Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers Matchup Preview 1/3/21: Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)

While this matchup means nothing to the 49ers, a lot is riding on the lines of the Seahawks in this game, depending on the outcome of a couple of other games. The 49ers are erased from the playoffs as they sit with a 6-9 record. After starting the season 4-3, two three-game losing streaks split by a single win set them back to 5-9 and far out of reach of any playoff hopes. It did not help when Jimmy Garoppolo sprained his ankle twice, which has kept him out since week 8. Injuries have been the story of the season as Deebo Samuel has been battling an injury since the season began, Brandon Aiyuk is also out with an ankle injury, and Raheem Mostert has been on the injured reserve as well as backup quarterback Nick Mullens who has left C.J. Beathard to run the offense. This was not what 49ers’ fans hoped for entering the season as they were so dominant last season in their trip to the Super Bowl. For the Seahawks, they have a bye week in mind when entering this game. They currently sit in 3rd place with an 11-4 record and need certain scenarios to play out if they are to gain 1st place in the NFC. First, they need to win their game to improve to 12 wins. They are fighting with the 11-4 Saints and the 12-3 Packers for first. The Seahawks will need the Packers to lose to the Bears and the Saints to lose or tie to the Panthers to get first. If the Seahawks win and one of them loses, they get second place. In all, the Seahawks have the tie-breaker only over the Packers, who currently sit a game up, while the Saints have the tie-breaker over them and are currently tied with the Seahawks. With this year having three wildcard teams make the playoffs, only one team will get a bye, which is what these three teams are fighting for, and they all play at 4:25 pm on Sunday. For odds movement and full matchup, history visits the Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers matchup page.

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, January 3th, 2020
Time: 4:25 PM ET
Location: Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, CA
TV Coverage: FOX

Seahawks vs. 49ers Live Stream

Where can you watch Seahawks vs. 49ers online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Seahawks vs. 49ers Free Online Now.

Injuries:

Seattle Seahawks: J. Stanley (hamstring) Q, M. Iupati Q, D. Randall Q, T. Flowers (hamstring) IR, Q. Dunbar (knee) IR, D. Brown Q, C. Dunlap Q, R. Neal Q, J. Reed Q, B. Shell Q, C. Carson (foot) Q, C. Hyde (illness) Q, D. Dallas (ankle) Q, G. Olsen (foot) Q, P. Dorsett (foot) IR
San Francisco 49ers: D. Samuel O, B. Aiyuk (ankle) O, T. Williams (elbow) O, J. Willis O, H. Grasu (reserve/COVID-19) O, T. Moore (ankle) Q, R. Sherman (calf) O, T. Pepper (reserve/COVID-19) O, D. Jordan Q, J. Kinlaw Q, R. Gould (reserve/COVID-19) O, J. Garoppolo (ankle) O, E. Moseley Q, M. Nzeocha Q, K. Williams Q, J. Ward (concussion) Q

Seattle Seahawks Analysis

As mentioned in the introduction, the Seahawks have a lot on the line with this game as they battle for the first place position in the NFC. The Saints and Packers both have winning conditions as well, but the Seahawks have the hardest route to get it. First, they have to win to have a shot. Then they need the Packers to lose to the Bears and the Saints to lose or tie to the Panthers. If they win and only one of those happens, then they will end up in second place. They cannot get lower than third if they lose, but it makes both first and second place out of reach.

They should be able to shut down the 49ers’ offense without much of a problem as injuries have been devastating their starting lineup. They are down two starting receivers, a running back, and have a third-string quarterback out there. The Seahawks are not a defensive powerhouse, but they have kept teams under 20 points in each of their past five games and six of their last seven. With the Seahawks’ offense, they should easily be putting up enough to win as they have scored 20+ points in every game but one with the explosive season that D.K. Metcalf is having, along with Tyler Lockett being the big playmaker, Russell Wilson has been able to utilize them to their potential, especially early in the season. The back half has been more questionable and has taken Wilson’s clear MVP-caliber season away. He still has time to impress and win the award, but it will take something insane to happen, of which he is capable. Chris Carson and DeeJay being both questionable will potentially play a factor, but they have so many weapons on the team that this should be a cake walk, but NFC West games seem to always come down to the wire somehow, so it could become intense quickly.

Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart

QB: Russell Wilson
RB1: Chris Carson
RB2: Carlos Hyde
WR1: Tyler Lockett
WR2: DK Metcalf
WR3: Phillip Dorsett
TE: Greg Olsen

San Francisco 49ers Analysis

There was a lot of hype around the 49ers who were just coming off a Super Bowl appearance of which they fell short of the Kansas City Chiefs, but it appeared that the 49ers were competitive once again. What no team can predict is injuries, and they were devastating to the 49ers this season. An early injury in week 2 to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sat him out a couple of weeks, and another injury, later on, kept him out the remainder of the season. Plenty of injuries to their wide receiver has not made the quarterback position any easier for the backups. They are now at their third-string as their backup also got injured. George Kittle sat out for a part of the season with an injury as well. Also, the backfield has been banged up with both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman battling injuries throughout the season. Lastly, the defense has also dealt with injury problems, with most prominently being Richard Sherman, who has been dealing with a calf injury since week 1 and has seen time on the injured reserve list. All of this is to say that it was not the 49ers’ year.

But this does not mean that they should give up hope. They should have most of their talent returning next season, with the exception of Richard Sherman, who is set to become a free agent. Having a healthy lineup would make the 49ers a contending team once again, but they got the short stick this season. Having Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman is a great one-two punch to attack defenses through the run as they like to do. Brandon Aiyuk is a great addition from the draft and continues to develop into a top receiver. He paired along with Deebo Samuel, presents a talented young core that can stick together for years to come. Where they can make progress, however, is at quarterback. While Jimmy G is a solid quarterback, he has a set ceiling that has limited the 49ers’ passing game. With better young receivers, though, we could see a much better side of Jimmy Garoppolo.

San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB1: Raheem Mostert
RB2: Tevin Coleman
WR1: Deebo Samuel
WR2: Brandon Aiyuk
WR3: Trent Taylor
TE: George Kittle

Betting Corner Seahawks -6

Spread: Seahawks -6
Moneyline: Seahawks -195, 49ers +160
Over/Under: 46.5

The Seahawks are the clear favorite to win this game as they are the only ones with something to gain from a win. With how injury-stricken the 49ers are, there should not be much competition for Wilson and Metcalf. As the Seahawks are fighting for a bye to begin the playoffs, they will be firing on all cylinders while the 49ers will probably be more laid back to avoid even more injuries. The spread should be covered as well as the over/under as the Seahawks and the 49ers combined to score 64 in week 8. With the high-octane offense of the Seahawks as well as the will to win behind their backs, the point total should be running up this week to build momentum as they enter the playoffs.

Daily Fantasy Picks

Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson should have a field day with Richard Sherman out. Jimmie Ward is also listed as questionable, which further weakens the 49ers’ secondary. With D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett being the types of weapons that they are, one of them is bound to be open on almost any given play. His playmaking ability should be shining brightly this week as he dominates in a big game for the Seahawks. On top of that, he is fighting for the MVP award, which he needs to make up some ground to win. If he wants to gain any votes, he will need to show the side of him that came out early in the season.

D.K. Metcalf
As I mentioned with Russell Wilson, the 49ers’ secondary is banged up and is inviting D.K. Metcalf to have a big game. His size and strength make him a major threat for any defense to handle, and without some of their best talents, the 49ers will find it hard to cover both him and Tyler Lockett, leading to many big plays for either one of them. As Metcalf has shown in past weeks, he is Wilson’s favorite target and will be the one making the big plays in this game.

George Kittle
As the rest of the receiving game for the 49ers is mostly out this week, it will be up to Kittle to carry the offense forward. He has already played a big factor in the movement of the offense, but this week there will be a lot resting on his shoulders, and he is the type of player to make the most of it. As it is the last game of the season, you can expect Kittle to make every play that is centered around him.