Seahawks vs. 49ers game preview: The Niners were +4 in turnover margin in the first 2 games

The 49ers and Seahawks will kickoff Wild Card weekend with their third meeting of the season, currently scheduled for a 1:30 PT start on Saturday afternoon. But this isn’t just any ordinary Wild Card weekend. It’s SUPER Wild Card weekend.

Get ready to expect the unexpected, starting with an NFC West showdown that is slated to be played in the middle of what is shaping up to be quite the rainstorm in the greater Bay Area. Forecasts are calling for a torrential downpour that could dump as much as 8 inches of rain on the surrounding area over the course of the day, which complicates the clarity we might otherwise have on how this matchup will shake out.

The 49ers are still substantial favorites in this one, with DraftKings Sportsbook currently listing them as a 9.5-point favorite, with the over/under currently set at 42. To provide a clearer picture of these teams' stack up, here are some numbers from the previous two meetings and how each team has fared over the season.

For starters, here is what both teams have looked like in their two matchups this season:

Seattle

Points per game - 10

Passing yards per game - 217.5

Rushing yards per game - 53

Total yards per game - 246.5

Total turnovers - 4

San Francisco

Points per game - 24

Passing yards per game - 200.5

Rushing yards per game - 177

Total yards per game - 377

Total turnovers - 0

The 49ers effectively dominated both of these meetings, particularly with their ability to punish Seattle with a consistent rushing attack that averaged 4.5 yards per carry. San Francisco is also +4 in the turnover margin while avoiding any costly mistakes that have resulted in them coughing up the football.

The weather conditions in the forecast should play favorably into the 49ers' ability to continue this dominance with their ground game. Still, it also could add an unknown variable into the turnover battle that has weighted heavily in the 49ers' favor.

Here is where both teams finished over the course of the entire season:

Seattle

Points for - 9th

Rushing offense - 7th

Passing offense - 10th

Points allowed - 25th

Rushing defense - 26th

Passing defense - 15th

Turnover margin - 14th

San Francisco

Points for - 6th

Rushing offense - 10th

Passing offense - 3rd

Points allowed - 1st

Rushing defense - 2nd

Passing defense - 11th

Turnover margin - 1st

On paper, this should come down to whether or not the 49ers can continue to corral Seattle’s high-powered offense, something that San Francisco was able to do in their first two matchups.

Special teams will be key in the less-than-ideal conditions, and both squads in this one come equipped with a kicker that is as reliable as they come. Robbie Gould has never missed a postseason field goal attempt, and Jason Myers was just recently selected to the first team all-pro on the players' ballot for the 2022 season.

If this game comes down to a last-minute field goal, both of these teams have a guy they can feel confident about sending out there, regardless of how bad the rain might be at that point in the game.

At the end of the day, this one has everything you can ask for. A home playoff game with the trademark red end zones matched up with a hated rival with a chance to get redemption from a playoff heartbreak that still stings almost a decade later.