San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks prediction: Seahawks to book place in NFC Championship Game

Read the latest odds and tips for Sunday’s crunch game between the Seahawks and the 49ers in the NFL Divisional Round

The Seahawks beat the 49ers 13-3 in their final game of the regular season (Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks Picks

• Seattle Seahawks -7.5 points spread - (-105 DraftKings)
• Zach Charbonnet to score anytime TD - (-115 FanDuel)

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The Seattle Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Divisional Round on Saturday night, with a place in the conference championships at stake as the NFC West rivals meet for the second time in two weeks.

The 49ers scraped past the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 last week thanks to a late touchdown from Christian McCaffrey, and while they have taken another step closer to a home Super Bowl, the victory came at a cost as they lost star tight end George Kittle.

The visitors lost to the Seahawks just two weeks ago, and while they’ll take hope from the 17-13 win over Seattle that opened the season, the 49ers are sizable underdogs with sportsbooks.

The Seahawks, who won the NFC West and clinched the number one seed, ran out 13-3 winners when these teams met on 4 January in San Francisco, and they’re currently on a seven-game winning run, while also benefitting from a bye last week to enter this key game with a week’s rest.

They aren’t without injury concerns – notably to QB Sam Darnold – but the Seahawks enter the game as a heavy 7.5-point favorite with online sportsbooks to win this weekend.

49ers @ Seahawks prediction: Seattle to move to Conference Championship

The NFC Conference Championship is in sight now as the 49ers travel north to face Seattle in a rematch of the game from just a fortnight ago, in which Kyle Shanahan’s side were soundly beaten 13-3.

The Seahawks had a bye last week in preparation for back-to-back games against the Niners and Mike Macdonald’s team are 7.5-point favorites at Lumen Field.

The Seahawks, helped by QB Darnold, dominated the matchup a fortnight ago, shutting down the 49ers offense as Zach Charbonnet scored the only TD of the day.

Darnold is an injury concern for the hosts this weekend due to an oblique issue, perhaps giving the San Francisco some hope, but the 49ers emerged battle-scarred from their win over the Eagles last week, with key tight end George Kittle now out.

In addition, the likes of LB Dee Winters, DB Keion White, DE Yetur Gross-Matos, LB Luke Gifford and safety Ji'Ayir Brown were all either missing from or limited in practice this week, giving Shanahan plenty of headaches as he looks to steal an unlikely win.

There’s a bit of good news for San Fran though with linebacker Fred Warner having an outside chance of returning from an ankle injury.

The Niners’ injury report goes some way to explaining why Seattle are such heavy favorites at home, and the Seahawks are 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the spread in games where they’ve opened as 7.5-point favourites so far this season, having gone 12-5-0 against the spread overall. Moreover, Seattle are 13-1 in games they were listed as the moneyline favourite.

Statistically, the Seahawks conceded the fewest points in the regular season, ranking first with just 17.2 points conceded per game, while ranking in the top 10 for passing yards allowed and top three against the run.

The loss of Kittle for the 49ers means Christian McCaffrey will have to be a big presence, as he was against the Eagles. However, McCaffrey had just 23 rushing yards – his lowest output of the season – last time out against the Seahawks, and if he struggles again, it’s hard to see how the 49ers will mount a challenge.

At the opposite end, the Seahawks ranked eighth - just below San Francisco – in terms of total yards, finishing eighth in terms of passing yards and 11th in rushing yards. So, while the two offenses are fairly evenly matched, the home defense should prove the difference at Lumen Field.

In terms of the total, the line is 45 points for this one, though seven of the last nine head-to-head meetings have fallen short of this tally.

In fact, the overall points from both of their games this season barely reaches 45, with 30 scored in the season-opener in Seattle and just 16 a fortnight ago. So, while injuries and the occasion could play a part, we think a wager on the Seahawks to beat the spread and win by eight points or more.

Seahawks vs 49ers prediction 1: Seattle Seahawks -7.5 points spread @ -105 (DraftKings)

49ers @ Seahawks betting: Charbonnet to continue scoring streak?

Seattle come into their first game of the postseason looking to pick up from where they left off – quite literally – as they take on the 49ers once more, and in-form running back Zach Charbonnet could hold the key to another win against their divisional rivals.

Charbonnet has scored four TDs across his last three games, landing one against the 49ers last time out as well as two against the Panthers a week earlier and another against a mean Rams run defence in week 15.

He rushed for 72 yards in the game a fortnight ago – and 110 the week before against the Panthers – and rushed for 47 while scoring another TD in week 1 against the 49ers, so he is clearly confident and capable against this San Francisco defense.

Charbonnet has rushed for a TD in 10 games this season – with multiple rushing touchdowns on two occasions – and he’s up against a 49ers defense that allowed 107.8 rushing yards per game in the regular season, and with the visitors harbouring some injury concerns too, it could well be that the 25-year-old finds the gaps again this weekend.

Seahawks vs 49ers prediction 2: Zach Charbonnet to score anytime TD @ -115 (FanDuel)

Responsible Gambling

Anyone who uses a sportsbook needs to remember to gamble responsibly. Sports wagering can be addictive, and it's crucial that bettors don’t ever lose control of their gambling.

Never view sports wagering as a way to generate income, never wager more than you can comfortably afford to lose, and when it stops being fun, it's time to stop.

All licensed US sportsbooks provide bettors with responsible gambling tools, including deposit limits, wager limits, and self-exclusion options, to help you stay in control.

Every recommended sportsbook on our list offers a comprehensive suite of responsible gaming tools that are easily accessible through account settings or the main navigation menu.

But if you need more help, don’t hesitate to contact your local gambling addiction charity, or the nationwide organisations below:

• National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) | 24/7 helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER
• Gamblers Anonymous

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