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This weekend, the four teams remaining in the NFL playoffs face off with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Let’s take a look at some key players poised to make an impact for their teams, and how you can make money betting on player props for Championship Weekend. There are some great NFL prop picks this weekend. Be sure to stay tuned to our NFL odds series for more on betting around the NFL.
All NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: NFL Championship Odds
NFL Prop Pick: Christian McCaffrey anytime touchdown scorer (-120)
The 49ers are going to want to get the ball out of Brock Purdy’s hands early and get their playmakers involved. There’s a reason that rookie quarterbacks struggle to make it this far, as playoff teams have better defenses and more exotic looks to throw at young quarterbacks to confuse them and force them into making errors.
Purdy has acclimated himself well to the NFL so far, but each week is a new test and the 49ers aren’t going to want to take too many risks. The safe game plan is to establish the run early and force-feed their athletic playmakers on the outside with a steady diet of screen passes and short, quick throws. This will get the ball to the playmakers with space to make things happen. Kyle Shanahan is a master at manipulating defenses through motion, misdirection, unique formations, and various other aspects of offensive game-planning. He’ll get the ball to his guys in space and keep the pressure off of Purdy. McCaffrey is going to play a huge role in this game, both in the running game and the passing game. He’ll likely get the majority of carries on the ground, while also playing a role as an outlet receiver, in the screen game, and running short to intermediate routes past the line of scrimmage.
With how involved McCaffrey is going to be in the game plan and how talented a player he is, I think he’s going to find the endzone at least once this weekend.
NFL Prop Pick: Christian McCaffrey 50+ rushing yards (-175)
McCaffrey is an elite running back, and he is going to get plenty of carries as the 49ers establish their running game. 15 carries at a little over three yards a clip gets him to this number, and I think he’ll do a lot better than 3 yards a clip, closer to 4.5. He is also a homerun threat and has the breakaway ability to cash this prop bet on just one or two long runs.
NFL Prop Pick: Christian McCaffrey 25+ Receiving yards (-200)
McCaffrey is going to be used in the passing game, and he should find himself with enough receptions to reach this mark. Three or four catches out of the backfield, for a back as elusive as McCaffrey with room to operate, can easily net 25 or more yards. Not to mention, I think three or four catches is the absolute minimum for his involvement in the passing game.
NFL Prop Pick: Jalen Hurts anytime touchdown scorer (+125)
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I typically don’t like taking quarterbacks for anytime touchdown scorer, but Jalen Hurts is a unique player that brings an exception to this rule. The Eagles' offense, particularly when they get into the RedZone, is built in large part around the dual-threat ability that Hurts brings to the table. The Eagles are going to turn to Hurts and the read option to finish their drives. I think Philadelphia will have at least three RedZone drives, which means there are going to be plenty of opportunities for Hurts to find the endzone.
NFL Prop Pick: Jalen Hurts over 247.5 passing yards (-113)
Although Purdy’s line was a bit lower, Hurts is a better passer than Purdy, and I am wagering the Eagles will trust him more to air it out. Hurts also has an abundance of playmakers, and he can rack up yardage through deep balls just as easily as he can throw quick passes and let his playmakers do the work racking up yards after the catch.
NFL Prop Pick: Deebo Samuel 50+ receiving yards (-138)
Deebo Samuel is going to be a key target for Brock Purdy, and with his athleticism, the 9ers will develop a game plan around getting him the ball often, and getting him the ball in space. If he has three screen passes that go for 10 yards each, just a few other quick slants or other short routes for easy completions should put him above the half-century mark.
NFL Prop Pick: Ja’Marr Chase anytime touchdown scorer (-105)
I don’t know who is going to win this game, but I think it is lining up to be a high-scoring game. The Bengals line kept Joe Burrow upright last week, and if they can do that again he’ll find his favorite target for a house call.
NFL Prop Pick: Travis Kelce anytime touchdown scorer (-105)
Patrick Mahomes is likely going to be less than 100% this week, but he is still one of the best quarterbacks in football. He’ll fight through the pain to make plays, and rely heavily on his go-to target in Kelce. Expect Kelce to score at least one touchdown on Sunday night.
