LEFT: Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks looks to throw the ball in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field on December 27, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) RIGHT: Raheem Mostert #31 of the …
Judging the impact of home field advantage in a playoff season with limited amounts of fans is a tricky task, indeed.
And that’s what could make the task for Pete Carroll on Sunday so difficult. The odds would indicate that the Seattle Seahawks coach probably should use Sunday afternoon’s game at San Francisco (4:25 p.m., FOX) as a chance to rest Russell Wilson and the rest of his starters before playing the following week in the NFC’s wild-card round.
However, there’s that slight chance that if the Seahawks win and are coupled with losses by the Packers and Saints, Seattle could have an extra week of rest and welcome the entire NFC field to Lumen Field. Complicating things is the fact that all three games in this scenario will go concurrently – which means Carroll can’t sit back and watch how an early game will fall out.
And maybe that’s why Carroll has been adamant about playing his guys this week. "We’re going for it," he was quoted on the Seahawks website as saying. "We would love to have that break for players if we can get it."
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The sports betting information
On FOXBet.com Sportsbook, Seattle is listed as a 5 ½ point favorite with a money line of -250. (A $250 bet would pay $100.) The 49ers are +210 – a $100 bet will pay $210 in winnings. The over/under is 46 points.
Against the spread this year, Seattle is 8-7 while San Francisco is 6-9.
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The history
This has become one of the best rivalries in the sport over the last decade. Seattle holds the overall advantage 27-17, including a win in the 2013 NFC Championship game. This year’s one meeting in Seattle went to the Seahawks, who used four Wilson touchdown passes to post a 37-27 win on Nov. 1. The 49ers were held to just 52 yards in rushing in that game.
The storylines to watch
Winning the NFC West last week with a 20-9 victory over the Rams gave Carroll and the Seahawks a little wiggle room on how to handle this week and fix some issues that have cropped up in the second half of the season. The offense didn’t turn the ball over on Sunday, but the numbers since early November have been flat with the exception of a 40-3 romp over the Jets in Week 14. Wilson has thrown for over 4,000 yards, but his interceptions spiked in the second half. Still, having Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf available gives a pair of thousand yard receivers to the offense that will make for a dangerous matchup.
San Francisco’s season will end in disappointing fashion for the defending NFC Champions. Injuries sidetracked it right out of the gate and never really allowed the 49ers to get a legitimate footing for a defense. Still, Kyle Shanahan’s crew has shown moments like last week’s 20-12 win at Arizona where they can be a dangerous opponent for any team. In divisional play this year, San Francisco has an opportunity to finish 4-2. For a team that played most of the year without George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert and Nick Bosa – a 7-9 record should be encouraging moving forward.
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