Seahawks vs. 49ers: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

One of the season's most important games rounds out a stacked Thanksgiving lineup when the San Francisco 49ers play host to the Seattle Seahawks. 

Both teams have played worse than expected at times this season, which has birthed identical 7-4 marks and a seat behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.

That said, both teams still lean on violent rushing attacks and strong defense to win games and have improved as of late with this game on the horizon. While predictable, Thursday's final contest promises to be another traditional war of wills between bitter rivals with everything to lose—before they do it again in a few weeks.

Brutality Defined 

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Observers know how this goes.

Seattle is led by Marshawn Lynch, who has 852 yards and nine scores on the ground this season. In two of his last three outings, the man has a minimum of 120 rushing yards, and he exploded for a four-touchdown performance against the New York Giants.

San Francisco will counter with Frank Gore and rookie Carlos Hyde. The veteran still has plenty of juice left in the tank, as noted by his 684 yards and pair of scores on a 4.0 per-carry average. Hyde has 255 yards and five scores, including a clutch touchdown last week late in a win over Washington.

As one knows just by looking at the two involved in the matchup, try not to expect too much in the way of passing come Thursday, which is fine, really, given how effective all involved are on the ground: 

Given the short week, one would think both ground games may be a tad sluggish, but one only has to listen to the words of 49ers tackle Joe Staley to understand that Thursday will be business as usual, per 49ers.com:

"

Yeah, it’s going to be an exciting game. We’ve been playing Thursday night games every season, so it’s nothing new; we know how to prepare. It’s all about recovery from this game and moving forward. We’ll get in tomorrow, watch film, put this one to bed and move on to Seattle. It’s a big game.

"

That said, the defenses tasked with stopping the potent ground games are quite proficient at what they do, too. Seattle not only ranks third against the pass, it comes in at sixth against the rush, allowing an average of just 88.4 yards per game on the ground.

San Francisco sounds much of the same: second against the pass, seventh against the rush at 92.9 yards per game.

All of that added up creates a low-scoring affair that is high on entertainment value as two contenders fight for the postseason. Really, it amounts to a postseason come early.

Complementary Pieces

For quarterbacks as popular as Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick, they tend to get a tad lost at times when it comes to analyzing matchups against one another. 

As the numbers above show, neither have actually been on fire through the air this season.

Wilson has thrown for just 2,230 yards this year with 14 touchdowns to five interceptions. That said, it is important to note that he is second on the team in rushing with 644 yards and four scores.

He also happens to lead quite the clutch offense. As the numbers show, Wilson is quite the finisher this season:

Kaepernick is in much of the same boat, sans the clutch factor. He has 2,615 yards and 15 touchdowns to six interceptions, but an attempt at an aerial-focused attack resulted in losses early in the season. He, too, comes in second in rushing with 336 yards.

For two quarterbacks ingrained in a personal rivalry, Thursday is an important milestone against one another and in the face of elite defenses.

Whichever dual-threat player can best use his skill set and take care of the football will help his team dramatically alter the NFC playoff picture.

When: Thursday, November 27, 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Watch: NBC

Betting Info: (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 40
• Spread: San Francisco (-1)

Team Injury Reports

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

This contest taking place in San Francisco figures to give the 49ers an advantage, but as far as recent form goes, the Seahawks look to have what it takes to pull off the upset.

While the Seahawks were handing the Arizona Cardinals their second loss of the season last week, San Francisco was in need of a late fourth-quarter comeback to down three-win Washington, and it overcame the three-win New York Giants by less than a touchdown the week before that.

Most concerning was last week, though, as Washington's Alfred Morris bruised his way to 125 yards and a score on 21 carries. The 49ers defense is still hobbled, meaning Lynch is in for a major day as the Seahawks pull off the road win.

Prediction: Seahawks 24, 49ers 23

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).