Following a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round, the San Francisco 49ers are set to travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.
The 49ers scored 13 points against the Eagles in the fourth quarter. The No. 1 Seahawks earned a first-round bye after defeating the 49ers in Week 18.
Here are the opening 49ers vs Seahawks odds for the NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs next weekend.
49ers vs Seahawks Odds
| 49ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -106 | 45.5 -112o / -108u | +260 |
| Seahawks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -114 | 45.5 -112o / -108u | -320 |
San Francisco 49ers Preview
The 49ers had a chance to stay home for the entirety of the playoffs, but lost in Week 18, so now their next home game would likely need to come in the Super Bowl.
The path got much harder to get there, though – not that a tough path is anything new to this team. The 49ers showed their mettle in the Wild Card Round, going on the road to defeat a tough Eagles team.
San Francisco has been crushed by injuries all season, on both sides of the ball. The defense is missing its top two playmakers in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, and is badly lacking talent across the unit.
The offense finally got healthy to end the season, but enters the playoffs with an injury watch to Brock Purdy (stinger) and Trent Williams (hamstring), probably the team’s two most important players. Now, in the Wild Card matchup, star tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles.
San Francisco’s defense lacks punch, so the 49ers will likely need to win shootouts. The offense had been red hot before scoring just three against Seattle.
Can Kyle Shanahan pull the strings again and get back to yet another NFC Championship, or maybe finally finish the job?
Seahawks Preview
The NFC road to the Super Bowl runs through Seattle after a defensive win in the regular-season finale, and the Seahawks have won 10 straight home playoff games with fans in the stands.
That San Francisco win was this team’s identity in a nutshell. Seattle wins with defense first, then running the ball in between the tackles, and asking Sam Darnold to pass only when necessary.
Mike MacDonald’s defense is nasty. The Seahawks play defense on the front foot, attacking the opponent and making life miserable. This defense shuts down the rushing attack and eliminates explosives. Seattle’s special teams have also been historically great and will be a significant edge against every playoff opponent.
The question now is whether this is a Super Bowl-caliber offense.
Seattle is one of the league’s most run-heavy teams and has seen its rushing attack improve as the season has progressed. However, a once-powerful passing attack has been muted since teams started defending them differently at midseason.
The Seahawks dropped from first in Passing DVOA through 10 weeks to the bottom quarter of the league since. Potential Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba has fallen off, and the offense has the second-most giveaways, with Darnold heavily at fault.
Darnold made the plays he needed against the Rams and 49ers to finish the season. Can he do it three more times in the playoffs?
