Seahawks 49ers Moneyline Favors San Francisco - 09-09-11

September 9 - The 2010-12 NFL regular season may have kicked off on Thursday when the defending Super Bowl champs, the Green Bay Packers, triumphed over formidable foes the New Orleans Saints, but the real action begins Sunday, with a smorgasbord of games to choose from including the Seattle Seahawks vs. the San Francisco 49ers.

Moneyline: Seahawks (200), 49ers (-250). Enjoy a $900 sports betting bonus by signing up at Betonline Sportsbook today.

Set for a 4:15 pm kick-off (ET) at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the 49ers will face off against the Seahawks in what should be a revealing game for both teams. Despite their home ground advantage, San Francisco have their work cut out considering Seattle are the defending NFC West division champs, and hungry to return to the playoffs this year.

San Francisco 49ers Have New Coach

The pressure is on the 49ers to start off the season with a bang, especially considering they've failed to post a winning record in eight seasons, and both the team's bosses and fans are growing impatient. But perhaps with newly installed head coach Jim Harbaugh at the helm, this could be the season that San Francisco shines.

All eyes will be on Harbaugh this season, considering he's making his NFL debut. Last season he led Stanford to a very impressive 12-1 record, and the high-ups at the 49ers are hoping he can do the same for their franchise. Already he has caused waves by making Alex Smith starting quarterback, a player that failed to deliver last season.

The coach has not stopped singing the praises of Smith, but perhaps the kind of confidence and trust he has in the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick will pay dividends. Smith will rely on All-Pro running back Frank Gore to play his part this season.

And despite losing some key players last season, the 49ers defensive lineup should be more than up to the task of blocking the Seahawks come Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks Could Have QB Woes

The big question hanging over the Seahawks - not just ahead of Sunday's game but for the season ahead - is what impact the departure of talented quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will have on the team? You may recall that Hasselbeck spent a decade with the Seahawks and helped them make the playoffs last season.

His replacement, former Viking quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, has some big shoes to fill, but coach Pete Carroll seems confident he can and will deliver, but we shall see on Sunday. Former Minnesota wide receiver Sidney Rice is expected to bolster Seattle's offense this season, but a painful shoulder could see him miss this weekend's game.

Defensively, there is a general consensus that this side of the ball, the Seahawks are lacking the necessary 'leadership'. That said, expect stalwarts such as defensive end Chris Clemons (who chalked up a career-high 11 sacks last season), linebacker David Hawthorne, and others to step up on Sunday.

Our Prediction: Seahawks vs 49ers

In their last meeting in December last year, the San Francisco 49ers got the better of the Seattle Seahawks, winning by 40-21. With that game relatively fresh in their minds and with the home ground advantage on Sunday, we predict a hard-fought game, but one that the 49ers will ultimately win. Sorry Seahawks, but that's the way we see it.

Our Free Pick: 49ers Seahawks 22-17