Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL playoff matchup
The NFL playoffs kick off with a matchup between NFC West teams. Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks visit Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers in a battle of divisional rivals.
The Pete Carroll-coached Seahawks made the postseason in part due to a career year by Smith, who helped Seattle clinch the seventh and final seed in the NFC playoff bracket. Can Seattle keep the magic going on the road, or will Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and the 49ers' attack be too much to handle? The game will kick off Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET from Levi's Stadium.
Here's a look at the betting details and USA TODAY's NFL staff picks for the Seahawks vs. 49ers first-round postseason game on wild-card weekend:
Seahawks at 49ers odds, moneyline and over/under
Spread: 49ers (-9.5)
Moneyline: 49ers (-500); Seahawks (+400)
Over/under: 42
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Lorenzo Reyes: 49ers 24, Seahawks 17
Even though the Seahawks lost and failed to cover both their matchups this season against San Francisco, it's rare for playoff teams to lose to the same opponents three times in a single season. Still, the Niners have proven to be a powerhouse behind the league's best defense and Seattle's struggles on third down and in the red zone make it difficult to back in this spot.
Safid Deen: 49ers 27, Seahawks 23
Brock Purdy is 5-0 as the 49ers' starter. Coach Kyle Shanahan has put Purdy in a position to succeed while his teammates have also bought in. It makes the 49ers one of the scariest teams in the playoffs. They’ll be challenged by a Seattle team that has played well above expectation this season behind Geno Smith and Kenneth Walker III and a feisty defense. But San Francisco has the playoff experience needed to advance.
Richard Morin: 49ers 33, Seahawks 25
Good for Carroll and Smith for getting this far, but the Niners aren't getting upset here. Divisional matchups are always tricky to predict given the familiarity between the teams, but I'll take Brock Purdy and the points.
Jarrett Bell: 49ers 27, Seahawks 20
Nate Davis: 49ers 31, Seahawks 13
Tyler Dragon: 49ers 24, Seahawks 16
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: Game predictions, picks, odds
