Best Seahawks vs. 49ers Player Prop Bets for NFL Wild Card Saturday
What kind of performances can we expect on Saturday afternoon from Geno Smith, George Kittle, and Brock Purdy? Follow along as our NFL betting expert, Nick Galaida, breaks down his three favorite NFL prop bets for Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers will meet for the third time this season when they battle in the wild-card round at Levi’s Stadium. Ahead of kickoff, much of the value on the side and total is gone, but there remains significant opportunity for bettors on the player prop market for this contest. Below, we have three recommendations for bettors to begin this year’s NFL postseason!
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Seahawks vs. 49ers – NFL Wild Card Player Props
- Geno Smith u35.5 yards longest completion
- George Kittle o3.5 receptions
- Brock Purdy u1.5 passing touchdowns
Geno Smith u35.5 yards longest completion (-110)
In Week 2, Geno Smith completed only one pass attempt more than 20 yards down-the-field against the San Francisco 49ers. In the rematch in Week 15, he had zero pass attempts more than 20 yards down-the-field. In the first meeting, Smith was pressured on 43.8% of his dropbacks, throwing for only 81 yards and an interception on those snaps. In the second meeting, Smith was pressured on 35.4% of his dropbacks, completing 6-of-14 pass attempts for 64 yards. The game plan for San Francisco against Smith is simple – get pressure on him and force him to take underneath routes rather than letting him have time to attack deeper down-the-field. Unless there is a broken coverage, trick play, or an outstanding effort by a receiver after-the-catch, it is difficult to see how the under does not cash for bettors in this spot – especially if there is rain or wet playing conditions.
George Kittle o3.5 receptions (-145)
On Saturday, George Kittle draws an extremely favorable matchup against a Seattle Seahawks defense that features one of the worst linebacker corps in the entire NFL. Per Pro Football Focus, linebacker Cody Barton ranked 41st out of 76 eligible players at his position in coverage during the regular season. Linebacker Tanner Muse has played only 79 defensive snaps all season, but will likely be pushed into an expanded workload for the wild-card round. Kittle has received at least five targets in each of his last five games played, with two games of eight targets. Expect him to be frequently targeted by Brock Purdy once again this afternoon – drink the juice and take the over here.
Brock Purdy u1.5 passing touchdowns (-108)
Entering play, Brock Purdy has thrown for multiple touchdown passes in six consecutive games, including a three touchdown performance in the season finale. Yet, it is likely that this streak comes to an end on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. Safety Ryan Neal will return to the field for Seattle in the wild-card round, which will provide a major boon to this secondary unit. From Week 1 to Week 4, games in which Neal played minimally or not at all, this unit ranked 31st in EPA overall and 32nd in dropback EPA. From Week 5 to Week 15, games in which Neal played at least 45 snaps, Seattle’s defense ranked 12th in EPA overall and 9th in dropback EPA. Expect San Francisco to make every effort to avoid letting their rookie quarterback make a mistake near the goal line in this matchup, especially in wet conditions. Take the under.
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