Henry Roldán
The 2023 NFL postseason Wild Card games kick off this Saturday afternoon with an NFC West divisional showdown, when the Seahawks vs 49ers meet again.
Seattle qualified at the last minute as the third wild card and thanks to a win over the Rams and the Lions’ help, who beat the Packers on Sunday night and eliminated them. For its part, San Francisco fought until the last minute for the best record in the National Conference and finished as the champion of its division .
It is worth remembering that as divisional rivals, these two teams met on a couple of occasions during the regular round. The 49ers won two times. Without further ado, at JefeBet we bring you the best preview of this impressive clash between the Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers NFC Wild Card Game on January 14, 2023
- Where: Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, California.
- When: Saturday, January 14, 2023 – 4:30 PM E.T.
Odds provided by BetMGM.
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Betting on the Seattle Seahawks
- Regular Season Record: 9-8 (3rd wild card – 7th NFC seed).
- BetMGM Spread: +10.0
- BetMGM Moneyline: +400
- BetMGM Over/Under: 43 Points
The Seahawks could be considered the big surprise of this postseason, more so after projections and analysis prior to the regular round placed them as one of the worst teams in the league following the departure of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.
Seattle management made a couple of interesting changes and had Geno Smith’s support, who took over the starting quarterback job and did not disappoint. Despite a slip in recent weeks, the Seahawks positioned themselves as one of the most feared offenses in the league, and that performance is primarily responsible for the ranking.
With 407 points, they finished as the ninth-highest scoring team, while their 30 TD passes are the fourth-highest total in the NFL. The Seahawks also finished in the top 10 teams with the best average in total passing yards and net yards gained per pass. On the ground, despite not having much strength in the end zone, they finished with the seventh best average in yards per carry with 4.8.
However, it’s not all joy in Seattle. Throughout the campaign, their defense did not fail to give them a headache, as many of the advantages given by the offense quickly vanished because of the constant problems defensive problems.
The Seahawks were the fourth team that conceded the most points during the year with 401 points. On the ground, they were a disaster, allowing 2,554 yards, the third highest figure in the league, and also 21 touchdowns, the fifth highest amount in the NFL. Through passes, they tried to correct this problem, but of course it was not enough to avoid being ranked as the eighth team with the lowest efficiency in the red zone, allowing TDs in 59.6% of the opponent’s visits.
Betting on the San Francisco 49ers
- Regular Season Record: 13-4 (NFC West Champion – 2nd seed NFC).
- BetMGM Spread: -10.0
- BetMGM Moneyline: -550
- BetMGM Over/Under: 43 Points
The 49ers are a team to be feared. In addition to the talent they have in their lines, they proved to be incredibly responsive by overcoming two painful QB injuries, the ones of Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, to become one of the best teams in the league.
On the offensive side, the arrival of Christian McCaffrey marked a before and after in the championship, since having the stellar running back in their ranks made the dynamism of this offense become one to be feared. McCaffrey, along with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, have served as a great outlet for rookie Brock Purdy, who seamlessly took on the leadership of the offense.
San Francisco ranked sixth in points scored with 450, fifth in total yards with 6.216. The team lost just 17 fumbles, the third lowest amount in the league. Through passes, they finished third in average net yards per pass, and fourth in touchdown passes Meanwhile, on the ground, they were also dominant, scoring 20 times, the fifth best figure in the league. The team also ranked eighth in total yards, and tenth in average yards per carry.
As if this great offensive performance was not enough, the 49ers have what is considered by many to be the best defense in the NFL.
San Francisco was first in: fewest points allowed (277), fewest total yards allowed (5.110) and, most interceptions gained (20).The team finished second in fumbles recovered (30), fewest first downs conceded (291), total rushing yards (1.321), and average yards per carry (3.4). To all this, we can add that they received the fifth lowest number of passing TDs with 20, and the ninth lowest share of TDs with 11.
JefeBet Prediction
Despite the Seahawks’ good season, a Seattle win this Sunday depends on an overall catastrophe on the San Francisco team’s behalf. In the two games they played during the regular round, the 49ers’ defense did whatever it pleased to Seattle’s good offense. In neither game were they able to surpass 280 total yards, and the team scored just 20 points.
Considering that the Seahawks’ offense finished the campaign with a lot of problems, and that the 49ers’ defense allowed no more than 20 points in nine of their last 10 games, things aren’t looking too good for Pete Carroll and the rest of the team.
On the other hand, Brock Purdy will surely rely on Christian McCaffrey to hurt a Seattle defense that was one of the worst on rushing, and that in the two games it played against San Francisco, it conceded more than 170 rushing yards.
Prediction: Over (SEA 20 – SF 27).
