San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks Betting Preview
The top two teams in the NFC West will square off Thursday night as the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) take on the Seattle Seahawks (7-6). The Seahawks will host this one at Lumen Field, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 pm ET.
The 49ers come into this one having won six games in a row. Last week, they were able to take down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7. In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 185 yards and two scores. Christian McCaffrey added 119 rushing yards, 34 receiving yards, and two touchdowns on the day.
For Seattle, they have lost three of their last four games. Last week, they were upset by the Carolina Panthers at home 30-24. Geno Smith threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions in the loss.
The 49ers come in as favorites despite playing on the road Thursday. They are -176 to win, while the Seahawks’ moneyline sits at +148. The spread features Seattle +3 (-104), and the over/under for total points is 43.5.
49ers Looking To Clinch Division
The San Francisco 49ers have a lot to play for Thursday night. Not only are the 49ers trying to pick up their 10th win of the season, but they also have the opportunity to clinch the NFC West.
Unfortunately, the 49ers haven’t had a lot of time to prepare for this short week, and they may have to play this game with their fourth-string quarterback. Having already lost Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, third-string quarterback Brock Purdy is questionable for this one as he battles an oblique issue.
Purdy was solid in his performance last week, but if he can’t go in this one, it could come down to Josh Johnson under center.
The 49ers will also be without Deebo Samuel for this game. Having suffered a high ankle sprain last week, Samuel is done for the regular season.
Dealing with their fair share of injuries, expect San Francisco to feature a heavy dose of Christian McCaffrey. With the 49ers, he has rushed for 426 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 35 receptions for 316 yards and another three scores.
Defensively, the team has been the best in the league. They rank atop the NFL in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 15.2 points per game.
Seahawks Trying To Get Out Of Funk
The Seahawks were one of the most interesting stories in the NFL as they won six of their nine games to start the season despite having traded their franchise quarterback in the offseason and seemed destined for a rebuild. After a reality check over the last few weeks, though, Seattle is trying to get back on track with a home win Thursday night.
Leading the team’s sixth-ranked offense (26.3 points per game) is quarterback Geno Smith. This season, he has thrown for 3,433 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. He has also rushed for 263 yards and another touchdown.
Smith’s favorite targets to date have been wide receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. For Lockett, he has 71 receptions for 896 yards and eight touchdowns. Metcalf is right behind him, having hauled in 72 receptions for 869 yards and six touchdowns.
The Seahawks have struggled mightily on the defensive side of the ball. They currently rank 30th overall in scoring defense, allowing 25.7 points per game to opponents (22.5 at home).
Take Seattle And The Points
Seattle’s defense might be bad this year, but they are catching a break in this one with the 49ers’ litany of injuries. Between some uncertainty under center and the absence of Deebo Samuel, the Seahawks’ defense will be able to sell out against Christian McCaffery and the run.
That is not to say that Seattle will have it easy in this one. On the offensive side, the Seahawks have been a bit more inconsistent as of late, and that could spell bad news against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
This one could genuinely go either way and for that reason, the best bet is to take the points. In this case, that means taking Seattle, who also gets the added boost from playing at home.
Take Seattle +3 (-104).
