San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks Picks and Prediction, Sunday, September 7, 2025
In this Seahawks at 49ers prediction, the Seahawks host the Niners in Seattle in an NFC West Division showdown on Sunday to kick off the NFL regular season for both teams. The Seahawks finished 10-7 last season, tied atop the division with the Los Angeles Rams, but failed to make the playoffs due to a tiebreaker. After a string of successful seasons, including two Super Bowl appearances, the 49ers dropped to 6-11 last season and out of the playoffs. The opening kick is scheduled for 4:05 pm EST at Lumen Field. If you need quality winners, this is the ultimate site for NFL Picks.
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San Francisco hopes to return to the top
The San Francisco 49ers had been the measuring stick for the NFC West Division for the better part of the previous five seasons heading into 2024. Last season, however, injuries and ineffective play doomed the 49ers, and the team sank to 6-11, finishing in last place in the division. This season, head coach Kyle Shanahan hopes for a return to form from one of the best teams in the NFC in recent years, despite some key departures in the offseason.
"I don't think it's about lowering expectations," Shanahan explained. "It's kind of the position your team's in. We lost the Super Bowl in overtime before, last year. That's all anyone can think about [last offseason]. The offseason, you're not even thinking about. You're thinking about getting to Week 1, and that's kind of how it was for us last year when we took our shot.
"This year, we had a bad year. We didn't do good. We didn't make the playoffs. So all we're talking about is how do we get back to playing good football. And we've known we lost a number of players, but what we look at here is, I don't think about, necessarily, the season's expectations. I think about how good we can get in the draft, how many people we can add in that.”
Start with the offense, and things are promising. The Niners return several key pieces, starting first and foremost with quarterback Brock Purdy, inked to a new deal this offseason. Purdy has weapons, including the NFL’s top running back in 2023, Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey struggled with injuries last season, and the Niners addressed that in the offseason, acquiring Brian Robinson in a deal with the Commanders. McCaffrey is already banged up with a calf injury and is listed as questionable. At receiver, Deebo Samuel is gone, but the team still has talent in the form of Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and Brandon Aiyuk, who missed nearly all of last season with an ACL tear. George Kittle remains a top-three tight end in the NFL and, when healthy, the Niners’ offensive line stacks up with anyone.
Robert Saleh returns as the team’s defensive coordinator after an unremarkable run as head coach of the New York Jets. He’ll have his hands full reviving this defense. The 49ers once boasted one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, but they have been ravaged by free agency over the past few seasons. Edge rusher Nick Bosa remains, but his health is always a concern. The 49ers tried to address defensive line depth in the draft, adding three rookies to the mix. At linebacker, Fred Warner headlines the group and remains one of the best overall linebackers in the NFL. The secondary took a hit this offseason, losing cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga. The team does benefit from an easier schedule, but the defense will be challenged early with six of the first nine games on the road.
Despite finishing with just six victories last season and enduring countless injuries, the 49ers’ offense was statistically in the upper echelon of the NFL. They finished 14th in points per game. The team was seventh on the ground and third through the air. They didn’t protect Purdy well, however, ranking 23rd in sacks allowed. They were 9th in turning red zone opportunities into touchdowns. Defensively, things broke down. The team ranked 29th in points allowed per game. They were 17th against the run, but a surprising 4th against the pass. The Niners finished just 23rd in the league in sacks. They were dreadful, 31st in red zone defense.
Key Injuries: WR Jauan Jennings, WR Russell Gage Jr., and WR Jordan Watkins are questionable. CB Jakob Robinson, WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and QB Tanner Mordecai are out.
Seahawks hope change leads to success
The Seattle Seahawks were a tiebreaker away from returning to the playoffs in 2024, finishing 10-7 and losing out on a playoff spot to the Los Angeles Rams. The team didn’t rest on its laurels, however, and made a change at quarterback while parting ways with two veteran receivers. Second-year head coach Mike Macdonald is charged with making this all work and getting the Seahawks over the hump in 2025.
“That’s the expectation, man,” Macdonald said. “Every time you step on the field, your expectation is to win. … If you go through this whole process not expecting to win, you’re not doing it the right way.”
The biggest change in the offseason was at quarterback, as the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to lead the team and allowed veteran quarterback Geno Smith to move on in free agency. Darnold is coming off a career year with the Vikings, and the team hopes for even more success in Seattle. Darnold will have several new receivers to work with in 2025. The Seahawks traded away #1 receiver DK Metcalf and released long-time receiver Tyler Lockett. He’ll still have help thanks to the return of Jaxson Smith-Njigba, along with the signing of veteran receiver Cooper Kupp. The offensive line has been altered as well, including rookie left guard Grey Zabel.
The Seahawks' defense steadily improved in Macdonald’s first season in 2024. With that, the expectations are high that the team will be even better this season. Nearly all the key members from that defense return this season, which will be critical to helping out a new offense. The defensive line is solid but far from spectacular. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams leads the way and the team hopes that the return of edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu from injury will make a huge impact. The secondary is the team’s biggest strength. Defensive backs Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon earned a trip to the Pro Bowl last season.
The Seahawks finished 17th in the NFL in points per game last season. They were 17th in rushing the football and sixth through the air. The Seahawks struggled in the red zone, ranked just 25th in the league. The offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback, finishing 28th in sacks allowed. Defensively, the team was 13th in points allowed in 2024. They finished 23rd against the run and 13th against the pass. They were 7th in red zone defense and finished 9th in sacks.
Key Injuries: WR Tony Horton is questionable. G Christian Haynes, WR John Rhys Plumlee, DT Rylie Mills, and DT Johnathan Hankins are out.
49ers vs. Seahawks Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 |  David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Spread Pick for 49ers vs. Seahawks
- Seahawks +2.5
The 49ers’ offense showed moments of explosive play in 2024, but lacked the consistency to overcome a defense that struggled to slow down the opposition. The explosiveness may not be there in week one in Seattle. Purdy will be working with a depleted receiving group while playing in front of one of the loudest crowds in the NFL. The Niners’ defense will be tested by a new-look Seahawks offense that will likely feature many more passes in the seam to the likes of Smith-Njigba and Kupp. The Niners were just 23rd in sacks last season, and that will put even more pressure on a secondary that lost two key pieces in the offseason. Seahawks quarterback Darnold proved he could be rattled late last season when pressured, but the Niners don’t have the type of pass rush that can generate enough pressure. I’ll take the points in a game played in one of the more difficult stadiums for visiting teams in the NFL.
Take the Seahawks +2.5
Over/Under Pick for 49ers vs. Seahawks
- Under 42.5
Last season, the two teams went 1-1 on the Over/Under in their two meetings. They went over the number in Seattle in October, but well under the total in November in San Francisco. I think that gets reversed here, with the teams going under the number in Seattle. Both teams have new pieces on offense, particularly the Seahawks. The Seahawks’ defense was far better in the second half last season than in the first, a sign that Macdonald’s defensive system took hold after a slow start. The Seahawks also proved to be stout in the red zone defensively last season, while also being below-average in the red zone offensively. I expect a slower-paced game that could be decided by field goals rather than explosive plays.
Take the under.
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