Seahawks vs. 49ers Point Spread: NFL Wild Card Odds, Prediction
The Niners closed out their schedule with 10 straight wins to claim their first NFC West title since 2019, and enter the post-season riding a three-game straight up and against the spread win streak in playoff games on home turf. The Seahawks exceeded expectations this while compiling a 9-8 record and claiming the No. 7 seed in the NFC. However, Seattle emerged as a consistent disappointment while covering in just one of their final eight regular season contests.
The Seahawks have improved slightly to 9.5-point underdogs on the NFL odds since opening at +10, but have commanded the support of just 25 per cent of sports bettors. The total has fluctuated since opening at 43.5, and is currently pegged at 42.5.
NFL Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Saturday afternoon’s matchup at Levi’s Stadium marks the third time these divisional rivals have met this season, and their first playoff meeting since Seattle tallied a 23-17 home win in the NFC championship game, on their way to their victory at Super Bowl 47 a decade ago. The Niners swept this year’s season series, winning and covering in both regular season matchups including a decisive 27-7 home victory in Week 2. That marks the first time the 49ers have tallied consecutive victories over Seattle since 2012, and slams the door on a dismal 3-17 run over their previous 20 clashes.
With the Seahawks averaging just 10 points per game in this season’s dates with the Niners, the UNDER paid out in each of those contests, ending a 6-1-1 run for the OVER, and has gone 5-1-1 in the 49ers’ past seven wins over Seattle.
Seattle Seahawks
After seeing their playoff hopes threatened by a shaky 1-5 late-season run, the Seahawks rebounded with wins in their final two contests to return to NFL playoff action after a one-year absence. The Seahawks leveraged a stout pass defence during their 2-0 finish to the season, allowing no touchdown passes while racking up nine total sacks in their victories over the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.
Overall, the squad has allowed just 11 points per game over their past two outings, capped by a narrow 19-16 overtime win over the Rams in Week 18. However, plenty of room for improvement remains on offence. Seattle has averaged just 16.3 points per game over their final four outings, and have not generated a scoring run over their past six outings.
And while they have racked up 176 rushing yards per game over their past three outings, they mustered just 106 total rushing yards and no scores in their two dates with the Niners. That adds to the pressure on quarterback Geno Smith, whose resurgence has been key to this team’s success. However, Smith is coming off an uninspiring performance against the Rams, in which he tossed for one score against two picks.
San Francisco 49ers
Written off by no shortage of fans and pundits after opening their season on a shaky 3-4 run, the 49ers have been simply unbeatable ever since, tallying 10 straight wins including seven by double-digit margins. This team has flourished despite facing adversity under centre in the form of season-ending injuries to quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
However, the predictions of doom and gloom have failed to materialize due in no small part to the stellar play of rookie Brock Purdy, who has emerged as a legitimate NFL quarterback during his five-game trial of fire as the Niners starter. Since taking over the reins of the San Francisco offence in Week 14, Purdy leads all NFL passers with five wins, 11 touchdown passes, and a sparkling 119.0 passer rating.
Purdy also enjoys the benefit of an effective Niners ground game powered by Christian McCaffrey, which has recording 10 scoring runs during Purdy’s tenure. That combines with the NFL’s top-ranked defence, which has allowed just eight total scores over the past five home dates, and it is easy to understand why the 49ers now closely trail Philadelphia as a short +165 bet to claim their first NFC crown in three years.
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