NFL Monday Night Football Picks & Player Props: 49ers vs. Panthers
Week 12 of the NFL season is here, and to close things out, we’ll see the San Francisco 49ers host the Carolina Panthers. Here, you’ll find my top NFL Monday Night Football picks & player props.
The 49ers are coming off a massive win over the Arizona Cardinals. That game also marked the return of quarterback Brock Purdy for the first time since September. He completed over 73% of his passes and threw three touchdowns. As for the Panthers and quarterback Bryce Young, they beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime, and Young threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns.
Below are the three best bets for this game.
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Week 12’s Best NFL Monday Night Football Picks & Player Props: 49ers vs. Panthers
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
49ers -7.5 (-105)
As mentioned, in his return to action, Purdy was excellent, completing over 73% of his passes and had three touchdowns.
Over their last three games, the 49ers are averaging 33.7 points per game, which is tied for the most over that stretch. Additionally, on the season, the 49ers are 10th in total yards (349.4) and second in passing yards (254.5) per game.
Defensively, the 49ers primarily play Cover-3. Against that coverage, Bryce Young, the Panthers quarterback, is completing 60.9% of his passes for 729 yards, 6.6 yards per attempt, two touchdowns, and four interceptions.
The Panthers are also averaging just 18.8 points per game, which is 28th in the NFL. Their average drops to 17.3 points per game on the road.
I expect the 49ers to roll here.
Christian McCaffrey Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-400)
The return is abysmal odds-wise, but this would be a great addition to a parlay.
McCaffrey is averaging more than 24 touches per game, including leading the league in carries, and is second in the NFL in receptions with 74.
He’s scored five times over his past three games, and the Panthers are allowing 0.82 rushing touchdowns per game to running backs, including six over their last four games.
It just makes too much sense, regardless of the odds’ value.
Bryce Young 1+ Interception (-129)
This season, Young has thrown seven interceptions, including two over his last three games. Also, as mentioned, Young has thrown four of his seven interceptions against Cover-3, which the 49ers play more than anything else. Unfortunately, the 49ers have only had three interceptions all season, but they had two last week against the Cardinals.
Given Young’s performance against Cover-3 this season, I’d take the chance on him throwing an interception.
Christian McCaffrey 5+ Receptions (-188)
As a quick addition, I’ll take McCaffrey to catch five passes or more. The Panthers are allowing 4.91 receptions per game to the position, and McCaffrey is, as mentioned, second in the NFL in receptions. He’s caught five passes or more in all but one game this season.
Hint: If you were to parlay this and McCaffrey to score a touchdown, the odds are at -120, which, yes, may not feel as valuable for a 2-leg Same Game Parlay, but they correlate well.