The Seattle Seahawks just received a significant boost ahead of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, courtesy of an NFL trade deadline blockbuster involving Kirk Cousins.
The Raiders traded Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, November 10, in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. That clears the way for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to make his first career NFL start against Seattle on November 15.
And the betting market has already reacted.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported Tuesday that DraftKings had the Seahawks favored by 3.5 points before the Cousins trade. Following the news, Seattle’s advantage grew to six points.
That’s a considerable swing for a team already preparing to start backup quarterback Drew Lock for another week.
Seahawks-Raiders Odds Shift Following Kirk Cousins Trade
Henderson detailed the sudden movement in the Seahawks-Raiders betting line shortly after the Cousins trade.
“DraftKings had the Seahawks as 3.5-point favorites in this game before the Cousins trade. The line has since moved to Seahawks -6,” Henderson wrote on X.
The 2.5-point shift illustrates how dramatically the quarterback change has affected expectations for Sunday’s matchup at Allegiant Stadium.
Cousins was hardly a liability during his nine starts in Las Vegas. According to the Raiders’ official announcement, the 38-year-old completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, producing a 97.1 passer rating.
Those numbers helped make Las Vegas a top-five passing offense by yardage entering Week 10.
Now, instead of preparing for an experienced quarterback with 176 career starts, Seattle will face a rookie with just eight regular-season pass attempts.
The development is particularly welcome for the Seahawks, who are dealing with their own quarterback complications. Head coach Mike Macdonald announced Monday that Lock would start again while Sam Darnold continues recovering from quadriceps and rib injuries.
Lock has performed well in relief, completing 54 of 76 passes for 597 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions this season.
Seattle may not have its preferred starting quarterback available Sunday, but the Raiders’ decision means Las Vegas won’t either.
Fernando Mendoza Faces Seahawks Defense in First NFL Start
For Fernando Mendoza, Sunday’s game represents the beginning of what the Raiders hope will be a long and successful NFL career.
For the Seahawks defense, it’s an opportunity to make that introduction particularly uncomfortable.
The Raiders confirmed Tuesday that Mendoza will take over as their starting quarterback following Cousins’ departure.
Selected first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to a national championship after throwing for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns during his final college season.
His NFL résumé is considerably shorter.
Mendoza’s only regular-season appearance came against the New England Patriots in Week 5, when he completed six of eight passes for 48 yards.
His first professional start comes against a Seattle defense allowing just 155.1 passing yards per game, the fewest in the NFL entering Week 10.
The Seahawks also rank first in total defense at 257.9 yards allowed per game and fourth in rushing defense at 89.1 yards per game.
That presents a difficult assignment for a rookie still adjusting to NFL defenses, particularly with Seattle’s ability to limit both the passing game and opposing rushing attacks.
Las Vegas has struggled to establish its ground game, averaging just 71.3 rushing yards per contest, the second-fewest in the league. That could leave Mendoza facing obvious passing situations against Mike Macdonald’s defense.
There is no guarantee that Mendoza will struggle. The Raiders invested the first overall pick in him for a reason, and his college production speaks for itself.
But the timing of his debut is hardly ideal for Las Vegas.
Seattle enters Sunday’s game at 5-4, looking to build on its victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Raiders are 4-5 after losing to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Seahawks were already favored before the NFL trade deadline. Now they’ll face an opponent making a significant quarterback transition with only days to prepare.
And if the betting market’s immediate reaction is any indication, the Cousins trade has made Seattle’s path to a sixth victory considerably more favorable.
Seattle Seahawks Get Great News on Kirk Cousins Trade Before Raiders Game