49ers vs. Seahawks prediction, odds: NFL Week 18 best bets, props, picks

Saturday night could be an NFC Championship preview.

For now, we’ll call Saturday night Week 18’s prime-time matchup between the 49ers and Seahawks the NFC West championship game.

San Francisco comes in as the 2.5-point underdog in their home matchup against the Seahawks.

That’s at least a little surprising considering Kyle Shanahan knows the familiar face of Sam Darnold quite well from his time as San Francisco’s backup quarterback.

It will be the first time we’ve seen the 49ers at full strength in a while.

George Kittle is expected to be active for this massive game between two of the league’s best squads, while it looks like Trent Williams could also suit up at home.

49ers vs. Seahawks prediction

It’s a big game for Brock Purdy to show off his skills, as he did last week when he combined for five total touchdowns, two of which he achieved with his legs.

DVOA loves the Seahawks in this matchup, as they’re ranked No. 1 while the 49ers are further down the board at No. 9.

The narrative coming in is Sam Darnold struggles to win the big game, and though that is just a small piece of the story, Darnold did struggle against the Rams in a wild “Thursday Night Football” matchup on Dec. 18.

Darnold threw two interceptions in that shootout, which they eventually won.

The 49ers gave Darnold fits during Week 1, going 16-of-23 for 150 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Last year, Darnold went 17-of-26 for 268 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while a member of the Vikings in a win over the 49ers.

The 49ers had Fred Warner in both of those games, but it’s still worth noting.

Darnold does melt down sometimes, which is why I am not betting on the Seahawks on the road.

Target the 49ers on the moneyline coming in at +116 on FanDuel.

As for a player prop, Darnold has thrown a whopping nine of his 15 interceptions on the road which makes me want to target his interception prop.

Darnold to throw an interception is -115 on Fanatics and BetMGM Sportsbook if you expect him to make a small error on Saturday night.

If you project a full-blown meltdown, Darnold to throw two interceptions is +400, something he has dubiously accomplished just three times this year.

I won’t go that far, though.

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Betting on the NFL?

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Darnold has thrown at least one interception in nine out of 16 games (56.25 percent of games this season) while -115 odds represent a 53.49 percent chance it happens.

So we’re getting a slight edge of 2.76 percent on those odds, and it’s worth betting on his interception prop.

Lastly, Kittle to go over 60.5 receiving yards is -110, while the Seahawks are bad against tight ends.

Seattle allows the fifth-most receiving yards to opposing tight ends, giving up 65.69 yards per game on average.

Kittle has gone over 60.5 receiving yards in his last five games. He may be banged up, but Kittle is still among the best tight ends in the NFL and the veteran should be locked and loaded from the first snap on Saturday.

THE PLAYS: 49ers moneyline (+116, FanDuel) | Sam Darnold throws an interception (-115, Fanatics Sportsbook) | George Kittle over 60.5 receiving yards (-115, BetMGM)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.