Rivals San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks face off at the end of the 2019 NFL regular season in a highly anticipated Week 17 battle, one that just got even more interesting after the signing of Marshawn Lynch. Yes folks, he’s back. The 49ers are coming off of a narrow victory over the Rams in Week 16 while the Seahawks are stumbling out of an embarrassing loss to Arizona. Going into the game NFL Futures list the 49ers at +500 to win Super Bowl 54 and +200 to win the NFC, while the Seahawks are priced at just +1500 and +600 respectively, to do the same. Going into this Sunday’s meeting, the sportsbook favors the visiting team by a field goal. Who will end the year on a positive note?
San Francisco last played Seattle in NFL Week 10 and lost 27-24. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo matched Russel Wilson in a few key stats, throwing for 248 yards, one touchdown (TD), and one interception to Wilson’s 232 yards, one TD, and one interception. The difference between the two star QBs however, was accuracy with Wilson connecting 24 of 34 while Garoppolo hit just 24 of 46. All in all it was a fairly even matchup across the board, which is why the score was kept pretty close. But that was then (Week 10) and this is now, and a lot can change in seven weeks. For instance, the 49ers had a somewhat better Week 16 showing than the Seahawks, but given the fact that their opponent was the 8-7 Rams that’s not saying too much. Still, against the Rams last Sunday, Garoppolo threw for 16 of 27 for 248 yards, one touchdown, but two interceptions. Running back Raheem Mostert logged 53 yards on 11 carries and 1 TD while wide receiver Deebo Samuel rushed for 28 yards on 3 carries and a TD of his own. Tight end George Kittle made 5 catches for 79 yards and 1 TD while linebacker Fred Warner helped his team’s cause by pulling in an interception.
After a win this season, the 49ers are 6-5 against the spread (ATS), covering 54.5% of the time. They are carrying some momentum into their game against the Seahawks, but not much.
Betting on the Seattle Seahawks (11-4)
Seattle got sloppy and dropped the ball against the Arizona Cardinals last week, losing 27-13 to the non-playoff contender. Russel Wilson’s mini-slump continued as he was simply ineffective and somewhat inactive against the Cardinals with only 31 throws, 16 of which were caught, and one resulting in a TD. Many are speculating that the near MVP (which will now go to Lamar Jackson) has an injury, but this writer chalks it up to regular season mental attrition which may be removed by the late addition of Marshawn Lynch (replacing injured running back Chris Carson) to the lineup. Seattle is also without offensive tackle Duane Brown (undergoing surgery) so they are a little light. Still, Russel Wilson who is often criticized for being streaky is expected to end the regular season slide with a strong return to form. Don’t sleep on Wilson bettors – he will be locked and loaded this Sunday as the home crowd will be louder than ever with Lynch’s return.
The Seahawks are 1-1-1 ATS after a loss this season, and 2-5 ATS when playing at home, covering just 28.6% of the time.
Writer’s Prediction
Seattle pulls out a season-ending win over the 49ers, 32-28.
