Only two players topped 100 yards rushing last week, and one of them was a quarterback. In other words, sorting the best running back prop bets from week to week can be challenging, which is why we’re here to help.
Aaron Jones – Under 63.5 Rushing Yards
In the Packers game against the Chiefs, you might be tempted to bet on all of the Packers to go over. The Kansas City defense is not good.
But the Chiefs have been decent against the run, having slammed the door on Derrick Henry two weeks ago and only giving up 60 yards to Devontae Booker on Monday. They are soft in the secondary, where Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur will attack the Chiefs. The run game will be just a compliment.
Plus, it’s been six weeks since Jones got more than 15 carries, and in each of his last two games, he fell short of 60 rushing yards. There will be a lot of Green Bay offense on Sunday, but it won’t come from Jones on the ground. Take the under.
Ezekiel Elliott – Under 80.5 Rushing Yards
The Cowboys should roll in Sunday’s game against the Broncos, and they won’t need much out of Ezekiel Elliott to make it happen. And he finished the month of October with fairly modest yardage totals anyway, and that came in close games.
Against the Vikings on Halloween, Zeke had just 50 yards rushing. The week before, in an overtime game with the Patriots, he finished with 69.
The Cowboys saw what happened to Derrick Henry, and they are smartly making sure Zeke shares a good portion of the load with Tony Pollard. Plus, the Broncos defense has only given up more than 80 yards rushing to two players this season – Najee Harris and D’Ernest Johnson.
Cowboys win, but take the under on Elliott.
Kenyan Drake – Over 19.5 Rushing Yards
The Raiders did not pick up the wide receiver they desperately needed at the trade deadline. They now have Zay Jones, Hunter Renfrow, and Bryan Edwards as experienced wide receivers on the roster.
That means that when facing the Giants on Sunday, we’re going to see a steady diet of Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake running the football. The Jacobs line is at 64.5, which will be close. But at just 19.5, Drake should easily top that.
New York’s defense has not been good against the run, and it won’t stop Drake on Sunday.
Elijah Mitchell – Over 74.5 Rushing Yards
The one running back to get over 100 yards in Week 8 was the 49ers Elijah Mitchell, and it was his second straight week over the century mark.
Running the ball is the formula for success in San Francisco, and it’s how the Packers handed Arizona its first loss of the season last Thursday. Green Bay got 137 yards rushing from running backs in Week 8, the same production is expected from the 49ers on Sunday, and the lion’s share will go to Mitchell.
Bet this over.