11-27-14

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Chris Jordan

Thanksgiving Day
Winner #12 of 15

500♦ NFC East Game of the Year

Dallas/Phi over 56

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Burns NCAAB Washington

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Larry Ness' 10* Division Dominator-NFL (+$10,292 s/Week 2)-Thursday
My 10* Division Dominator is on the SF 49ers at 8:30 ET.
The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers square off Thanksgiving night (the first of two meetings in 18 days) with a ‘TON’ riding on the game’s outcome. The 49ers have been to three consecutive NFC championship games, with the Seahawks beating them in last year’s game, (in Seattle), before going on to rout the Broncos in the Super Bowl, The previous season, the 49ers were the NFC’s Super Bowl representative and almost made a miraculous comeback to best the Ravens in that game.
However, here in 2014, both of these NFC West ‘heavyweights’ find themselves at 7-4, TWO full games behind the Arizona Cardinals in the division with just FIVE games remaining in the regular season. Seattle QB Russell Wilson said, "A Thanksgiving game where everybody will be watching. Do you hype that up? Do you downgrade it? I don't know."It's going to kind of elevate the game in general, and it's the 49ers. It's one of those things you're gonna get pumped up for." As for Wilson’s counterpart, Colin Kaepernick has moved on from San Francisco's 23-17 loss at Seattle in last season's NFC title game. He doesn't care to relive the pass he intended for Michael Crabtree that was tipped by Seattle's Richard Sherman and intercepted by teammate Malcolm Smith in the end zone with 30 seconds left. "It's in the past," Kaepernick said.
The Seahawks and 49ers split the last four division titles but as noted, are both are 7-4 and a wild card could be the way one of these teams needs to earn a way into the NFC’s six-team playoff field. Seattle currently holds the tiebreaker over Detroit and San Francisco for the final wild-card spot. "We feel like we are in the playoffs," 49ers safety Antoine Bethea said. "Win at all costs." It’s safe to say the loser of this game will have a tough uphill climb regarding wild car entry and if the Lions win early this afternoon at home vs the Bears, the road will be even a little tougher. If the Cards win in Atlanta on Sunday, winning the division would only be a pipe dream for the loser of this contest.
However, NEITHER team can (or will) worry about the outcomes of OTHER games, focusing exclusively on the task at hand, Thanksgiving night. Seattle's defense allows a league-low 296.8 YPG and gave up a season-low 204 while yielding its fewest points of 2014 to the Cardinals last Sunday. San Francisco is right behind, yielding 300.1 YPG. The 49ers are riding a three-game winning streak, although the victories have come by a combined 12 points. Meanwhile, the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks have won FOUR of five to surge back into playoff contention.
The home team has dominated the series, winning FIVE straight and 10 of the last 11. Seattle hasn't won in San Francisco since October 2008, a time before EITHER Pete Carroll or Jim Harbaugh were on the sidelines in the NFL. Both teams have had reported ‘locker room’ issues this season but currently, Seattle seems to have more distractions. Marshawn Lynch's reported unhappiness in Seattle has been at the forefront of the internal struggles the Seahawks have endured during the follow-up to their Super Bowl season. However, the team apparently came together and cleared the air prior to winning for the fourth time in five games Sunday. "We'll take good care of him," coach Pete Carroll said. "He's really smart about how he handles it. So we'll expect that he'll be ready to go. I know he won't want to miss this thing and he'll be ready to play."
That said, Lynch has been a walking soap opera for Seattle, ranging from being fined for refusing to speak to the media to speculation about his future with the club and recurring back issues that forced him to briefly leave last week's 19-3 win over the Cardinals. Also, the injury to center Unger has hurt not only the running game but Seattle allowed SEVEN sacks last week against the Cards and face a San Francisco defense which has DE Aldon Smith back in the lineup () and overall, has 17 sacks in its last six games. Wilson is 24 of 48 for only 321 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions while losing both starts at Candlestick Park.
This will be his first (and Seattle’s) visit to Levi's Stadium and the change of venue WON’T end Seahawks’ struggles in the Bay Area. Home team wins again!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Big Al - 49ers