Merry Christmas, everyone! Today we have the best gift in sports, football! This afternoon, the 6-8 Minnesota Vikings will take on the 10-4 New Orleans Saints. Both teams are on a two-game losing streak and are in desperate need of a win. The Saints need the win to lock up the NFC South division title, while the Vikings will be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss. With both teams fighting for playoff positioning, we should have an entertaining game today.
The team’s fan base and fantasy football players will have their eyes glued to the game, watching every play with the utmost attention. For gamblers, their only rooting interest is whatever will lead to money in their pocket. However, which bets should they place? Here are my five favorite prop bets for today’s game.
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Latavius Murray Over 33.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
Even has Alvin Kamara‘s backup, Murray plays a critical role in the Saints’ offense. This season he is averaging 9.6 rushing attempts and 41.7 rushing yards per game. Murray has rushed for 34 or more yards in 64 percent of his games this season. Meanwhile, the Vikings have been unable to stop the run recently, giving up an average of 118.6 rushing yards per game to running backs over their last five games. Furthermore, the Vikings have given up 80 or more rushing yards to running backs in 86 percent of their games this season. Even as Kamara’s backup, Murray should finish the game with at least 40 rushing yards.
Justin Jefferson Over 64.5 Receiving Yards (-111)
Jefferson was the only offensive rookie to make the Pro Bowl this season. He is averaging 84.4 receiving yards per game, recording 64 or more yards in 64 percent of his games. Furthermore, Jefferson has recorded 70 or more receiving yards in five of his last six games, averaging 92.5 per contest. Meanwhile, despite their talent cornerback duo, the Saints have given up an average of 159.1 receiving yards per game to wide receivers. They have given up 195 or more receiving yards to wide receivers in a third of their games this season. Jefferson is a star in the making, so don’t be surprised to see him finish the game with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Alvin Kamara to Score an Anytime Touchdown (-225)
With Michael Thomas out for the rest of the regular season, the Saints’ offense will run through Kamara. He has 15 total touchdowns this season, scoring at least once in six of his last seven games. Furthermore, Kamara has scored at least one touchdown in 71 percent of his games this season. Meanwhile, the Vikings have given up 11 total touchdowns to running backs this season. More importantly, they have given up four rushing touchdowns to running backs over the last three weeks. While the payout is far from ideal, Kamara is a lock to score once, if not twice, today.
Kirk Cousins Over 0.5 Interceptions (-124)
After a rocky start to the season, Cousins has played some of the best football of his career recently, throwing 17 touchdowns over his last seven games. Unfortunately, Cousins hasn’t been unable to cut down on the interceptions, averaging just under one per game. Cousins has thrown at least one interception in 57 percent of his games this season, including two of the last three. Meanwhile, the Saints have the seventh most interceptions this season, averaging just under one per game. Furthermore, they have at least one interception in half of their games this season. Cousins can get loose with the football and struggles during primetime games, so don’t be surprised to see him thrown an interception early in the game.
Emmanuel Sanders Over 61.5 Receiving Yards (-112)
Signing Sanders was one of the more underrated moves this past offseason. With Thomas missing over half the season because of injuries, Sanders has stepped up for the Saints. He is averaging four receptions for 48.3 receiving yards per game this season. However, with Thomas out of the lineup, Sanders has taken his play to another level. In those games, Sanders averages 5.2 receptions for 67.2 receiving yards per game. Meanwhile, the Vikings have struggled to slow down wide receivers this season, giving up an average of 178.4 receiving yards per game to the position. With Thomas out for this game and other receivers banged-up, expect Drew Brees to target Sanders plenty.
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