Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers Pick and Preview
NFC Wild Card Matchup
Point Spread: Seahawks +9.5 | Total Points: 42.5
The Seahawks come into this playoff game vs San Francisco looking to pick up their 3rd straight win. For the year, they have an above .500 record at 9-8. The Seahawks are coming off a 3-point victory over the Los Angeles Rams (19-16). Despite the straight-up win, Seattle did not cover the spread. They went into the matchup as -5.0 point favorites. With an over-under betting line of 42, the two teams fell below that figure as they combined for 35.
This week, the 49ers travel to take on the Seahawks for the third time this season. Heading into the game, the 49ers have won 10 straight games leading to an overall record of 13-4. Last week, they picked up a game in the NFC West, as they took down the Cardinals by a score of 38-13. This win was paired with an ATS victory, as they went into the game by -14.5 point favorites.
Seahawks vs 49ers History
In the previous matchup between the two teams, the 49ers came out on top by a score of 21-13. This matchup took place back in week 15. Not only did the 49ers win the game straight up, but they also covered the spread as 3.0-point favorites. The two team’s offense’s combined to score 34 points. This figure was below the over-under betting line of 43.0.
When looking back on the last 3 head-to-head matchups between Seattle and San Francisco, the 49ers hold the edge with a record of 2-1. San Francisco will look to do a better job at home in this series, as across their 3 most recent home games vs Seattle, they are just 1-2. In terms of betting, the 49ers hold a recent edge vs the spread, going 3-2 in the previous 5 meetings. These games have finished with an average point total of 43, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.
Notable Injuries
Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers
Keys To Victory: Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback Geno Smith will take the field as the leader of the NFL’s 9th-ranked scoring offense at 23.9 points per game. For the season, Smith has the team sitting 12th in passing yards, even with a below-average number of attempts per contest. Heading into play, he has a passer rating of 100.9. Seattle will need to continue getting receiver DK Metcalf involved, as he has caught 63.8% of the passes thrown his way for a total of 1048 receiving yards.
On the ground, Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III will have his work cut out for him against one of the league’s best rush defenses. So far, San Francisco is allowing an average of 77.7 rushing yards per game. For the season, Walker III has a yards-per-attempt figure of 4.6.
Keys To Victory: San Francisco 49ers
For the season, the San Francisco offense is averaging 26.5 points per contest, placing them 6th in the NFL. So far, the team’s strong offensive play has led to the team making up for 62.0% of their game’s scoring. The matchup between the 49ers’ passing attack and Seahawks’ secondary will be a matchup to keep an eye on as both units rank near the league average in several statistical categories. So far, San Francisco’s offense is averaging 226.8 yards per game through the air. For the season, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy is averaging 18.89 passing attempts per game and has posted one of the better passer ratings in the league (107.3). This week, he is facing off against the NFL’s 13th-ranked defense at defending the pass. So far, the team’s top receiving threat has been Brandon Aiyuk, who comes into the game with 1015 receiving yards. For the season, he has been the recipient of 39.0% of the pass attempts to wide receivers.
On the ground, the 49ers should be able to put in yet another strong performance, as they are currently the 8th-ranked team in rush yards per game, and face off against a defense that is vulnerable up front. So far, the team’s leading rusher is Christian McCaffrey, who is averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. Through 17 games, he has rushed for a total of 1139 yards on the ground.
Betting Trends
- Seattle is 2-3 ATS in their last 5 games on the road.
- Seattle is 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games at home.
- Seattle is 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games as the underdog.
- Seattle is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as the favorite.
Prediction
This game is going to be closer than many people think. The Seahawks know their opponent very well, and while Brock Purdy has been playing amazingly after stepping up into the starting role, this is a playoff game and something he’s never had to deal with. A lack of playoff experience could show in this matchup. We like the 49ers in a close game, Seahawks cover the spread.
Pick: 49ers
ATS: Seahawks +9.5
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