The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8.
New England finished 14-3 in the regular season and won the AFC with a 10-7 victory against Denver in the AFC championship game.
The Patriots are making a record 12th Super Bowl appearance and have a chance to win their seventh Super Bowl as a franchise. First-year coach Mike Vrabel – who won three Super Bowl championships as a player with New England – has led an incredible turnaround in Year 1 with quarterback Drake Maye and a strong defense that has allowed just 8.7 points per game through three playoff games.
Seattle finished 14-3 in the regular season and won the NFC with a 31-27 victory against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Seahawks are making their fourth Super Bowl appearance and have a chance to win their second Super Bowl. Second-year coach Michael Macdonald led the Seahawks through two NFC West opponents in the 49ers and Rams in the NFC playoffs, and quarterback Sam Darnold is making his first Super Bowl appearance.
It's a rematch of Super Bowl 49 – when New England beat Seattle 28-24. Who has the edge this time in Super Bowl 60? (odds courtesy of Caesars):
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Super Bowl 60 betting odds
- Spread: Seattle -4.5
- Over/under: 46.5
- Moneyline: Seattle -220, Patriots +180
The Seahawks are 12-1 S/U and 11-2 ATS when favored by seven points or less. The Patriots are 4-1 S/U and 4-1 ATS as an underdog this season – a trend to keep in mind if the spread bumps up during the next two weeks.
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Darnold – the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft – is on the cusp of winning his first Super Bowl as a starting quarterback. He's 37 of 53 (69.8%) with an average of 235 passing yards, four TDS and no interceptions in two playoff games. The connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba– who had 10 catches for 153 yards and a TD – has been on point all season. Cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis are playing at a high level, too. The Patriots will have to win the turnover battle here, and the perimeter matchup between Smith-Njigba and those cornerbacks is one of the huge matchups in the game.
Seattle will set that passing game up with running back Kenneth Walker III, who is the feature back with Zach Charbonnet, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the divisional round against the 49ers. Walker is a tough-inside runner who is active in the screen game and another check-down option for Darnold. New England's defense has allowed just 71.3 rushing yards per game in the playoffs. It is a similar defensive formula the Patriots used when Vrabel was a player. Christian Barmore has been disruptive at defensive tackle, and linebackers Christian Elliss and Robert Spillane have keyed that run defense.
Maye – the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – was 10 of 21 for 86 yards in the AFC championship game, but the line is misleading knowing the Patriots played in a snowstorm. The trend to watch will be third down. Maye was 4 of 7 for 35 yards on third down against the Broncos, but he picked up three conversions with timely scrambles – including a 7-yard run in the fourth quarter that helped seal the game. Maye has a 55.9% completion percentage in the playoffs, and the key for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be not putting the second-year quarterback in high-risk positions on third down. Seattle can generate pressure with DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon is coming off a strong performance with six tackles in the NFC championship game. Stefon Diggs – who has 11 catches for 73 yards in three playoff games – needs to be more of a factor in this game.
New England will try to lean on the running game with Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson to ensure that happens. Ernest Jones IV leads Seattle's linebackers, and the Seahawks have allowed 112 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per carry through the playoffs. If New England can keep this close into the second half and keep Maye out of trouble on third down, then this will come down to the fourth quarter.
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Turnovers will be the factor here. Seattle is plus-4 in turnover margin in the postseason, and Darnold has stayed comfortable throughout matchups against the 49ers and Rams. What can New England do to break up that rhythm? The Patriots are even in turnover margin in the postseason, with six takeaways and six giveaways. New England has to win the turnover battle, and that's putting a lot of pressure on Maye.
Ultimately, it is tough to pick against Seattle – which will build an early lead behind Darnold and be able to prevent the Patriots from turning this into a time-of-possession battle. New England, however, can make this a defensive game, too. With two of the top-five scoring defenses in the league, expect that to unfold. A late turnover seals the victory for the Seahawks.
Super Bowl 60 final score prediction
Seahawks 24, Patriots 20
Season stats
Regular-season S/U: 170-101-1
NFL playoffs S/U: 9-3
Regular-season ATS: 127-142-3
NFL playoffs ATS: 5-7