While the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams will square off with playoffs on the line, the other two NFC West teams will wrap up their regular seasons in Glendale, Ariz. The 11-4 Seattle Seahawks won the division with a win over Los Angeles last week and have a chance to improve their seeding.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers (6-9) will close out their disappointing season a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance.
Here is a closer look at each team heading into the afternoon, along with betting trends and a free pick. Seattle is currently favored by seven points.
Seahawks Outlook
Locked in a tight divisional race, the Seahawks managed to win their last three games, the clincher being a 20-9 victory against the Rams last Sunday. But they still have something to play for, as a win over San Francisco and losses by the Packers and Saints would give Seattle the number one seed, which means home-field advantage through the playoffs and a first-round bye.
Star quarterback Russell Wilson will once again be flanked by wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. That trio is largely responsible for an offense that averages just under 29 points per game and 394 total yards of offense, both of which rank inside the top 10.
Defensively, Seattle is giving up 23.2 points per game but ranks in the bottom five on third downs and dead last in passing yards allowed. However, the Seahawks also have a decent number of sacks and interceptions as a team with 43 and 14, respectively.
49ers Outlook
If there was any chance of a Wild Card berth for the defending NFC champions, it ended when the 49ers lost three in a row, finishing off a stretch of six losses in seven games. But their 20-12 victory against the Cardinals last week impacted the playoff race significantly, and now they have a chance to impact Seattle's seeding with Sunday's game.
Quarterback C.J. Beathard, along with star tight end George Kittle, will command an offense that ranks 20th in the NFL with 23.5 points per game. They're also well within the top half of the league with 390 yards per game but sit 25th on third-down conversions.
On defense, the Niners are 17th with 24.3 points allowed per game, and are top five with 328.5 yards allowed, as well as in passing yards allowed and third-down stop percentage. However, a big difference from last year is their paltry 28 sacks as a team, which sits in the bottom half of the league.
Betting Trends
The 11-4 Seahawks come into the game 8-7 ATS. That includes a 2-5 ATS record on the road, even though they're 4-3 overall.
Those five losses ATS on the road have been in their five most recent road games as well. However, Seattle has won 12 of its last 14 games against San Francisco.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are also 6-9 ATS with matching 1-6 records for their home games. Two of those home games were away from their actual home in Santa Clara, both of which were losses.
In addition, San Francisco has failed to cover in six of its last eight games.
Betting Pick
It seems that whenever these teams get together, it's closer than expected. While the 49ers aren't the team they were last year, they can put up a fight against anyone.
However, this is a game that the Seahawks will be trying their best in, as they won't know how the other teams competing for the top seed did until the game ends. Give me Wilson and the Seahawks to cruise to victory in this one.
Pick: Seahawks -7
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