beaten by pure route-running savvy, he is going to get open when it matters most.
Eleven years ago, we saw a 28-24 finish that broke the hearts of the Pacific Northwest. This time, the script flips. The Seahawks' defense will be the ones making the game-sealing play, and Darnold will finally trade the ghosts of his past for a Lombardi Trophy and cement one of the greatest NFL stories in recent memory.
Prediction: Seahawks 28, Patriots 24