The Pick: Seahawks +9.5 at -110 (10/11) (Unibet)
The NFL playoffs will start on Saturday. First up is the Seattle Seahawks, who will be looking for a win on the road when they face the San Francisco 49ers in the first game of the day on January 14th, 2023. The 49ers, who have won ten straight, will host the game with a start time of 1:30 PM PT.
The Seahawks are heading into the game as large underdogs, with the spread set at +9.5 (Unibet). They are truly a team that limped to the finish line this season while the 49ers have done anything but. Has the spread been left too long on Seattle? We think +9.5 handicap points are still worth taking.
Seahawks @ 49ers - NFL: Game at a Glance
- Seattle 9-8 overall: +9.5 (Unibet)
- Seahawks' moneyline betting odds: +400
- San Francisco 13-4 overall: -9.5 (Unibet)
- 49ers' moneyline betting odds: -500
- Game time: Saturday, January 14th, 2023 @ 1:30 PM PT
- Injury report link: Seahawks vs 49ers injury report
The Seattle Seahawks will enter the game with an overall record of 9-8 on the season. They were a 6-3 team earlier in the season, meaning they went 3-5 down the stretch. They enter the playoffs with little to prove: no one thought that they would make it into the postseason this year and they are a team, regardless of the outcome on Saturday, that has overachieved.
What can Seattle backers hope for? Well, +9.5 would have been plenty of points if applied to their regular season games. They would have gone 15-3 this season with that kind of handicap. The clear retort to that would be that they haven't always had competition as difficult as the 49ers, the team staring at them on Wild Card Weekend.
The San Francisco 49ers are 13-4 on the season. In betting against them, you would be betting against Brock Purdy. He is a rookie and he has played exceptionally well in his appearances this season. If you go against him, then you are doing so hoping that the playoff-game setting gets to his nerves. From this point of view, the veteran Geno Smith could be considered more steady.
This is a game with a really ugly injury report. Both teams listed a fair share of names, including San Francisco listing Christian McCaffrey. He was limited on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
There may be a flicker of hope for Seattle in this game, keeping in mind that they have a two-time conference-winning coach in Pete Carroll, also a Super Bowl winner. Carroll has won some playoff games before so you can take the points on Seattle at +9.5 as they shouldn't be set that long.
Seahawks vs 49ers betting recommendation
- Seattle Seahawks +9.5 with Unibet at -110 (10/11)
- Further reading: Our recent NFL Power Rankings
