Here are the experts' picks for the San Francisco 49ers-Seattle Seahawks game on Thursday. Give us your predictions in the comment section below...
Elliot Harrison of NFL.com: SF 16, SEA 13 (more NFL.com picks)
"The last time Seattle won at San Francisco, Russell Wilson was a redshirt freshman at N.C. State. The quarterback was Seneca Wallace. In fact, the Seahawks were so banged up at WR during that 2008 season, Wallace played wideout briefly before he got hurt. Those were the final days of the Holmgren empire. The 49ers handled their business at home in one of the better games of 2013, and beat the Seahawks in 2012 when nobody could hold on to Wilson's passes. Wilson will not be able to run all over the field in this one."
David Steele of Sporting News: SEA 20, SF 16
"The loser will be in a big hole, in the division, in a possible tiebreaker and in NFC playoff positioning. The 49ers have won three straight, but without playing all that well on both sides of the ball beginning to end. Then again, the Seahawks are struggling to protect Russell Wilson lately, and that plays into the 49ers' hands. Not enough, though."
Paul Gutierrez of ESPN: SF 17, SEA 13 (more ESPN picks)
"Granted, this will be the first meeting between the teams at Santa Clara's Levi's® Stadium, but the Niners have won five straight games at home against the Seahawks in this series. And the home team has won all five meetings between the two, including the postseason, since the Seahawks drafted Russell Wilson. Plus, the road team in those games has averaged only 11.2 points per contest. Usually, you throw stats out the window in such rivalry games. Not this time. Not with the Niners needing this victory more, what with the Seahawks getting the rematch in Seattle in two weeks."
Don Banks of Sports Illustrated: SEA 23, SF 17
"Truth be told, I don't really care whether Marshawn Lynch talks to the media or not, and the little editorial comment Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin combined on in Tuesday's news conference setting was at least a fairly creative way to make a point about the NFL's perceived policy inconsistencies. There's always some sideshow drama surrounding both the Seahawks and 49ers, but the football battles they wage are plenty entertaining enough without the extra stuff. The Seahawks seemed to find their defensive swagger and their all-for-one mojo in Sunday's season-saving home win over Arizona, and now we get to see if it travels well. The 49ers offense just isn't dangerous or consistent enough to really do much damage against Seattle, and San Francisco's lack of homefield advantage in Santa Clara's new Levi's® Stadium could be the lost edge that helps decide a potential wild-card-race elimination game."
Greg Cote of The Miami Herald: SF 20, SEA 17
"Our all-NFC tripleheader wraps with arguably the NFL's most intense, physical rivalry, and a game that will deliver a body blow to the loser's playoff hopes. This is only San Fran's sixth Turkey game (first as host) and Seattle's fifth on the holiday. Seahawks prevailed in last season's NFC Championship Game, of course, but Niners have won five straight at home in this division series. The league fined Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch $100,000 for not talking to media, now I think the 49ers defense will do to Marshawn's yardage total what Roger Goodell did to his wallet. This matchup should be brutally delicious. You'll get bruises just from watching."
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk: SEA 20, SF 13
"The way the NFC playoff race is shaping up, it's very unlikely that both of these teams can make the playoffs. The loser of this game will be on the outside looking in, without much time left to make up ground. The Seahawks made a statement last week against the Cardinals, and I think they'll make another one on Thanksgiving."
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk: SEA 20, SF 17
"The Seahawks held serve at home against the Cardinals to keep Seattle's playoff hopes alive. The Seahawks now have a chance to break serve in Santa Clara — and in turn to deliver a potential death blow to the 49ers' playoff chances."
Will Leitch of Sports on Earth: SEA 21, SF 17
"The Seahawks looks like the best team in this division right now."
Yahoo! Sports: Split
