Seattle @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2013 ) San Francisco 3, Seattle 29

The Seattle Seahawks are trying to wrap up the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The rival San Francisco 49ers, who host the Seahawks on Sunday, are trying to make sure Seattle’s road is as tough as possible while attempting to lock up their own spot in the postseason. The 49ers, who were crushed 29-3 in Seattle on Sept. 15, are a game up on the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 6 spot in the NFC.

San Francisco has taken four straight home games against the Seahawks but is going up against a Seattle team riding a seven-game winning streak and coming off a complete domination of the New Orleans Saints on Monday night. The Seahawks clinched a playoff berth with that win and can wrap up the NFC West and a first-round bye with a win over the 49ers. “This is a tremendous opportunity for us,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll told the team’s official website. “Every week brings the kind of mentality that we’ve been practicing for championship games. And here we are.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: 49ers -2.5. O/U: 41

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (11-1): Seattle is three games up on the 49ers in the division with four games left and is coming off its most impressive performance yet in the 34-7 triumph over the Saints. Russell Wilson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns in that win and is completing 73 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in the last three games. The second-year quarterback is even drawing raves from the competition. “He’s a fantastic player, a wonderful, wonderful player and competitor,” San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters of Wilson. “You see his arm talent, his mobility and his great field awareness.”

ABOUT THE 49ERS (8-4): San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick is not having such an easy go of it in his second year as a starter and leads a passing attack that ranks 31st in the league with an average of 180.3 yards. Kaepernick is starting to come around in the last two weeks, however, with a total of 510 yards and four touchdowns in back-to-back wins. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree made his season debut last week and made a pair of catches while helping to open up the middle of the field for Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kaepernick was held to 127 yards with no TDs and three interceptions while being sacked three times in the first meeting.

2. The Seahawks have outscored the 49ers 71-16 in the last two meetings.

3. Seattle WR Percy Harvin (hip) sat out Monday night and missed practice on Wednesday. He is questionable for Sunday.

PREDICTION: 49ers 24, Seahawks 17