The first game in Week 9 has the potential to be an old-school slugfest. One of the contestants has a productive running back built for a slugfest, and the other has an inefficient plodder. Each of those running backs has eye-catching rushing props. Additionally, a second-year wide receiver stuck in a rotational role will likely struggle.
Here are my best PrizePicks player predictions for Week 9, “Thursday Night Football,” Titans vs. Steelers.
Our PrizePicks Cheat Sheet helps bettors by comparing lines from PrizePicks vs. our weekly NFL projections >>
The first game in Week 9 has the potential to be an old-school slugfest. One of the contestants has a productive running back built for a slugfest, and the other has an inefficient plodder. Each of those running backs has eye-catching rushing props. Additionally, a second-year wide receiver stuck in a rotational role will likely struggle.
Here are my best PrizePicks player predictions for Week 9, “Thursday Night Football,” Titans vs. Steelers.
Our PrizePicks Cheat Sheet helps bettors by comparing lines from PrizePicks vs. our weekly NFL projections >>
Best TNF Week 9 PrizePicks Player Predictions
Derrick Henry should be busy this week. According to RotoViz’s pace app, the Titans ran on 57% of their 49 plays in a neutral game script in Will Levis’s first career start last week. As a result, King Henry toted the rock 22 times for 101 rushing yards.
The bruising running back averages 75.1 rushing yards per game this year, with a median of 80. Henry should produce within that range against a defense that’s allowed four running backs to eclipse 74.5 rushing yards in seven contests. Additionally, according to The 33rd Team, the Steelers have allowed 103.3 rushing yards per game to running backs since Week 4. Finally, FantasyPros is projecting Henry to rush for 81.8 yards, putting him over his line.
Treylon Burks hasn’t taken a step forward in his second professional season. Instead, he’s averaging 24.8 receiving yards per game in four contests this year. Burks had 18 receiving yards or fewer in three of four contests, with a median of 11.5 receiving yards this year.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Burks ran only 17 routes last week and had zero receptions on two targets. The second-year wide receiver’s routes were only slightly more than the routes for Kyle Philips (15 routes), Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (13) and Chris Moore (nine). Burks’s rotational role and Tennessee’s preference to pound the rock will depress Burks’s receiving production. Thus, the under is compelling.
Najee Harris is just a guy (JAG). He’s unexplosive and averages only 3.7 yards per carry this season. The third-year running back averages 44.7 rushing yards per game with a median of 43.
The matchup looks like it might be decent at a blush. Tennessee has permitted 107.5 rushing yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry to running backs since Week 4. However, the Titans have allowed only three running backs to eclipse 46.5 rushing yards this year, allowing 165 to Zack Moss, 67 to Joe Mixon and 62 to Bijan Robinson.
Finally, the Steelers sprinkle in their more dynamic backup running back, Jaylen Warren. In two games since Pittsburgh’s bye in Week 6, Harris had 21 rush attempts for 66 yards and Warren had 11 for 51. Warren looms as a threat to siphon more work from Harris, but Harris will struggle to exceed 46.5 rushing yards even in his present role as the team’s top runner.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
