5 best prop bets for Saturday's NFL divisional-round games
Saturday's slate features the Indianapolis Colts visiting the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Dallas Cowboys at the Los Angeles Rams. Here are the five best individual player prop bets for those games.
Colts QB Andrew Luck over 39.5 pass attempts (-120)It was a get-in and get-out business trip last weekend for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who pushed his team to an early three-touchdown lead in a 21-7 Wild Card Weekend rout of the Houston Texans.
Luck recorded 222 yards on 32 pass attempts with two touchdowns through the air. He should be called upon more often on Saturday while trading punches with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. This feels like a good spot to bet the over on all Luck-related props, as he's averaging a whopping 47 pass attempts this season when Indianapolis is an underdog.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce over 84.5 receiving yards (-120)A Colts defense that uses zone coverage more than any other team in the NFL might need to try other looks against the Chiefs. Mahomes has been deadly against zone defenses, completing 64.1 percent of his passes with a 14:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season, according to Rotoworld's Evan Silva.
If he tears apart a zone defense again, expect tight end Travis Kelce to stuff the stat sheet. The Colts allowed the most yards per game to tight ends during the regular season, per Football Outsiders.
Colts TE Eric Ebron over 4.5 receptions (+120)We came up short on Eric Ebron's reception number last week against the Texans, but let's go right back to the well.
Luck should be throwing a lot, and the Chiefs' defense performs well against No. 1 and No. 2 receivers, ranking No. 9 and No. 5, respectively, according to Football Outsiders. However, Kansas City's flaw lies in covering tight ends, as the Chiefs allowed 8.4 catches per game to the position during the regular season.
WR Amari Cooper over 67.5 receiving yards (-120)Wide receiver Amari Cooper has been a godsend for the Cowboys' offense since joining the team following a midseason trade. He's given quarterback Dak Prescott a true No. 1 receiver and has recorded 75-plus receiving yards in half of his 10 games with the Cowboys (playoffs included), along with six touchdowns.
He has a good matchup against a Rams defense that ranked No. 29 in DVOA against opposing No. 1 wide receivers during the regular season, allowing 82.7 yards per game. The Cowboys will likely be playing from behind as seven-point underdogs, so look for an increase in pass attempts from Prescott and more targets for Cooper.
Rams WR Brandin Cooks under 64.5 receiving yards (-120)Rams receiver Brandin Cooks was mired in a mini-slump to close out the regular season, failing to gain more than 62 receiving yards over his final five games after hitting that number in each of the previous five.
Saturday's game should be another tough one for the speedy Cooks, who faces a Cowboys defense that ranked No. 6 in DVOA against opposing No. 1 wide receivers during the regular season, and No. 8 in deep-ball DVOA.
(All prop bets were taken from Bet365.com. Always shop around for the best numbers available.)
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from 'Rounders' and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.
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