Following their dramatic win on Saturday, we might have thought the San Francisco 49ers clinched a playoff berth. But a quick look at the standings tells us they just broke a 13-game losing streak. So, I guess that’s something to thankful for. Take the Rams off the schedule and the Niners have the worst record in the league. As it stands now, they’re just ahead of the Browns for the last place battle. While the Niners may be feeling good about themselves, that will change in Week 17 when the Seattle Seahawks pay a visit.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 17 game is set for Sunday, January 1, 2017, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seattle Seahawks -9.5
San Francisco 49ers +9.5
Over/Under 43
Odds Analysis
It’s not much of a rivalry if the series is one-sided, and that’s what has happened with this matchup. The Seahawks have won six straight going 6-0 ATS, covering the past two as a double-digit favorite. When the teams met in Week 3, Seattle closed as a 10.5-point favorite and easily covered in the 37-18 triumph. The game wasn’t even that close with the Niners needing two late scores to close the gap. Seattle is a much different team on the road, scoring an average of 14.6 points, which is over seven points less than its season average. That puts some value on the under.
Injury Report
Tyler Lockett – The Seahawks lost their electrifying receiver and return man to a nasty leg injury against the Cardinals. Lockett is the team’s third leading receiver and has displayed big play ability. His loss could be felt more in the return game as he was the Seahawks first option in kickoff and punt return situations.
Carlos Hyde – The good news for the Niners is that Hyde did not tear his MCL. The bad news is that the knee sprain will keep him out of the season finale. Hyde finished the season with 988 rushing yards and six touchdowns after leaving Saturday’s game against the Rams. Hyde has over twice as many rushing yards as Colin Kaepernick, who is second on the team. Shaun Draughn will likely get a bulk of the snaps.
Matchup to Watch
It’s hard to imagine just how many sacks the 49ers would have allowed if Kaepernick wasn’t as elusive as he is. Still the unit has been besieged by injuries and the sack total has climbed. Kaepernick was sacked four times by the Rams on Saturday, increasing the Niners total on the season to 42, a number that represents the third-highest total in the league. And a reconfigured line will need more tweaking against the vaunted Seahawks pass rush.
The Niners didn’t allow a sack when the teams played in Week 3, but that was about the only thing they did right in that game. They will likely be without two players who started that contest with Daniel Kilgore on injured reserve and Joe Staley nursing a sore hamstring. Kilgore’s replacement at center, Marcus Martin, is also doubtful. That leaves plenty of opportunities for the Seahawks to improve on their season total of 37 sacks.
Free ATS Pick
Before we start getting all giddy about the 49ers and the fact that they won a game, consider the competition. The Rams still haven’t recovered from the Jeff Fisher debacle and it will likely take some time. The Niners proved they could play with the lesser teams in the league, but the Seahawks aren’t a lesser team. Seattle had its path to a first-round bye detoured by a loss to the Cardinals and now they must win and get some help to make that happen.
The Seahawks have been plagued by inconsistent play all season and the Arizona game was a microcosm of their year. They fell behind, came back to take the lead, gave up the advantage and blew a chance at victory with a missed field goal. Seattle has not lost consecutive games all season and they’ve recovered nicely after their defeats. There have been difficult games on the road, including losses to Green Bay and Tampa Bay in the last two, but the Niners seem to bring out the best in Seattle, even if some of the names have changed over the years. Without Hyde and a beat up line, the Niners won’t produce enough offense to stay close and the Seahawks get the cover win.
NFL Odds: Seahawks 27, 49ers 13
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