Run It Back With The 49ers

49ers vs. Seahawks, 8:00 ET

We’ve already gotten one of the #1 ranked teams out of the way with the bet between the Bills and Broncos, now we need to switch over to the NFC and discuss this game. I’m excited that we get the two best teams from the regular season playing on Saturday. I know some people aren’t crazy about it, but spreading out the games gives you a bit more of a opportunity to watch everything. I loved last week and the way it was all set up. There does come a slight disadvantage for the 49ers as they technically have a short week, but let’s see if that matters as they take on the Seahawks.

The 49ers have already gone into Seattle this season and beat the Seahawks. That occurred in the first week of the season when the team seemed relatively healthy. San Francisco has been one of the better offensive teams this season, but in that game it was a low-scoring affair that they just kind of outlasted Seattle. One of the bets I made last week was to take the 49ers with the points against the Eagles. I just didn’t see Philadelphia making the progress I thought they needed in order to justify a substantial spread. Part of my argument was that if the game became a shootout, Philadelphia would be in trouble. I turned out that it wasn’t a shootout and the 49ers won a bit of a grind-it-out type game. Brock Purdy even tried to help the Eagles, giving up two interceptions, but the Eagles only came up with three points off of them. The question was always about if San Francisco’s defense could come up with a stop when it needed one. They did. The Eagles had a chance to win the game, and San Francisco stopped them, turning the ball over on downs and ending the big for a repeat. This also means we get two new teams in the Super Bowl for the first time in three years.

(Amanda Loman/Getty Images)

Seattle earned themselves the #1 seed in the NFC with a 14-3 record. Geoff Clark is one of the few guys I know that called this success before the season began. I can’t tell you that I think the Seahawks are guaranteed to win the NFC, but I do like their chances significantly more than I do their AFC counterpart Broncos. When I think about Seattle, I don’t really put them at an elite level of anything, but when you dig into their numbers, they were the best defense in the NFL in terms of points allowed. They had one of the lowest rushing yards allowed this season. Their pass defense was 10th best, which only the Eagles were better in the NFC (of teams that made the playoffs). On offense, their 351.4 yards per game is tied for seventh with the 49ers. Their 28.4 points per game is second to only the Rams in the NFC, and third overall. 

This is the third game between the two teams this season with them splitting the first two matchups. The 49ers took the season opener and the Seahawks took Week 18. Neither team has scored much against each other. The Seahawks, for as good as their offense has been, has only scored 13 points in both games. I have a hard time believing that 13 points is going to prove the winning number for this game. However, I do think seven points is too much for the spread. I’ll take the 49ers with the points again here. There is a lot against them – a road game, short week, divisional opponent, and traveling to Philadelphia and back. However, -7 is a huge number and Sam Darnold may have been great in the regular season, but he did last year, too. He was fine in the playoffs, but the Vikings lost that game. I do think Seattle wins, but I think this spread should be closer to four than seven. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024