San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks Betting Preview
The first game on Wild Card weekend features two familiar faces. Will Seattle, the No. 7 seed, spoil the hopes of the 49ers, the No. 2 seed? Sportsmemo NFL handicapper Eric Pauly shares his thoughts and makes a free, expert San Fransisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks betting pick!
San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks NFC Wild Card Betting Odds
Saturday, January 14 | NFL Wild Card Betting Notes |
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Point Spread: | San Francisco 49ers -10 vs Seattle Seahawks |
Total: | o/u 43 Points |
Location: | Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA |
Game Time: | 4:30pm ET / 1:30pm PT (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings) |
TV: | FOX |
San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks Betting Preview
Wild Card Weekend kicks off on Saturday with an NFC West showdown. San Fransisco had its way with Seattle in both of its meetings this season. The 49ers beat the Seahawks in Week 2 and held Seattle’s offense to 0 points, and then Brock Purdy beat the 49ers in Week 15.
The Seahawks failed to cover both of the previous two matchups, and both of the games went under the closing total. This spread is 10 points, and I expect the 49ers to continue to assert their dominance over the Seahawks.
Seahawks Squeak Into Last NFC Playoff Spot
Seattle barely made the postseason, but they took care of business in Week 18 and got the help they needed from the Lions. Now, Seattle heads to San Fransisco to face a team they lost to twice and is currently on a 10-game winning streak. This could get ugly for Seattle.
The Seahawks and Geno Smith are a great story, but it is hard to see this team doing damage in the postseason.
Seattle finished 10th in the NFL in total DVOA, and a large part of that has been its offense. Smith led the NFL in completion percentage, rookie RB Ken Walker hit 1,000 rushing yards, and their two rookie tackles both had great seasons.
However, while this unit is good, it is not truly elite. On a per-drive basis, this offense is 24th in time, 22nd in plays, 17th in yards, and 10th in points, and they struggle mightily in the red zone and on third down. That is not a recipe to beat the 49ers.
This offense could not block them in the last two meetings, and it is hard to believe anything significant will change in the third matchup between these teams.
Seattle’s defense has had a few good stretches this season, but it is not a great unit. Seattle is 27th in third-down defense and 24th in red zone defense. On a per-drive basis, this defense is 28th in time, 26th in plays, 25th in yards, and 25th in plays.
Overall, the Seahawks are 25th in points and 26th in yards. Now, they have to take on the 49ers, who have scored 30 or more points in six of its last nine games. If this sounds like a tall task, it’s because it is.
Pete Carroll has done well against Shanahan throughout his career, and that would be the best argument for how Seattle keeps it close. When it comes purely to Xs and Os, it is hard to see how Seattle keeps this game close.
Purdy Working Out Pretty Good For 49ers
The 49ers are the hottest team in football, and now they have a chance to bring this momentum into the postseason. This defense is playing fast, this offense is humming, and the 49ers open as a 10-point favorite against a division rival.
When Jimmy G. went down, there was a lot of speculation about how this offense would work without him.
Well, we have found out that Brock Purdy is certainly capable of running it. Purdy has led this offense to three straight 30-point games, and this is one of the scariest teams in the NFL.
The 49ers are 6th in points for and 5th in yards this season, and they are 6th in third down. The only issue is that the 49ers are 17th in the red zone. If they can capitalize on their chances in the red zone in the Wild Card round, it is hard to see this team losing.
On defense, there is not much to be said that hasn’t been stated all year long. This is the best defense in the NFL. They are first in yards, points allowed, and interceptions.
On a per-drive basis, they are 5th in time, 10th in plays, 8th in yards, and 1st in points. The only issue with this team is that it is not the best on third down or in the red zone. While this might haunt the 49ers later in the postseason, they should be fine to take care of the Seahawks handily.
San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks Prediction
This number is sitting at SF -10, but it is fair to believe this line will drop slightly. However, it will not drop too far. At 10 points, I do not love a side, but if this drops to SF -9, I would gladly hop in.
The 49ers are too dominant for Seattle. The Seahawks are flawed, and San Fransisco has the team makeup that can take advantage of that. I would wait for a better number and then jump in on the 49ers.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers -9 (when it gets there)
Opening Line Report | NFL Wild Card Round
Join Drew Martin and Teddy Covers for this week’s edition of Opening Line Report as these two discuss betting angles to take across every matchup on the board including this San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks NFC Wild Card Round game!
NFL Odds Board
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Meet the Author
Eric Pauly, @slimeaction on Twitter, graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Finance. Eric is a die-hard Washington Commanders and New York Knicks fan and enjoys watching and writing about the NFL, NBA and MLB. His favorite gambling movements include hitting a +1000 future on Washington to win the NFC East in 2020 and predicting Jonathan Taylor’s breakout season with a +900 ticket for him to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Aside from the sports betting industry, and making a brilliant Cleveland Browns vs Los Angeles Chargers betting pick, Eric also enjoys good eats, dynasty fantasy football leagues, daily fantasy sports and playing the guitar.
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