Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers Betting Odds, Analysis, NFL Pick

A costly loss last week has put the Seattle Seahawks in a tough position in order to try to earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Fortunately for bettors, the Seahawks will have to play out Week 17 as big road favorites against the San Francisco 49ers and go for another win while taking the field simultaneously with an Atlanta Falcons team that just needs a victory to finish with a better record.

Point spread: The Seahawks opened as nine-point favorites; the total was 44.5 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark (line updates and matchup report).

NFL pick, via OddsShark computer: 27.8-16.4 Seahawks (NFL picks on every game)

Why the Seahawks can cover the spread

It might be easier if Atlanta played before Seattle, and a win for the former would put the latter into the No. 3 spot in the NFC. The Seahawks could rest their starters and prepare to host a playoff game on Wild Card Weekend rather than getting a first-round bye.

However, that is obviously not the case, and the New Orleans Saints could upset the Falcons and give Seattle a shot to steal the No. 2 seed back despite falling at home to the Arizona Cardinals last week. The Seahawks, sliding on the Super Bowl 51 odds, will go all out here for an easy win.

Why the 49ers can cover the spread

While Seattle is battling for playoff positioning, San Francisco will be trying to hold on to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Or so it would seem, with last week's surprising win over the Los Angeles Rams likely bumping the 49ers from an opportunity to grab the top pick away from the Cleveland Browns.

Some could argue this franchise is not thinking clearly right now, but head coach Chip Kelly and the players look like they still want to win and put together a positive streak to close out the season.

Smart pick

San Francisco dropped 13 in a row before winning at Los Angeles, including a 37-18 blowout loss at Seattle as a 10-point road underdog in Week 3. The Seahawks were off to a great start back then and desperately need to regain some momentum before the postseason gets underway.

The Seahawks have covered the spread in each of the past 11 meetings with the 49ers, and that streak will continue with another beatdown in what used to be a good NFC West rivalry.

Betting trends

The Seahawks are 11-0 against the spread in their last 11 games against the 49ers.

The total has gone under in six of the Seahawks' last eight games against the 49ers.

The 49ers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against their division.

All NFL lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.