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Sometimes I wonder whether we shouldn’t get too fancy with all of this; whether we should just take a look at the guys who have found their way into the end zone with the most frequency. After all, those are the people these teams will rely on most in the end.
Those of you who are old enough to remember the great football movie “North Dallas Forty” (or are industrious enough to find it on a streaming service) will no doubt recall the speech made at the end by the coach (GD Spradlin) to the player (Nick Nolte) about scoring touchdowns – about how Nolte did not score those touchdowns himself, but rather it was the coaching staff that “let him score” those touchdowns.
So which NFL teams will “let” guys score, and who will those guys be?
Cooper Kupp Props Picks for Week 8
Time: Sunday, October 31 – 1 PM ET
Kupp TD Scoring Odds: -150 to be “Anytime” scorer
I don’t know how much of a scoring fest it’s going to be for the Rams, but if you look at the team totals odds that are posted on them (generally around 31) that would indicate four TD’s on the part of the Rams. Could Kupp score one of them? Well, he has been the most reliable option for Matthew Stafford, who is on a pace to set a career high in touchdown passes, and he has crossed the goal line nine times. Kupp also leads the league in yards per game.
Houston has won only a single game, against the likewise 1-6 Jacksonville Jaguars, and spirits can’t be high after the team dumped another veteran, with Mark Ingram getting dealt to the New Orleans Saints during the week. How much talk is there in the locker room about who might be next?
Derrick Henry Props Picks for Week 8
Time: Sunday, October 31 – 1 PM ET
Henry TD Scoring Odds: -165 to be “Anytime” scorer
Again, there is no rocket science here. Clearly Henry is not just the #1 option in this offense, he is the #1 option around the goal line as well.
He leads the leagues in touchdowns. He is #1 in rushing attempts and rushing yardage. On THREE different occasions he has scored three touchdowns.
We admit that the Colts have not been horrible stopping the run; they are among the top dozen teams in the league. But they were second-best in the NFL last year, and in the last meeting, Henry ripped through them for 178 yards and three TD’s.
Ja’Marr Chase Props Picks for Week 8
Time: Sunday, October 31 – 1 PM ET
Chase TD Scoring Odds: +110 to be “Anytime” scorer
The Bengals are no doubt ecstatic about being able to draft Chase in the first round, and they passed up on a chance to take an offensive lineman instead. The rookie from LSU has paid dividends, with 35 receptions, six of which have gone for touchdowns. In only two of the team’s seven games has he not scored.
The guy is averaging 21.5 yards a catch! That leads the league. And he has made it easier for Joe Burrow to continue his development as an NFL quarterback, as he’s provided a familiar face at the other end of his throws. The only thing that worries us is whether Cincinnati, after such a huge win over Baltimore, might come out a little flat against the engine-less Jets.
Hunter Henry Props Picks for Week 8
Patriots vs. Chargers Predictions
Time: Sunday, October 31 – 4:05 PM ET
Henry TD Scoring Odds: +240 to be “Anytime” scorer
Sure, we could have looked toward Damien Harris here, because we expect the Pats may be able to gain a significant amount of real estate against a rather permissive Charger defensive front. But at the price, let’s consider the case for Henry, who has caught four of the team’s ten touchdown passes – one in each of the last four games, in fact – and is competing against the team he played with for five years.
So maybe Bill Belichick “lets” him score a touchdown as he returns to Southern California.
Rob Gronkowski Props Picks for Week 8
Buccaneers vs. Saints Predictions
Time: Sunday, October 31 – 4;25 PM ET
Gronkowski TD Scoring Odds: +150 to be “Anytime” scorer
This would be, I guess, our “bonus” pick, because we are not completely sure Gronk is going to play. He’s been limited in practice. But you can bet that if he does make post, Tom Brady is going to be looking for him in the red zone. Out of his last 22 catches, six of them have gone for touchdowns. Ha, that’s a better percentage than he had when he led the NFL with 17 TD’s in his second pro season.
