Saturday night’s week 18 special brings us the biggest game of the entire NFL season: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers. The winner not only wins the NFC West title but also the conference’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl, while the loser has to get a wild card and potentially back-to-back road games in the playoffs.
Let’s get into my Seahawks vs. 49ers.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers odds
Money line: Seahawks -140 / 49ers +120
Spread: Seahawks -1.5 (-120) / 49ers +1.5 (+100)
Total: Over 47.5 (-110) / Under 47.5 (-110)
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers best bet #1: Seahawks -1.5 (-120)
The 49ers may have home field advantage, but the Seahawks have been impressive on the road all season. Coach Mike Macdonald’s team is 7-1 at home. Following a two-point loss to the Rams in Week 11, the ‘Hawks went on a six-game winning streak. This stretch includes a Rams victory in perhaps the game of the year in addition to strong wins and sweeps against Minnesota, Atlanta, and Carolina.
The Seahawks are loaded with talent on defense, and quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba have an offense that is clicking. The receivers won’t win MVP, but Smith-Njigba is the heavy favorite to be named Offensive Player of the Year. It’s also important to note that Seattle has no real injuries to speak of. San Francisco, on the other hand, continues to be without both linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa. Unsurprisingly, the 49ers defense – while still a solid unit – has stumbled a bit in their absence. They managed to beat the Bears in Week 17, but not before giving up 38 points.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers best player betting: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Over 62.5 receiving yards (-114)
In big games, teams rely – or at least should – on their best players. This, of course, is as big as it gets in a regular season game. As such, count on Seattle to get the ball in Smith-Njigba’s hands early and often. That’s usually what the Seahawks do every week regardless of how they match up. The former Ohio State standout has made at least seven tackles in six of the last seven contests, including eight or more four times this season.
JSN has surpassed the 100-yard mark nine times this season. He has accumulated at least 92 yards four times. When the 49ers and Seahawks went back-to-back in Week 1, he caught nine of 13 passes for 124 yards. Seattle now faces a San Francisco defense that ranks 25th against the pass at 235.6 yards per game allowed at 7.0 yards per attempt. It doesn’t help the 49ers that they are missing Bosa and Warner.
