Chaos in the NFC West, chaos in MLB playoff bullpens…
let us help you sort it all to figure out what makes sense.
NFL West Coast Showdown
What Happened: The NFC West is a jumbled mess at the moment, with the Seahawks atop the division at 3-2, the 49ers and Cardinals at 2-3, and the Rams separating at the bottom with a 1-4 mark.
But it’s been clear-cut dominance from San Francisco recently, as Kyle Shanahan’s squad has won five straight over Seattle, and all but one coming by at least two possessions.
If the Niners can keep that win streak alive, they’ll tie for the lead atop the West. But let’s not look too far forward — how should you be betting tonight?
Why It Matters: One thing to expect is points, as the Niners rank 10th in scoring average (25.2) and Seattle sits one spot behind (24.4). Four of five Seahawks games have hit the over so far this season as Geno Smith has led an explosive offense to early success.
Of course, Seattle’s ATS record leaves much to be desired. They have covered successfully just once this season, and tonight are home underdogs. Losing at home to the New York Giants was unexpected; facing a rival that holds the upper-hand in recent meetings can either spark this team or put a damper on a strong start otherwise.
The Niners will try to get back to .500 and get healthy in anticipation of another playoff push, and advanced metrics such as DVOA and FPI still see them as one of the league’s best. A 3-3 record and strong point differential will inject some optimism into a shaky start to the year. Dropping to 2-4 (and 0-3 in the division) would set off alarm bells in Santa Clara.
What We’re Watching Today
49ers at Seahawks (8:15 PM ET) – Some good news for viewers of this one — Seattle is going with 90s throwback jerseys! They don’t have to be your favorites, but contrasted with some of the neon green numbers the Seahawks have donned recently, these look positively delightful.
Guardians at Tigers (6:08 PM ET) – The Tigers are taking bullpen games to the extreme, basically letting Tarik Skubal start when he’s ready and then just having every other pitcher available every other game. A.J. Hinch has dubbed his style “pitching chaos”; let’s get that on a t-shirt ASAP.
Yankees at Royals (8:08 PM ET) – One game away from moving onto the ALCS with Gerrit Cole on the bump? The Bronx Bombers couldn’t have drawn that up any better. Now they just need to get Aaron Judge to turn back into Aaron Judge…
Lynx at Liberty (8:00 PM ET) – Here we have a matchup of the two teams who topped the regular season standings, and a rematch of the Commissioner’s Cup from earlier this season. The Liberty were the best team in the regular season and just knocked off the two-time defending champion Aces. With their star-studded lineup, anything but a ring will feel like a massive letdown.
The Look Ahead
Brandon Aiyuk RECEIVING YARDS – Brock Purdy’s go-to guy finally broke out, hauling in eight catches for 147 yards in last week’s loss to Arizona. Aiyuk’s line for tonight is set at 64.5, a figure he’s failed to reach in four of five games. But Geno Smith and the Seahawks want to push the ball on offense, so the Niners should have plenty of possessions, Aiyuk has garnered double-digit targets in two games already, and he’s settling in after missing most of training camp this offseason. The San Francisco recevier’s stats should begin looking more like what we are used to from Aiyuk, so 65+ from him tonight feels right.
