Bettors have every team to choose from for the last time until a week before Christmas, so this week’s selections include some of the biggest names in the game. We have two running backs surpassing their projected numbers, a wide receiver with a number seems too low for his ability, the most dynamic receiver in the league not reaching a lofty total, and an MVP candidate who will get a Brotherly Shove from his teammates.
Note: Odds are provided by BetMGM Sportsbook
5
Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper OVER 49.5 receiving yards (-115)
Cooper has been mixing in huge games with swings and misses – the hallmark of his fantasy career. This week he heads into Seattle, where the Seahawks will try to play ball control against one of the league’s best run defenses. PJ Walker has the opportunity to make a statement for himself in the passing game and that requires Cooper involvement. He has been targeted less than eight times just once in the last five games, and it may only take three or four receptions to top this number for a guy who is averaging 16.2 yards a catch.
4
Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts scores a touchdown (-110)
When the Eagles get close to the end zone, Hurts takes things into his own hands (and legs) to cap off drives with their trademark formation that nobody has yet figured out how to stop. Hurts has scored a rushing touchdown in each of his last three games and five of the last six. He also has five rushing TDs in six games against the Washington Commanders – a pair of trends that will continue when the Eagles get deep into the red zone.
3
Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard OVER 68.5 rushing yards (-110)
The Cowboys have strayed from what has been an offensive staple for a long time – a steady dose of the running game. In their first three games, Pollard ran 62 times. In the last three games, he has rushed just 34 times. The Los Angeles Rams will try to keep the game up-tempo with their dynamic receivers. The Cowboys need to slow them down, and that will require a lot of Pollard. He could be back to 20 carries in this game, and Pollard will blow past this number, if so.
2
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill UNDER 91.5 receiving yards (-115)
I hate ever betting against Hill to not surpass an O/U number, but Bill Belichick has made it his personal mission to prevent Hill from beating him. Belichick employs double-teams and bracket coverage to force the quarterback to look elsewhere, whether that was Patrick Mahomes or Tua Tagovailoa. Hill has been held well under this number in five of the last six meetings with the Patriots, and it required eight receptions to get 94 yards in the only game in which he topped it. As much as it pains me, barring a 50-yard bomb, Hill will earn his yards in too small of chunks.
1
San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey OVER 72.5 rushing yards (-120)
The 49ers’ recent skid has largely been the result of not employing the run as much as they did when San Fran stormed out of the gate as the league’s hottest team. McCaffrey averaged 20 carries in the first five games (all wins). In the last two games, he has just 26 carries (both losses). The 49ers need to be patient and stick with the run, because McCaffrey can break a long one at any time, and San Francisco has to shift its momentum quickly.
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