Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers Prediction & ATS Pick - 1/3/2026


The NFC West championship is on the line when the Seattle Seahawks face the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night. This NFL Week 18 matchup will determine which of these teams wins the best division in football this year and gets the top seed in the NFC playoffs, and which team will have to go on the road on Wild Card weekend. Before kickoff from Santa Clara, I break down this huge matchup and give you my Seahawks vs 49ers prediction.
Pick: | 49ers ML |
Confidence: | 3/5 |
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Both of these teams have won six straight games coming into this matchup for the NFC West title. The Seahawks went on the road in Week 17 and shut down the Carolina Panthers to move to within a victory of locking up the NFC's top seed. San Francisco got a goal-line stand at the end of their Week 17 game at home against the Chicago Bears to win that contest. But only one of these teams can get a seventh straight win and claim a division title and a much-needed first-round bye.
It will be interesting to see who is able to suit up in this game, especially on the 49ers' side. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has said that the team will be cautious with who plays in Week 18, not risking the long-term health of players who are banged up. But the Niners still need to win this game to avoid having to go on the road and face a division winner in the opening round of the postseason.
Sam Darnold will be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks in Week 18. Darnold was in a similar situation to this last season with the Minnesota Vikings, where he lost in Week 18 and made the Vikings a Wild Card team instead of NFC North champions. He will try to use that experience to put together a better performance on the road this week.
Brock Purdy had a huge game at quarterback for the 49ers in Week 17. He had 303 passing yards and accounted for five total touchdowns in the win over the Bears. Purdy's willingness to get to the goal line with his legs is a good sign for the Niners, as Purdy's health is vital to their chances of playoff success.
Score Projection: 49ers 24, Seahawks 21
Win Probability: 49ers 54%, Seahawks 46%
This should be a close game between two teams with a ton to play for in Week 18. But I'm leaning toward the Niners winning this contest on their home turf. The travel situation from Charlotte to Santa Clara isn't ideal for the Seahawks this week, nor is having Sam Darnold as their quarterback for this big a matchup.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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