Rovell’s 49ers vs. Seahawks Prediction: Geno Smith’s Time Is Up

Rovell’s 49ers vs. Seahawks Prediction: Geno Smith’s Time Is Up article feature image
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Picture by Getty Images. Pictured: Geno Smith.

When you see a well-oiled machine, you just know it.

Even without a real quarterback — apologies to Brock Purdy — the San Francisco 49ers are still hitting on all cylinders.

It doesn’t matter who is driving, whether it’s Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo or Purdy, because the chassis is so strong. Plug in Christian McCaffrey and the offense is even more of a juggernaut. Yes, that's even with Deebo Samuel out tonight.

Don’t get me wrong, the Seattle Seahawks and Geno Smith have been solid all season, but they're overachieving. They're losing steam.

After winning five of six games, they’ve now lost three of the last four.

And Smith has played horribly over the last month. He had his worst start of the season against the Panthers last Sunday, just the 19th-best defense in the NFL.

In it, he threw two costly picks, including one on his first throw of the game, starting a cascade of events that put them down 17-0 in the opening frame.


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And the Seahawks aren't a team that plays particularly well coming from behind, preferring to maintain a lead through a run-heavy attack. Just two of their wins have occurred while facing a second half deficit.

With the short week, that negative momentum will undoubtedly carry over. If the 49ers go up early, and the Seahawks are forced to chase the game, there's a chance this contest gets out of hand. And yes, even with Purdy at the helm.

If I’m gonna take the hook of 49ers -3.5, I might as well move it up to 5.5 and get plus money for it.

About 15% of games since 2003 have finished at a six- or seven-point deficit. Only roughly 8% of games over that same timeframe have finished with a four- or five-point deficit.

Pick the 49ers at BetMGM tonight to cover -5.5 (+125). 

About the Author
Darren is a Senior Executive Producer at The Action Network, covering all angles of the sports betting world. He spent two stints at ESPN, from 2000-06 and 2012-18, he regularly wrote for ESPN.com and contributed to ESPN shows, including SportsCenter and Outside The Lines. He also served as a business correspondent for ABC News, where he made appearances on the network’s flagship shows, including “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight” and “Nightline.” While at CNBC from 2006-2012, Rovell anchored five primetime documentaries, including “Swoosh! Inside Nike,” which was nominated for an Emmy. Rovell also contributed to NBC News, where he earned an Emmy as a correspondent for the network’s Presidential Election coverage.

Follow Darren Rovell @darrenrovell on Twitter/X.

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