San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks: Prediction, Odds, & Picks (12/15/22)

Week 15 starts with a primetime NFC West showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. At 7-6, the Seahawks are pretty secure in the second-place spot in the NFC West but on the outside looking in, as far as the playoffs are concerned. They now have three tough opponents ahead of them with San Francisco this week, Kansas City (on the road) next week, and the Jets in Week 17.

The 49ers are on a six-game winning tear that now has them as a top-five favorite to win the Super Bowl. As far as the playoffs go, they are a comfortable third seed and have a relatively easy schedule (by their standards), to finish the season.

NFC West games are always competitive no matter who is playing, so this game presents both entertainment and unique betting opportunities. Read on for 49ers vs. Seahawks predictions, odds, picks, injuries, depth charts, and more.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks Prediction

Another week has come and gone and the Seattle defense is still getting absolutely gashed on the ground. Two of its last three opponents have topped 200 yards rushing and five straight opponents have rushed for at least 122 yards. Seattle has yet to make any adjustments at protecting against the run and it’s about to cost them their playoff chances.

Geno Smith had an uncharacteristic performance last week with two interceptions against the Carolina Panthers. However, I am much less worried about that becoming a trend than I am about this defense. Smith, along with his receiving corp, has been close to perfect all year – he’s owed the benefit of the doubt here, especially when he was without running backs Kenneth Walker and DeeJay Dallas to balance the offense.

Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf continue to be consistent targets for Smith, joining Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as the only receiving pairs that both sit in the top 15 of the league in total yards. San Francisco has the third-highest opponent pass play percentage (62.82%), which bodes well for the pass-heavy offense.

That being said, they will certainly have their work cut out for them this week, as they face a 49ers defense that tops the league in points allowed per game, yards allowed per game, and points allowed per play.

Last time the Seahawks played the 49ers, they gave up 189 rushing yards, and that was before Christian McCaffrey was even on the team. San Francisco, like all of Seattle’s opponents, is going to look to exploit this – and they should. McCaffrey and company looked as good as they have all year in their Week 14 win over the Buccaneers.

None looked better than Brock Purdy who produced a passer rating of 134, tossed for a pair of touchdowns, and ran the ball in for another six points. Purdy may be without Deebo Samuel this week, who suffered a high-ankle and MCL sprain, so Seattle could get a break in that department. But they’ll still have leading-receiver Brandon Aiyuk to deal with as well as McCaffrey, who posted his second 150+ yard, multi-touchdown game of the year last week.

San Francisco is on a six-game winning streak and I don’t see it stopping on their trip to Seattle. They are more threatening on both sides of the ball, and even if Purdy performs half as good as he did last week, McCaffrey will still be there to exploit a vulnerable run defense. With Seattle, Washington, Las Vegas, and Arizona ahead of them, they have a chance to end the season on a 10-game winning streak and possibly clinch the second seed in the NFC.

Prediction

San Francisco wins 27-17, 49ers cover, over 43.5 points

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks Betting Odds

Despite the results of the last few weeks, San Francisco is only a 3.5-point road favorite in this game. Deebo Samuel went down with a knee and ankle injury which has left him doubtful to play this week, and may be contributing to the slim spread. Seattle’s run game was down Kenneth Walker last week but having him back in the lineup would undoubtedly help fight a ferocious defense. He is a difference-maker so it’ll be important to monitor his status heading into this game.

The 49ers are averaging just shy of 29 points per game over their last six wins and just over 10 points against them. Meanwhile, the Seahawks offense averages 26.3 points per game (sixth best) but their defense allows 25.7 per game (third worst). The over seems plausible here.

San Francisco is 8-5 ATS and 6-7 on hitting the over. Seattle is 6-7 ATS and 8-5 on the over. These two met in Week 2, with the 49ers picking up a 27-7 win at home. Seattle didn’t play well despite their weird tendency to play well in their divisional games, especially against San Francisco. For the all-time series, the Seahawks lead 30-18.

Betting Trends

• The 49ers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
• The 49ers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 vs. NFC West.
• The Seahawks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
• Over is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings in Seattle.

Key Injuries

San Francisco 49ers Injuries: Deebo Samuel (D)

Seattle Seahawks Injuries: Kenneth Walker (Q), DeeJay Dallas (Q)

49ers Vs. Seahawks Key Matchups

Check out the key matchups and mismatches for San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks below.

Brandon Aiyuk vs Tariq Woolen

What could be a better matchup than the league-leading interceptor and the team leader in receiving touchdowns? With Deebo Samuel counted out, Woolen will be all over Aiyuk, who is a precise route runner and has big-play capability. Woolen is fast, physical, and big, and with six interceptions and 13 passes defended, he is a problem for receivers.

Seahawks Pass Offense vs. 49ers Secondary

The Seahawks offense have found their groove this year through the hands of a reliable Geno Smith and a pair of star wide receivers. San Francisco has the third-highest opponent pass play percentage (62.82%), mostly because they have such a strong front seven that opposing run offenses stop trying. Smith and his offense have a 60.21% pass play rate and top the league in completion rate (71.33%), so this will definitely be their avenue to try and remain competitive with San Francisco.

San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

QB: Brock Purdy
RB1: Christian McCaffrey
RB2: Tyrion Davis-Prince
LWR: Brandon Aiyuk
RWR: Jauan Jennings
SWR: Ray-Ray McCloud
TE1: George Kittle

Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart

QB: Geno Smith
RB1: Kenneth Walker
RB2: Travis Homer
LWR: DK Metcalf
RWR: Tyler Lockett
SWR: Marquise Goodwin
TE1: Will Dissly