In their second meeting in 15 days, the San Francisco 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks picked up a 13-3 road win in their Week 18 matchup, but now a spot in the NFC Championship Game is on the line. 49ers under 17.5 points (-120) is a possibility once again.
49ers vs Seahawks Betting Predictions
All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing, and subject to change.
- Zach Charbonnet Over 46.5 Rushing Yards @ 17/20 with bet365
- 49ers Under 17.5 Points @ 17/20 with bet365
- Under 41.5 Points @ 5/4 with bet365
Charbonnet Claiming More Carries
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet closed out the regular season quite strongly. Instead of playing second fiddle to Kenneth Walker, Charbonnet got more carries than the Seahawks’ lead back over the final two games.
Charbonnet averaged 92 rushing yards in Weeks 17 and 18 and scored three total TDs. In the season finale against the 49ers, he picked up 74 rushing yards on 17 carries. Charbonnet also went over 46.5 rushing yards in the season-opening loss to San Francisco.
The Seahawks have been using more of a tandem approach to their running back situation recently. That should benefit Charbonnet tonight, and it’s not as if the 49ers have a strong run defense.
San Francisco allowed 4.3 yards per carry during the regular season, which ranked 20th in the league. If Charbonnet can get anywhere near the 17.5 carries he’s averaged in the preceding two games, he should go well over 46.5 rushing yards tonight.
- 49ers vs Seahawks Prediction 1: Zach Charbonnet Over 46.5 Rushing Yards @ 17/20 with bet365
Long Night for the Niners’ Offense
In Week 18, the Seahawks held the 49ers to three points and just 180 yards of total offense. Over the final six weeks of the regular season, the Seahawks allowed only 12.5 points per game.
The Seahawks have held five of their last six opponents to 16 points or fewer and rank first in the NFL in defensive DVOA. Unsurprisingly, Seattle finished the regular season as the number one scoring defense, allowing just 17.2 PPG.
Unfortunately, the 49ers lost tight end George Kittle to an Achilles tear in their 23-19 Wild Card playoff victory over the Eagles. Without him, they’ll rely even more on Christian McCaffrey in both the running and passing game.
Seattle shut down McCaffrey in the last meeting and likely won’t be caught off guard by any 49ers’ plays after two regular-season meetings. The Niners have scored 17 points or fewer in each of their previous three games against the Seahawks, and the same should happen tonight.
- 49ers vs Seahawks Prediction 2: 49ers Under 17.5 Points @ 17/20 with bet365
Expect Another Low-Scoring Matchup
Neither of the two games these teams played against each other in the regular season finished with more than 30 points. Each of the last three has also gone under 41.5 points, an intriguing alternative total tonight.
The 49ers’ defense held up well against the Eagles in a 23-19 Wild Card win. Even though Eagles RB Saquon Barkley managed to rush for over 100 yards, the Niners limited him to 4.1 yards per carry. San Francisco also prevented big passing plays and will look to do the same here.
Recall that Seahawks QB Sam Darnold also led the Vikings to a 14-3 record last season, but he disappointed in his playoff debut. The Vikings fell 27-9 to the Rams in that game, as Darnold got sacked nine times and turned the ball over twice.
It’s fair not to trust Darnold and the Seahawks to completely blow away the Niners, especially after Seattle scored just 13 points in the Week 18 win. Bet on under 41.5 points here.
- 49ers vs Seahawks Prediction 3: Under 41.5 Points @ 5/4 with bet365