49ers vs. Seahawks Odds, Picks, and Prediction
49ers vs. Seahawks Odds
| 49ers Odds | -3.5 |
| Seahawks Odds | +3.5 |
| Over/Under | 43.5 |
| Date | Thu, Dec. 15 |
| Time | 8:15 p.m. |
| TV | Amazon |
This week’s edition of Thursday Night Football will feature an intra-division affair between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. Entering play, San Francisco has won six consecutive games, including two in a row without Jimmy Garoppolo. Seattle has sputtered during the middle portion of the campaign, losing three out of their last four contests, which has resulted in them falling two games behind the 49ers for first place in the NFC West division standings. Oddsmakers are expecting a closely-contested affair between these two teams, pricing the 49ers as 3.5-point road favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup to see where NFL bettors can find value at sportsbooks in this contest.
San Francisco 49ers
After losing starting quarterback Trey Lance in Week 2 to an ankle injury, backup Jimmy Garoppolo was forced into action, performing admirably with a 16-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an 7-3 win-loss record in games in which he threw at least five pass attempts. Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, which handed over the offense to rookie Brock Purdy, who was the final pick in this past summer’s draft. In Purdy’s two games, the 49ers have scored 68 points and posted consecutive double-digit victories. However, the young signal caller is officially listed as questionable with oblique and rib injuries heading into Thursday. If Purdy is unable to suit-up, Josh Johnson will step-in to lead an offense that will also be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Hoping to minimize the effect of an injured or backup quarterback on the game, the 49ers could look to place extra emphasis on their ground attack in this spot.
Even if San Francisco’s offense is limited for this matchup, this is a group that will have a chance to win. During their six-game winning streak, the 49ers rank 2nd in the NFL in defensive EPA/play, and have not allowed more than 17 points to any opponent in that span. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that defensive lineman Hassan Ridgeway has already been ruled out for this contest. Additionally, both defensive lineman Kerry Hyder and cornerback Ambry Thomas are listed as questionable. Playing on short rest, this unit could be lacking a few of their key depth pieces – an underrated component of an elite defense.
Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith has excelled this season, ranking 6th among qualified signal callers in passing yards, 4th in passing touchdowns, and 5th in QBR. Still, his carelessness with the football has reemerged over the last few weeks, having thrown five interceptions across his last three games. Fortunately for the Seattle offense, running back “(player-popup #kenneth-walker-iii)Kenneth Walker III appears poised to return to the field after fully participating in practice on Wednesday. From Week 5 to Week 12, prior to “(player-popup #kenneth-walker-iii)Walker III”:/players/kenneth-walker-iii-3492251’s injury, the Seahawks offense ranked 15th in offensive EPA/play.
The larger concern for Seattle heading into this matchup is on the defensive side of the ball. Per David Lombardi, the Seahawks have allowed 5.2 yards-per-carry across the last five weeks, while ranking 31st in run defense measured by DVOA. Notably, defensive tackle Al Woods and safety Ryan Neal are both listed as questionable ahead of kickoff. Woods has performed strong both as a run- and pass-defender in 2022, making his status worth monitoring prior to inactives being released. Per Pro Football Focus, Neal has graded as the second-best safety in coverage out of 88 players at his position this fall – his absence could create big-play potential for the 49ers if he is forced to be on the sidelines.
49ers vs. Seahawks – Picks & Predictions
Bettors should proceed cautiously before sinking large investments into any wager in this contest, considering the fact that there are notable names listed as questionable for both teams as of this writing. However, it seems as though both defensive tackle Al Woods and safety Ryan Neal are trending towards suiting-up for this important intra-division affair. Assuming that they are on the field, Seattle is a live dog on Thursday Night Football. Again, be sure to monitor the injury news ahead of kickoff, but the Seahawks could have sneaky value on the spread in this spot if they are not without any impact players on the defensive side of the ball.
PICK: Seahawks +3.5 (-120, DraftKings)
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