Seahawks vs. 49ers Betting Line
Carrie Stroup here with your Seahawks vs. 49ers betting line. Be sure to claim your FREE $100 bet and wager on this game LIVE right to the final play at Sportsbook.com here.
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: San Francisco -2.5 & 41.5
Opening Line & Total: 49ers -3 & 41.5
The red-hot Seahawks will put their seven-game win streak on the line when they visit the rival 49ers on Sunday.
Seattle put a 34-7 hurting on the Saints Monday, and has now beaten its past three opponents by a combined 108 to 37 score. San Francisco also has back-to-back, double-digit wins, albeit against the Redskins and Rams. When these NFC West foes met in Week 2, the Seahawks won a 29-3 laugher, as RB Marshawn Lynch scored three total touchdowns and the defense held the Niners to 207 total yards while forcing five turnovers. But Seattle has dropped four straight (1-3 ATS) at Candlestick Park, scoring a meager six points with 251 total yards in the most recent visit in 2011. The Seahawks have plenty of favorable betting trends, including a 13-1 ATS mark (93%) in the past two seasons after gaining 6+ yards per play in their previous game, and a 17-4 ATS record (81%) after playing a home game since 2011. The Niners also have several betting trends backing them, including their 23-9 ATS record (72%) in games played on a grass field since 2011, and their 14-4 ATS mark (78%) versus good offenses (350+ YPG) in this same timeframe. Seattle will still be missing two great cornerbacks in Walter Thurmond (suspension) and Brandon Browner (groin), and WR Percy Harvin (hip) is doubtful to play. San Francisco's main injury concerns are OT Joe Staley (knee), who is doubtful for Sunday, and CB Tarell Brown, who is questionable for this matchup due to injured ribs.
Seattle's offense has been pretty strong this season with 28.3 PPG (2nd in NFL) and 5.9 yards per play (8th in league). The rushing offense has racked up 146 YPG (3rd in NFL), and the ability to run the football with RB Marshawn Lynch (970 rush yards, 4.3 YPC, 11 TD) is a big reason why the team has converted 60% of its red-zone chances into touchdowns (7th-best efficiency in league). The Seahawks have also been able to sustain long drives, ranking ninth in the NFL on third downs (41%). Lynch has always played well against what has historically been a stout 49ers defense, rushing for 615 yards (4.6 YPC) and 6 TD in seven meetings against them. But if he can't find running room, Seattle has no problem allowing QB Russell Wilson (2,672 pass yards, 8.8 YPA, 22 TD, 6 INT) to lead the offense through the air. Wilson wasn’t very effective in his lone career visit to San Francisco, going 9-for-23 for 122 yards, 0 TD and 1 INT, but in the past two meetings, he has improved greatly with a 58% completion rate, 313 passing yards (7.8 YPA), 5 TD and 2 INT. Wilson is also on an impressive run over the past six weeks with multiple touchdown passes in each game, totaling 1,418 passing yards (9.7 YPA), 14 TD and just 2 INT. He has done this by spreading the wealth among his multitude of pass catchers, as four different receivers are tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns (TE Zach Miller and WRs Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse). Defensively, this unit remains one of the strongest in the NFL, leading the league in total defense (285 YPG) and passing defense (177 YPG), while ranking second in scoring defense (15.5 PPG allowed). They have stood tall in the red zone by allowing a 41% TD conversion rate (4th in NFL), but they have been only average in stopping the run, ranking 15th in the league with 4.1 YPC allowed. Seattle forced five San Francisco turnovers in the Week 2 meeting, and has totaled 23 takeaways this season.
The 49ers' offense has been wildly inconsistent all year, scoring a solid 24.8 PPG (10th in NFL), but gaining a paltry 311 YPG (28th in league). The running game has been pretty strong all year with 131 YPG (7th in NFL), but the passing game ranks second-to-last in the league with 180 YPG. QB Colin Kaepernick has had a down year, dropping from a 98.3 passer rating last season to 88.9 this year. He has completed 57.8% of his passes for 2,312 yards (7.6 YPA), 15 TD and 7 INT, but has absorbed 30 sacks, which is nearly doubled from the 16 sacks he suffered in 13 games last year. In his two career meetings in this series (both at Seattle), Kaepernick has gone 32-of-64 for 371 yards (5.8 YPA), 1 TD and 4 INT. But all is not hopeless, as top WR Michael Crabtree is finally set for a full snap count for the first time all year. Crabtree gained 1,105 yards through the air with 9 TD last year, but tore his Achilles in the offseason. Kaepernick has also leaned heavily on TE Vernon Davis (705 rec. yards, 10 TD), allowing him to score a touchdown in eight of his 11 games this season, including three in a row. Davis leads all NFL tight ends with 16.8 yards per reception. Veteran RB Frank Gore (821 rush yards, 4.0 YPC, 8 TD) has enjoyed another fine season, but has appeared to hit the wall in his past three contests with only 121 yards on 41 carries (3.0 YPC). However, in 15 career games versus Seattle, Gore has totaled 1,690 yards from scrimmage (113 YPG) and five touchdowns. The San Francisco defense has carried this team for most of the season, ranking third in the NFL in scoring defense (16.4 PPG) and fifth in total defense (312 YPG). The Niners have been fierce on third downs (34%, 6th in NFL), but are only average in the red zone (53% efficiency, 14th in NFL). They also have nine straight games with at least one forced turnover, totaling 20 takeaways during this stretch.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
