Tonight we get to find out just how good the San Francisco 49ers are.
A team that has looked as good as any in all weeks but three, losing a trio of games after winning their first five. Tonight, they meet a Seattle Seahawks squad that by my estimate has a record a little better than their talent dictates. On my charts, that means they are in for a dip and the 49ers extend their winning streak to three games.
The 49ers are good enough to win in a variety of ways. They can beat you with their defense, special teams and an offense run by a quarterback that scored the highest rating available on the quarterback rating system last week in a two touchdown triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But, while the 49ers appear perfectly capable of naming the score in this one, the Seahawks have the motivational edge available to a second place team looking to not fall farther behind a division leader. The 49ers come into tonight’s action one game ahead of the Seahawks, an edge gained last week when the 49ers beat Tampa Bay and the Seahawks lost a close one to the Rams in Los Angeles 17-16.
Here will be the evidence to confirm just how good Kyle Shanahan’s bunch is. If they are as good as I think they are, an edge gained not only from their talent on the field, but based on a year-to-year motivational advantage, they win here. The team is thriving in an environment enhanced by an efficient and effective management team.
The 49ers are playing the Seahawks tonight but their long term focus is motivationally driven by their challenge to catch the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the National Football Conference. They found out last year what it was like to play an NFC Championship Game in January at Lincoln Financial Field.
We are going to find out based on tonight’s score just how darn good this Niners squad is. If San Francisco puts together a win and cover on the road in a short week, they are that good. If they put up more than 30 and hold the Seahawks to 20 or less, you can start making your Super Bowl plans.
But, to take the expected winner tonight, is to step directly into a trap.
The Seahawks need this game more, are at home, and start the game with a bloated point spread of seven or more.
If the Seahawks win tonight with the spread, anyone who had them will have plenty of reasons why they won. Who else could one take other than Seattle with the 49ers coming off two big wins and the Seahawks a narrow loss with a must win home game tonight?
See, sometimes there really are two sides, and it’s nice to see them before betting on a favorite that doesn’t cover.