2024-25 NFL Most Rushing Yards Odds and Predictions

The 2024 NFL season is so close, I can smell it. The actual games will be exciting when they arrive, but pro football returning means something just as good – betting on NFL futures and props.

One of those wagers asks us who will lead the league in rushing yards. The 2024-25 NFL rushing yards odds currently favor Christian McCaffrey, but this betting market feels wide open.

C-Mac doesn’t offer as tantalizing value as the odds for most NFL receiving yards do up top, either, so it could pay to explore alternative options.

Either way, there is money to be made and betting on the NFL is honestly fun – win or lose. If you prefer to be on the winning side, though, I suggest joining me as I breakdown the latest odds for this bet.

Odds to Lead the NFL in Rushing in 2024-25

The San Francisco 49ers love to run a balanced offense, and they don’t mind running their top rusher into the ground.

That helped C-Mac pile up the most rushing yards in the NFL last year, which explains why he’s considered the top dog for 2024.

He’s a fine bet, but running backs get injured as frequently as dads being asked to kill ceiling spiders, so betting on someone else might make more sense. 

Before you head to the top online betting sites, have a look at the latest NFL rushing yardage leader odds.

C-Mac is your 2024-25 NFL rushing yardage leader favorite for two reasons; he’s the best running back in the league and he just accomplished this feat in 2023.

There shouldn’t be much argument against him, either, seeing as the league has largely gone away from force-feeding (or paying) ball carriers.

In fact, would-be true feature backs have to be hyper efficient to have a chance at the NFL rushing title. McCaffrey had 1,459 rushing yards to claim the crown a year ago, but he averaged 5.4 yards per tote and didn’t even pace the league in carries.

Derrick Henry had the most rushing attempts, and he finished almost 300 yards behind McCaffrey.

Rushes alone won’t get you this mark, but they’re a good start. If you’re betting on who will win the NFL rushing title, you need a talented back, a sizable load, and preferably some level of explosiveness.

Why is Christian McCaffrey Favored to Win the 2024-25 NFL Rushing Title?

McCaffrey had a boss level 2023 campaign. One could argue he was a deserving candidate to win the NFL MVP. However, a quick glance at the 2024 NFL MVP odds shows you once again that it’s a quarterback award.

Still, the San Francisco 49ers run a balanced offense that is loaded and gets push up front from perhaps the best offensive line in football. McCaffrey’s shiftiness, wiggle, and quick burst are the last ingredient that makes it all hum.

His injury history pre-San Fran is ugly, but it’s not like McCaffrey didn’t dazzle as a lead rusher before. He had an awesome 1,387-yard rushing season back in 2019, and he had 1,098 yards on the ground in 2018, as well.

Of course, winning back-to-back rushing titles isn’t easy. There’s reasonable concern that McCaffrey could start wearing down, the 49ers could opt to save him for the playoffs, or he could simply get injured.

Those are solid reasons (not to mention his “meh” +300 betting odds) to shy away from him, which leads me to some viable alternatives.

Top 2024-25 NFL Rushing Yardage Leader Contenders

McCaffrey is a stud, but he’s also 28 years old and has a checkered injury history. 

I have my doubts about him winning the NFL rushing title for a second straight season, so you better believe I am stretching my neck for viable options elsewhere.

For me, there are four legit contenders that could lead the NFL in rushing yards in 2024.

Jonathan Taylor +650

You can double your odds with a super viable bet in JT, who is not that far removed from a crazy 1,800-yard rushing season.

It’s pretty arguable that the presence of a mobile passer like Anthony Richardson curbs Taylor’s upside, but we also know how explosive this back can be.

Taylor battled injuries and a holdout situation going into 2023, but he rebounded from a slot start to finish 30th in rushing yards despite suiting up for just 10 games.

He’s endured two down years and he hasn’t been healthy or efficient for extended periods, but his magical 2021 season is a huge reason why he’s still in play at this +650 price.

Bijan Robinson +700

I’d feel a little bit better about Bijan Robinson going into 2024, simply because the Atlanta Falcons seem poised to take the bubble wrap off of last year’s first round pick.

Atlanta only handed the ball to Bijan 214 times during his rookie season, but considering he averaged a solid 4.56 yards per carry, it’s worth wondering why they didn’t lean on him more.

Robinson definitely has the profile and athletic makeup of a true workhorse running back, and nothing we saw from his 2023 tape suggests otherwise. In fact, his first year in the NFL could have been extra special had former head coach Arthur Smith not played mind games so frequently.

There was one game where Robinson was basically a DNP, while he had five games overall where he had exactly 10 carries or fewer. Atlanta is aiming to be competitive after bringing in Kirk Cousins and changing up their coaching staff, so giving their top rusher the ball less isn’t in their plans.

