The 49ers and Seahawks finally get to play a meaningful game again. They’ve gone opposite directions since the 2014 NFC Championship Game, but now San Francisco has risen back to prominence, making their Week 10 showdown with their division rival a crucial one in the NFL playoff picture.
The 49ers enter the Monday night contest against Seattle favored by 6.5 points according to BetMGM. It’s the most San Francisco has been favored by over Seattle since Week 7 of the 2012 season when they were 7.5-point favorites on Thursday Night Football. San Francisco didn’t cover that spread in a 13-6 victory.
That 6.5-point number alone shows how rapid the turnaround has been for the 49ers, and perhaps how far some of the drop off has been for Seattle. The Seahawks last season were favored by 10 at home against the 49ers, and favored by 3.5 at Levi’s Stadium.
Now the script is flipped, and the 49ers, coming off a Thursday Night win against the Cardinals, are the heavy favorites against the second-place team in the NFC West.
It’s remarkable that Seattle finds themselves such heavy underdogs with MVP-candidate Russell Wilson under center, but their defense is no longer the force of nature it once was. They’re 28th in passing yards allowed, and 31st in rushing touchdowns allowed. Football Outsiders has them as the No. 22 defense by DVOA.
It stands to reason the 49ers very good pass defense should mitigate some of the danger the Seahawks’ stellar passing attack poses. If San Francisco gets behind its run game to keep Wilson off the field, then limit him when he does get opportunities, it’s a recipe for a 49ers win. It’s the same recipe they’ve used to get to 8-0, and it’s the same one that has Vegas giving the Seahawks 6.5 points in their Week 10 game in Santa Clara.
