PREVIOUS WEEK RESULTS:
2-4
SEASON RESULTS:
27-32
Week 8 Recap:
Our one week small winning streak vanished quickly as we stumbled yet again in week number eight. Although we’ve slightly tweaked our approach, we generally are using our same formula that has proved fruitful year after year. Here’s the quick recap of how things went: We split our Buffalo Bills props as Zack Moss easily hit his yardage prop early in the game, however Devin Singletary was again a non-factor in the second half and couldn’t get to his measly rushing total. Another tough loss was Mike Gesicki who ended with 48 yards receiving, which hurts when he needed just 50 to cash his prop. For the second game in a row we did win with Patriots running back Damien Harris, who is developing into a really consistent player. We hit a double whammy loss with Courtland Sutton as he fizzled out as our Star of the Week in DFS, and didn’t his his prop. Things looked good for Daniel Jones with his total against the Chiefs, but a late turnover ruined any chance as he fell 19 yards shy of his total. Simply put, another bad week for the BetCrushers with our prop plays.
Week 9 Preview:
The old wisdom in sports betting is not to chase losses, and not to overextend. Well, we’re doing a little of both with a large card that will hopefully put us back in a good spot when things shake out. It’s honestly only for the reasons above, there are just a lot of bets that really look nice after some careful studying. We settled on 11 wagers, and a healthy combination of position players, some overs, some unders and a lot of action. Just like when we you hear the term “must-win” for an NFL team halfway through the season, we’re in a similar proposition with our bets here. Despite our very slow start, we like our bets and our chances this weekend.
Our Picks:
Tyrod Taylor – Over 20.5 Yards Rushing (-115)
If anyone wants to know how much the BetCrushers like the return of Tyrod Taylor for the Houston Texans, just check our articles this week. We have Taylor as a sleeper play in Daily Fantasy Football, and we like getting the points with Houston on the road against the Dolphins. Taylor provides the veteran leadership the Texans need and was playing really well before leaving with injury in week two. He should fare just fine throwing the football against the Dolphins, but we’re really looking more at his ability to run the football. The Dolphins strength on defense is at the corner position with Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. If they’re locked up with Brandin Cooks and the Texans receivers, Taylor won’t be afraid to take off running. With his athletic ability, he could realistically eclipse his rushing total on one carry. Assuming he tucks the ball away 4 or 5 times throughout the course of the game, he’ll top his yardage mark.
Damien Harris – Under 69.5 Yards Rushing (-115)
Damien Harris was a beast helping us to prop covers in both weeks number seven and eight. That streak has to end at some point, and we’re betting on that stopping in his tough road matchup against the Carolina Panthers. After a fast start, the Panthers defense, and team haven’t quite lived up to the early season hype. The Patriots are a type of team that Carolina should be able to match up well with, especially with the addition of cornerback, and former Patriot Stephon Gilmore. The Patriots have been giving Mac Jones a little longer leash and trusting him to throw due to his solid play. Harris will still get plenty of rushing attempts, but he’ll need to steadily pick up 5 yards per tote, or break something big in order to wind up with a big stat line. In what should be a bit of a slugfest, we’re expecting tough sledding for Harris, and to possibly see the other Patriots back in the rotation a little more.
Amari Cooper – Over 60.5 Yards Receiving (-115)
The Dallas Cowboys offense has been a juggernaut all season long, and even put some points up with backup Cooper Rush last week. Dak Prescott is back this week, and faces a pretty tough Denver Bronco defense in AT&T Stadium. He’ll be facing them still without WR Michael Gallup and with CeeDee Lamb a little shaky after a Wednesday injury in practice. Cooper should see plenty of targets, and at just 60.5 yards we really like the prospect of him getting home. Cooper has been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde type player so he can be a risky bet, but he’s generally performed really well at home. With the Denver pass rush likely a bit weakened with the injuries at linebacker and the trade of Von Miller, Prescott should have the time he needs to find Cooper.
Dalton Schultz – Over 43.5 Yards Receiving (-115)
As you saw above we’re pretty high on Amari Cooper against the Broncos, and we’re even more bullish on tight end Dalton Schultz. For all of the reasons we mentioned, we think Schultz should see a hefty workload on Sunday. What makes the young tight end even more appealing is his backup Blake Jarwin was placed on IR and won’t be available in this game. Schultz, who already plays a large percentage of snaps will see even more work, offering more opportunities for him in the passing game. A week ago, Schultz was very quiet with Cooper Rush at quarterback. With Dak at the helm, he’s been an almost lock for at least 50 yards receiving. The reunion with his star QB will result in a nice day, especially if Denver needs to offer safety help to slow down the running game.
Emmanuel Sanders – Over 53.5 Yards Receiving (-115)
Emmanuel Sanders has been everything the Bills wanted when they brought him in to bolster their wide receiver room for the 2021 season. His nice start and chemistry with Josh Allen was suddenly thwarted a week ago as he couldn’t grab any catches against the Dolphins. Miami locked up Sanders, which led to double digit catches in the slot for wide receiver Cole Beasley. The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t offer the same type of cornerback play, and this seems like a big bounce-back opportunity for Sanders. What’s really been amazing at this stage in his career is Sanders ability to still get deep and win against fast and younger corners. He should grab a couple of long catches against Jacksonville and get over his total.
