NFL Week 14 Predictions: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, 12/8/13, 4:25 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: San Francisco -2.5
Current Betting Line: San Francisco -2
Opening Total: 41.5
Current Total: 41
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker

The Seattle Seahawks will try to take control of the NFC West division Sunday

Seattle has won seven games in a row, including a 34-7 blowout victory over the New Orleans Saints as 6.5-point home favorites on Monday Night Football, while winning the statistical battle by 241 yards in that affair. The Seahawks will likely pound running back Marshawn Lynch, who needs just 30 yards to reach 1,000 for a third consecutive season and has scored five touchdowns in his last two meetings in this series. Seattle is 3-4 SU and 4-2-1 ATS as road underdogs of three or fewer points, with the OVER going 4-3 in that situation.

The Seahawks have already earned a berth in the playoffs, which is important to consider when making your NFL predictions, but the locker room wants to secure home field advantage. “We want to win this division, and that division gives us a chance to play at home,” stated Seattle head coach Pete Carroll. Second-year quarterback Russell Wilson plays his best football in front of the CenturyLink Field crowd, but he’s also completed 73 percent of his passes in his last four games.

San Francisco has won back-to-back games, including a 23-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams as 7.5-point home favorites last Sunday, while going UNDER the betting total for a fourth consecutive contest. The 49ers may be without the services of two key offensive linemen—something that could decide the outcome of this game against an aggressive Seahawks defensive front. San Francisco is 19-5 SU and 17-7 ATS at home the last two-plus seasons, as this game will serve as the final meeting in this rivalry at Candlestick Park.

The 49ers desperately need to get running back Frank Gore going, as he’s ran for 121 yards in the last three games. He’s enjoyed great success on the ground in his career against Seattle—rushing for 1,254 yards overall in the series. San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick will need to complete some passes downfield to open up the running lanes, but he was just 13 of 28 for 127 yards with three interceptions and a fumble in a 29-3 setback to the Seahawks on Sept. 15.