The Seattle Seahawks will host the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field for Thursday Night Football in a matchup of two NFC West teams with playoff implications.
The 49ers enter the game as 3.5-point road favorites in Week 6 NFL odds despite sitting with a 2-3 record and losing their last game at home to the Arizona Cardinals. On the flip side, the Seahawks lead the NFC West but dropped their last game at home to the New York Giants. They’ll be looking to get back on track with a win in front of a raucous crowd, and the over/under line anticipates a high-scoring Thursday Night Football matchup.
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49ers slight favorites over Seahawks in key divisional matchup
How the 49ers could win and cover the spread
The San Francisco 49ers have dropped to 2-3 after a fourth-quarter collapse against the Cardinals in another NFC West matchup in Week 5. Despite that, they’ve been better than the losing record suggests. The offense and defense are both in the top half of the league in expected points added, per RBSDM, and the roster is one of the most talented in the NFL. They’ll take on a tough Seahawks offense in Week 6, but if the Seahawks’ loss against the Giants is anything to go by, the 49ers could look to get after Geno Smith in the pocket.
Smith has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season but was sacked a season-high seven times by the Giants in Week 5. The 49ers’ pass rush has been excellent this season and is ninth in sacks, with Kevin Givens leading the way with 3.5. However, the defense has the likes of Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd rushing the passer. There’s talent all over. If they can get to Smith and bully the Seahawks’ offensive line, it could make it hard for the quarterback to push the ball downfield and play to his strengths.
How the Seahawks could cover the spread and win
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has had a noticeable impact in his first season in charge of the team. The former Ravens defensive coordinator has turned the defense into a much-improved unit already, and it’s currently a top 10 unit in expected points added per play and success rate, per RBSDM. It’ll need to be at its best to stop one of the best offenses in the NFL on Thursday night, but the 49ers’ offense has struggled with turnovers in the last month.
The 49ers have turned the ball over eight times in their last four games, and that includes three times against the Cardinals in Week 5. The Seattle Seahawks have forced the fourth-fewest takeaways in 2024, but the opportunity to take advantage of a mistake-laden 49ers offense right now, even if it’s performing well, is there. If Seattle can do that, it may have a chance at winning.
