Musket Fire
FanSided

Top Prop Bets for Week 8: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

By Jon Cirrinone

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 26: Tight end Hunter Henry #85 of the New England Patriots looks on before the first half of a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 26: Tight end Hunter Henry #85 of the New England Patriots looks on before the first half of a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 23: Quarterback Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets scrambles against linebacker Jonas Griffith #50 of the Denver Broncos in a game at Empower Field at Mile High on October 23, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 23: Quarterback Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets scrambles against linebacker Jonas Griffith #50 of the Denver Broncos in a game at Empower Field at Mile High on October 23, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Top 3 Player Prop Bets for Week 8: #2

Jets QB Zach Wilson over 11.5 rushing yards (-120) – DraftKings Sportsbook

The key to betting player props is really betting on game script. Do you expect a defensive showdown laden with turnovers and sloppy football, or an offensive shootout where the defense mostly takes the day off? Long, sustained drives that emphasize the ground game and short passes, or an offense that pushes the ball downfield in search of chunk plays?

I expect Sunday’s game to feature strong defensive efforts from both sides and two strong running back committees. The game could very well come down to quarterback play and which second-year passer makes fewer mistakes. The Patriots defense is tied for third in the NFL with 13 takeaways and they have accomplished that with a strong pass rush that ranks sixth in the league with 21 sacks.

That pursuit of the quarterback can have its drawbacks, as we saw Monday night. Overpursuit and blown contain on a few plays allowed Bears quarterback Justin Fields to run for 82 yards on 14 carries, calmly extending drives on third down. Zach Wilson isn’t the same threat on the ground as Fields, but he’s plenty athletic and has shown the propensity to tuck the ball and go.

He’s coming off a game where he carried four times for 24 yards. Last year, in 13 starts, Wilson had five games north of the 11.5 number. In Week 2 last year, Wilson carried the ball three times for 19 yards against this Patriots defense. I believe Wilson will carry the ball three or four times on Sunday for around 30 yards.

Home/Patriots News