Seahawks vs. 49ers: Declined safety caps off San Francisco win

Bettors lose on Coach Harbaugh declined safety

It's not quite the JFK mob conspiracy or the 9-11 government conspiracy but NFL bettors are starting to get paranoid about all the weird calls that are costing them money on 2012.

Seahawks vs. 49ers, Week 7: Point spread madness punctuates odd Niners win

The San Francisco 49ers survived an ugly Thursday night contest against the Seattle Seahawks, but the biggest moment of the Niners' 13-6 win came on a meaningless decision when San Francisco had effectively clinched the victory. Anyone who bet the 7.5-point spread for the game knows exactly what went down.

With the 49ers already leading 13-6, and less than a minute to play, Russell Wilson dropped back into his own end zone and fired a pass to Ben Obomanu that failed to bring enough yardage to convert the 4th and 17 situation. On the same play, Paul McQuistan committed a chop block on Aldon Smith that would have resulted in a safety if accepted as a penalty.

Niners' head coach Jim Harbaugh had the chance to either (a) decline the penalty and put his team in the victory formation, or (b) accept the penalty, take the safety and deal with the safety kick to run out the clock with a nine-point lead. He chose option (a), which meant that anyone who had bet the 7.5-point spread had money riding on the decision. David Fucillo of Niners Nation explained the situation:

There were some questions why Coach Harbaugh would turn down the points. My guess is that he wanted to avoid potential injury on the ensuing safety kick. I believe the Seahawks could have gone for an onside kick as well. Given that the 49ers would have been up by two possessions, I am inclined to think the issue is more the former with injuries rather than the latter.

Be sure to stay tuned to Niners Nation for even more coverage, because star running back Frank Gore left the game during the fourth quarter, wincing in pain, and his condition has yet to be definitively updated.

Next up for the Niners is a Monday Night Football matchup against the Cardinals in Week 8.

Seahawks vs. 49ers, Week 7: Seattle fans disappointed, not discouraged by loss

The Seattle Seahawks lost a hard-fought, defensive slugfest on the road Thursday night, falling 13-6 to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seahawks put forth a fairly dominating performance in the first half, leading 6-3 going into the break. However, Russell Wilson and the offense just could not break the stout Niners defense in the second half.

One might think that Seattle fans would be discouraged by a 6-point output but, on the contrary, Danny Kelly of SB Nation's Seahawks blog Field Gulls found plenty to be optimistic about. Sure the loss was disappointing, but there's no shame in coming "close" on the road against a tough opponent like the Niners:

This is a growing team and though it may not really feel like it, they're still one of the youngest teams in the NFL. Their recipe - their formula - a conservative approach on offense and a sippy cup lid on their rookie quarterback, dictates that the margin for error in their games is going to be very slim. This team, where it sits in its development, simply cannot overcome big mistakes and huge drops and poor execution in key moments and expect to beat elite teams on the road. Even with those big drops, and the Russell Wilson pick, Seattle had a chance to pull it off, once again. They got close.

The young Seahawks are still in pretty good shape, as their 4-3 record puts them just one game behind the 5-2 Niners in the NFC West. Considering that the Seahawks have been breaking in the rookie Wilson this year, that's not a bad spot to be in. They are certainly close.

The Seahawks will visit the Detroit Lions in Week 8.

Seahawks vs. 49ers final score: San Francisco pulls out gritty 13-6 win over Seattle

The 49ers won a defensive struggle as their offense was able to get the one touchdown needed to pull out the win.

Seahawks vs. 49ers odds: Jim Harbaugh declines to cover the point spread

Jim Harbaugh made a decision that had some gamblers groaning.

Frank Gore injury: 49ers running back hurting

Frank Gore left Thursday night's game with an apparent back injury.

Frank Gore racking up fantasy points in second half against Seahawks

Frank Gore is going off against Seattle on Thursday night. We break down the fantasy implications.

Jim Harbaugh stars in 'Forward', a horror story

This Halloween, grab a friend and go see Forward, a thriller starring Jim Harbaugh.

Hey, THIS GUY is here!

The 49ers bring out the best in fans.

Seahawks vs. 49ers score update: Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore pacing tight game

Seattle heads into the locker room with a 6-3 lead over divisional foe San Francisco.

Doug Baldwin injury: Seahawks WR out with ankle issue

Doug Baldwin left Thursday's game with an ankle injury and won't return.

Contrasting coaches

Two NFL head coaches, two very different ways of reacting.

Frank Gore already off to hot start for fantasy owners against Seahawks

Frank Gore doesn't look like he's intimidated by the Seahawks run defense. We break down the fantasy implications.

Seahawks vs. 49ers: Michael Crabtree cannot be tackled

49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree broke three tackles on his way to a 16-yard gain.

NFL inactives, Week 7: Seahawks vs. 49ers

The 49ers and Seahawks have announced which players are out for Thursday Night Football.

Why you should love Pete Carroll

Pete Carroll has his Seattle team at 4-2 coming into Thursday's 49ers game, and this year's Seahawks are one big reminder of what we should have known all along: Pete Carroll's much smarter than he looks.

Week 7 NFL picks: Seahawks vs. 49ers

Experts weigh in on who will win Week 7's Thursday showdown between the Seahawks and 49ers.

Week 7 NFL odds: San Francisco favored by a touchdown vs. Seahawks on Thursday Night Football

Despite coming off an embarrassing 26-3 loss to the New York Giants at home, San Francisco is favored by seven points against the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick Park on Thursday Night Football.

Seahawks vs. 49ers: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

The Seahawks enter off of a huge win, the Niners host following a huge loss, and the NFC West lead is at stake.

Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers: betting odds, preview, trends, picks

Seattle has lost three straight at San Francisco, but they have been absolutely vicious as underdogs. They get 7.5 points on Thursday night, more than enough to get the attention of underdog bettors.