Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers Betting Preview
Thursday night, the NFC West-leading 49ers take on the playoff-hopeful Seattle Seahawks in an NFC West showdown. Will Brock Purdy have a rookie letdown “welcome to the NFL” game? Sportsmemo NFL handicapper Eric Pauly shares his thoughts and makes a free, expert San Fransisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks betting pick!
Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers Week 15 Betting Odds
Sunday, December 18 | Week 15 NFL Betting Notes |
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Point Spread: | Seattle Seahawks +3.5 vs San Francisco 49ers |
Total: | o/u 43.5 Points |
Location: | Lumen Field in Seattle, WA |
Game Time: | 8:20pm ET / 5:20pm PT (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings) |
TV: | NBC |
Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers Betting Analysis
The 49ers are looking like one of the teams to beat in the NFC, and they have an NFC West showdown with the Seahawks on Thursday. San Francisco has won their last five games, while Seattle has dropped three of its last five.
The 49ers have a cushion in the NFL playoff picture, but Seattle needs to pull off a win. Currently, they are on the outside looking in, and a victory against this team will strengthen their position.
49ers Playing Purdy Good
Even with Jimmy Garoppolo being out for the rest of the season, this 49ers team is a force to be reckoned with. The 49ers sport arguably the best defense in the NFL and their ability to make plays after the catch on offense greatly benefits this team.
Brock Purdy does not have to be the reason the 49ers win football games. He simply needs to avoid costly turnovers and negative plays. Purdy has some of the best yards-after-catch weapons in the NFL, so he just needs to be a point guard.
Even with Deebo Samuel banged up, the 49ers are still a top-tier offense. On a per-drive basis, the 49ers are 1st in time, 15th in plays, 8th in yards, and 10th in points. They are 15th in the red zone but 5th on third-down conversions. Purdy still has a lot to prove. However, he is in a situation that should allow him to succeed.
The 49ers’ defense is incredible. Enough said. This unit rushes the passer with the best of them; they are capable of lockdown coverage, they force turnovers, and they tackle well.
This team is just 12th in third-down defense and 11th in red zone defense, which is fine, but they are truly elite. On a per-drive basis, the 49ers are 5th in time, 10th in plays, 4th in yards, and 1st in points. This defense is heating up when it matters the most.
Seahawks Two Games Back in NFC West
The Seahawks are having an identity crisis at the worst time possible. This team has had weeks of offensive and defensive dominance as well as weeks of being inept on both sides of the field. This team needs a win, but it will be tough to come by.
Geno Smith has far surpassed all expectations, and this offense flows when they are humming. However, Seattle has had a rough go lately due to injuries to their running backs. On a per-drive basis, the Seahawks are 27th in time, 26th in plays, 11th in yards, and 7th in points.
Seattle can beat teams down the field and with long gains, but they have struggled lately to put together inspiring drives. Seattle is great on third down but deficient in the red zone. Smith has been slinging it as well as anyone in the NFL, but still, this offense leaves a lot to be desired with their limited rushing attack due to injuries.
On defense, the Seahawks have had great games and some poor games. However, it seems like this defense is actually just bad. Seattle is 30th in points allowed and 28th in yards allowed.
On a per-drive basis, the Seahawks are 31st in time, 30th in plays, 27th in yards, and 28th in points. This team does well forcing turnovers, but they are in the bottom third of the NFL in pressuring the QB. Seattle will have tough sledding against the 49ers, even with Purdy starting.
Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers Prediction
The Seahawks have the 49ers’ number over the past few seasons. Seattle is 6-3 against the Niners since 2018. However, the 49ers have never been as good as they are now, so I do not know if they can keep up this success.
The Seahawks have too many issues on offense and defense to keep up with this team. We saw what San Fran did to Seattle in Week 2, and while I do not think they put on as dominant of a performance, they should win this game.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers -3.5
Opening Line Report | NFL Week 15
Listen to Teddy Covers and Drew Martin every Monday during the NFL season as they preview opening lines for next week’s games. This past Monday they previewed Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers in Week 15 among other games giving their expert betting analysis.
NFL Odds Board
WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NFL point spreads, totals and betting percentages for all of the Week 15 games, including this Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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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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