Thursday night in Week 6 brings together two offenses that haven’t exactly inspired confidence, and that makes the anytime touchdown scorer market one of the more interesting places to look.
The Broncos will host the Seahawks with both teams sitting at 3-2, but the numbers point to a game that could stay tight and stay messy. Denver’s offense hasn’t settled in, even after shifting playcalling from Davis Webb to Sean Payton in Week 5 in an effort to jump-start Bo Nix and a unit that was 10th in EPA/Play on offense in the 2025 season. Seattle hasn’t been much cleaner on that side either, ranking 25th in EPA/Play while Sam Darnold has thrown five picks over his last three starts.
Oddsmakers have reflected that lack of offensive certainty. The total sits at 40.5, down from 42.5 at open, and with Seattle and Denver both grading well on defense, touchdowns could be at a premium.
Seattle enters as the league’s No. 1 team in yards per play allowed and a top-10 scoring defense in 2026, while Denver’s defense has been strong enough to keep this one in a low-scoring range. Still, with Denver dealing with a lot of secondary injuries entering Week 6, there are a few touchdown angles worth chasing.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the cleanest play on the board. He’s scored in four of five games this season and has caught 37 of his 50 targets for well over 500 yards.
Among NFL receivers, he’s one of the most heavily targeted, and that usage should only matter more here with Denver’s defensive injuries. The one game where JSN didn’t score came against the Los Angeles Chargers, and Seattle built such a big lead early that the passing game didn’t need to keep pushing.
This matchup feels different. The game should be closer, Smith-Njigba has already posted multiple two-touchdown outings in 2026, and he looks like a strong plus-money bet.
On the Denver side, Evan Engram is the long shot that makes sense. The Broncos have been tough to trust offensively, but Engram has quietly held a decent role.
He’s been targeted at least four times in back-to-back games and just turned in what may have been his best outing of the 2026 season, even while playing fewer than 50 percent of Denver’s snaps against the Chargers. Over the last two weeks, he’s seen nine targets and has one receiving touchdown in five games.
Seattle has already allowed two touchdowns to opposing tight ends, and Engram’s red-zone case gets a little better with Pat Bryant sidelined because of an ankle injury. He scored in Week 1 and comes in off a season-high 55 yards, which is enough to justify a look at this price.
The running back angle leans Seattle too, and Emanuel Wilson is the one to circle. Over the last two weeks, he’s handled the backfield, playing 60 percent of the snaps in Week 4 and 58.7 percent in Week 5.
Zach Charbonnet remains on the PUP list, and George Holani’s lost fumble in Week 5 against San Francisco only adds more weight to Wilson’s case. He should be positioned for the bulk of the carries in Week 6 after seeing 41 total carries in his last game.
Wilson already has three games with at least 20 rushing attempts this season, and he’s scored in back-to-back games with two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Denver has given up 4.7 yards per carry and five rushing touchdowns in five games, so Seattle may find the easier path on the ground.
At +125, Wilson looks playable.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Just Became Seattle's Biggest Thursday Night X-Factor
Jaxon Smith-Njigbas week of practice offered a small dose of concern when the Seahawks receiver was limited by an ankle issue, but he heads into the matchup with Denver without an injury designation. That matters for a Seattle offense that has leaned on him heavily this season, with Smith-Njigba emerging as one of the teams most important playmakers through the first five games.
The timing only adds to the intrigue on Thursday night. Denver will be missing key defensive pieces in Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, which opens a path for Seattle to keep feeding its top target if he looks like himself. For the Seahawks, the question is less about whether Smith-Njigba is available and more about how much damage he can do against a Broncos secondary that is suddenly shorthanded. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Need A Spark From An Unsettling Backfield Situation
The Seahawks kept churning the bottom of the roster this week, signing running back Velus Jones Jr. off the practice squad and letting wide receiver Irv Charles go before bringing him back. It was the latest in a string of recent activations and releases involving the same players, a reminder of how fluid Seattles roster has become as it tries to navigate the back end of the season.
Jones has mostly made his mark on special teams this year, but the move also hints at a bigger role on offense if the team continues to be thin at running back. For a Seattle group looking for a spark, the backfield is suddenly one of the more unsettled spots on the roster, and the next few days could determine how much opportunity Jones gets to prove he can do more than cover kicks. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Brings Seahawks One Big Question Into Broncos Game
Jaxon Smith-Njigba gave the Seahawks a timely lift Wednesday by turning in a full practice session after being limited earlier in the week with an ankle injury. On a short week, that kind of update matters, especially with Seattle heading into Thursday Night Football against the Broncos and trying to keep its passing game on track.
Still, the abbreviated schedule leaves one real question hanging over the matchup. Full participation is a positive sign, but it does not automatically mean Smith-Njigba is fully over the ankle issue, so the Seahawks will be watching closely right up until kickoff to see how he responds. [Read more 🡒]