The NFC West and the number one seed are on the line this Saturday night, and bettors could win big in this preview of the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers in this NFC West showdown.

Aaron Schatz of ESPN.com highlighted the 49ers' biggest weakness entering the playoffs, and it has the 49ers badly missing Bosa. Their pass rush is struggling, and it could prove to be an issue in the playoffs this season.

One area where the 49ers have been able to make up ground is by playing sound football . The 49ers rank 32nd in the NFL in expected points added allowed by their defense. Their defense has under 14 expected points allowed due to penalties, while the highest defense is up over 51.

Ethan Inman doesn't enjoy rooting against former USC QBs, but he hopes Sam Darnold and the Seahawks vs the 49ers is similar to Bears-49ers last week

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle addressed the hatred that Seattle Seahawks fans have for the Niners ahead of their Sunday matchup.

Teams that have started Sam Darnold have gone 27-6 in the past two seasons. However, the Minnesota Vikings saw Darnold start to fade before his worst two games closed out the season and the San Francisco 49ers are hoping to get the same outcome in Week 18 this year.

Week 18 battle-tested as John Lynch details why tough late-season matchups prepare San Francisco for a playoff run and a shot at the NFC's top seed.

Everyone knows what the San Francisco 49ers' biggest flaw is entering the playoffs. It has been obvious all season, but now that the lights are being shone down

If the 49ers had made a push for Phillips or some other edge rusher in November, they might have lost a third-round pick in April. Meh. That seems like a tiny price to have a modicum of an edge pass rush in a postseason in which any team can realistically win the Super Bowl.

The San Francisco 49ers won't play until Sunday night in Week 17, but other games throughout the week could impact their ideal finish to the season.

Ethan Waugh is a Personnel Executive for the 49ers. He has been with the team for 17 seasons. Waugh started as a scout and rode that until he became the personnel assistant. He was the senior player personnel coordinator as well, and he currently oversees the college scouting staff.