Jalen Hurts – Over 49.5 Yards Rushing (-115)
The Los Angeles Chargers season has taken a little bit of a downward turn the past couple of weeks behind a slumping offense, and a defense that just can’t stop the run. The Philadelphia Eagles have been running a bit more in recent weeks, and will look to take advantage of that weakness. A big part of their running game is quarterback Jalen Hurts, who still hasn’t developed the confidence to throw into tight windows. The Chargers cover pretty well in their secondary, so Hurts won’t hesitate to use his legs to make plays. Hurts can be neutralized by really good linebackers, but that’s where the Chargers have had issues since the loss of Kenneth Murray, Jr. This matchup fully favors Hurts as his athleticism will be on full display running the ball.
Austin Ekeler – Over 104.5 Yards Rushing & Receiving (-115)
We just discussed the less than stellar play from the Los Angeles Chargers linebackers, and this wager has to do with the poor play from the Philadelphia Eagles linebacker group. Even with the Justin Herbert and some nice options in the passing game, the Chargers offense runs through running back Austin Ekeler. He gets his share of carries, and he also gets a lot of designed targets as a receiver as well. Just as with Jalen Hurts mentioned above, Ekeler has been able to feast against Linebackers in pass coverages and with patient running plays. Ekeler should be able to get his rushing or passing yard totals, but taking his combined yardage helps protects if he’s slowed down with one or the other. Give us the self-proclaimed pound for pound best here.
Jaylen Waddle – Over 61.5 Yards Receiving (-115)
Tua Tagavailoa has helped spark the Miami Dolphins offense a bit since his return from an earlier season rib injury. His favorite target had been Davante Parker, who has seen the bulk share of the passes. Parker will be inactive against the Texans, which means Jaylen Waddle should be the beneficiary of Parker’s absence. He also benefits from playing a Texans team that has given up a lot of big receiving games this season. Houston should be able to keep this game close with Tyrod Taylor in the lineup, which means the passing game should be present for a full four quarters. The weather looks like it should be nice in South Beach, ripe for a lot of passing yards, and a big day from the Dolphin’s rookie wide receiver.
Mark Ingram II – Over 27.5 Yards Rushing (-115)
The love affair with Mark Ingram II and the Saints was evident in his return via trade to his former club. The Saints desperately needed a compliment to Alvin Kamara, and Ingram gives them tough running between the tackles. Kamara is more than capable, but he was having to play way too many snaps. Ingram will likely get 8 or 9 carries a game, depending of course on game script. If that holds to fruition, he should be able to eclipse 30 yards without too much trouble. This would especially be the case against the Atlanta Falcons, a team that is allowing over 4.4 yards per carry to opposing running backs. With Trevor Siemian making his first start, Sean Payton will lean on his running game, even though the veteran QB played well in relief of Jameis Winston last week. Sometimes it’s ok to fall in love with a juicy number, and at only 27.5 yards that’s what we’re doing with Mark Ingram.
Nick Chubb – Over 73.5 Yards Rushing (-115)
Buy low and sell high is generally a good rule in almost anything, and that includes NFL prop betting. Even with Kareem Hunt in the lineup, Nick Chubb was routinely near the 90 yard rushing mark for his weekly total depending on the opponent. Returning from injury, Chubb is working his back in, especially with a banged up offensive line. With the exception of right tackle Jack Conklin who was placed on IR, the Browns line is intact for Sunday’s game against the Bengals. The Cincinnati defense is improved from the past couple of seasons, but Nick Chubb has really feasted against the Bengals in his career. Baker Mayfield is under scrutiny and still nursing his should injury which means the Browns will try to establish the line of scrimmage and the running game early. With Kareem Hunt still out, Chubb will carry the weight. This game could end up being a 100 yard performance for Chubb if the game stays competitive.
Justin Fields- Under 184.5 Yards Passing (-115)
You can go ahead and say that we’re throwing some shade at Bears rookie quarterback, and you wouldn’t be wrong. It’s no secret the BetCrushers do not believe that Justin Fields is a starting caliber NFL quarterback in the National Football League. While it’s far too early to know whether or not we’re right with that prediction, we can try to look ahead to this particular matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. He’ll be facing up a fired up T.J. Watt and Pittsburgh defense, along with thousands of terrible towels waving in the stands. We’ll admit, taking an under for a starting quarterback at 184.5 is downright scary. It’s set there for a reason though, as Fields has not been able to get there in three occasions already this season. Even though he’ll want to shine in his nationally televised debut, the Steelers defense will be fired up as well. Fields may have to rely on his legs even more than usual, so his actual attempts could be pretty low. It feels like the only way that Fields would go over is if the team hits a monster pass play at some point in the game. We’ll hope the Steelers are able to keep the Bears receivers in front of them and hold Fields down to wrap up the week.
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