Barring injury, Bijan should tote the rock considerably more in 2024, and it could lead to a truly epic rushing yardage total.

Breece Hall +850

You can apply all of the same logic used for Robinson to Hall. Hall’s numbers are actually quite comparable to Robinson’s, except he was used even more as a receiver.

Hall dealt with major ineptitude under center, which naturally cut into his rushing upside. He also was returning from a torn ACL, so the New York Jets were a bit slow to fully commit to utilizing him early in the year.

Seriously, in the first four games he rushed the ball an average of eight times per contest.

Hall blew up after that slow start, but dealing with poor quarterback play allowed defenses to key in on him. The return of a healthy Aaron Rodgers should negate that issue to a large degree, though.

Gang Green also went out and beefed up a previously weak offensive line.

The talent and role have been there the last two years. Hall will have zero limitations and nothing tangible to hold him back, which could make him a smash value bet despite being a legit NFL rushing title contender.

Saquon Barkley +900

One last legit contender to lead the NFL in rushing yards this year has to be Saquon Barkley.

Much like Hall, he’s been held back by a shaky organization and poor quarterback play. He’s also dealt with some seasons ruined by injuries. Through it all, however, it’s always been easy to spot his elite talent and dedication to his craft.

Barkley also finally gets to go to work behind an elite offensive line. The Philadelphia Eagles did lose stud center Jason Kelce to retirement, but they’re still a formidable group and hands down the best o-line Barkley has ever seen.

Philly also appears to be following San Fran’s blueprint.

It’s not like Barkley has been trash, either. Despite his surroundings doing all they could to derail him, he’s been productive. He ran for the 16th most yards in 2023 and popped off for 1,312 yards the year prior.

That was actually the fourth most rushing yards by any running back that season, while Barkley was about as good (1,307 yards) in his first season in the pros.

Oh, and we’ve seen lesser talents crush in this offense. D’Andre Swift was fifth in rushing with the Eagles last year, while Miles Sanders was 5th in 2022.

Assuming he can stay healthy, Saquon is going to feast in this offense. It’s reasonable to anticipate this system keeps him from career highs in touchdowns and catches, but he’s going to pile on the yardage with ease.

Best 2024-25 NFL Rushing Yardage Value Bet

Derrick Henry is very close to being my favorite value. He was second in rushing last year, he puts up over 1,000 yards on the ground yearly, and he’s joining a Baltimore Ravens offense that loves to run the football.

However, he’s also lost efficiency in recent years and has a ton of mileage on his legs. He’s rather old for a running back, while Lamar Jackson could eat into his overall upside on the ground.

The resume is still decent and I like the +1000 price tag, but Kyren Williams looks a bit more palatable at +1400.

He certainly has Henry beat in terms of odds appeal, but he’s also a lot younger, he enjoyed the far more efficient 2023 season, and we know the Los Angeles Rams love feeding their top rusher.

In fact, I’m not sure anyone realizes just how good Williams was last year. He finished third in rushing yards, but he did so in four fewer games than C-Mac and five fewer games than Henry.

Truth be told, you might be looking at your 2023 rushing champion if he didn’t get banged up.

The role is air tight. L.A. did draft Michigan alum Blake Corum as insurance, but unless he gets injured, this is Kyren Williams’s job to lose. The Rams had zero qualms about giving him the rock last year, either, as the dude had 20+ carries in seven different games and 10+ in every game he appeared in.

Williams also got it done on a per-touch perspective. He averaged 5.0 yards per clip and was also effective as a receiver and in the red-zone. He didn’t look like a stud coming out of Notre Dame, but here we are.

Assuming Sean McVay doesn’t rip the rug out from under us, Williams looks like an awesome bet to crush again in 2024.

Who Will Lead the NFL in Rushing Yards in 2024-25?

It’s kind of wild how many worthwhile contenders exist for this betting market. However, bettors shouldn’t look at it so much as predicting which running back will run the most, but more about which running back has the path of least resistance.

Any of the players I broke down are in play, but my favorite by quite a bit has to be Saquon. He has undeniably had some health woes in the past, but he’s been largely healthy for the past three seasons and is going to be highly motivated to dominate.

Not only will this dude look to break records twice a year against his old New York Giants squad, but he’ll be excited to actually win games with a first class franchise.

Ultimately, Saquon has been here. He should have had his fourth 1,000+ yard rushing season in 2023, and across the board, he’s put up sick numbers despite a terrible supporting cast.

Finally free to spread his wings, it will be painfully obvious how much of a leap Barkley is from Sanders and Swift. Sports bettors can attach their cash to that logic now and turn $100 into $900 by season’s end.

Bet: Saquon Barkley +900