Jahmyr Gibbs made the most of an increased workload last weekend, and I expect more of the same on Monday Night Football.
The pregame narrative: The Detroit Lions’ star running back is featured in my best bet with a lofty but attainable scrimmage yards total. Additionally, I’m fading San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle in a discouraging matchup.
Check out my Lions vs. 49ers prop picks for Monday Night Football on Dec. 30.
Lions vs. 49ers prop picks
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Best Bet: Gibbs over 128.5 rushing/receiving yards (-115)
This is the type of yardage total LaDainian Tomlinson probably would’ve seen in his prime. But it’s warranted, given Gibbs’ outsized opportunity in an elite offence.
With David Montgomery, Gibbs formed part of the best running back tandem behind the NFL’s top offensive line. Now that Montgomery is on the shelf with a knee injury, more touches are flowing to the second-year RB.
Last week — his first without Montgomery — Gibbs saw a season-high 27 touches. He turned that into 154 yards and a touchdown.
Gibbs has always been efficient. His 6.3 yards per touch ranks second out of 52 tailbacks with 90-plus touches.
At his current average, he needs roughly 21 touches on a weekly basis to cash this bet. And his 27-touch performance last Sunday without Montgomery is an indication that volume shouldn’t be an issue.
Detroit still has plenty to play for, too. A win positions the Lions to claim the top seed in the NFC, along with a coveted first-round bye.
Gibbs has 22 targets in the past four games, and now his carry count is trending up. This is a hefty number, but it’s one he can absolutely clear with a backfield to himself.
Key stat: In four career games without Montgomery, Gibbs has averaged 137.8 scrimmage yards.
Quick pick
Kittle under 69.5 receiving yards (-115): Kittle has topped 100 receiving yards in two of his past three games, so this might not feel like the right time to fade him. But matchups matter, at least to me, and this is a rough one.
Detroit has allowed league lows in catches (3.7/game) and yards (35.2/game) to opposing tight ends, per Pro Football Reference. By Rotowire’s measure, the Lions are the toughest matchup for TEs.
Kittle has gone under 69.5 receiving yards in seven of 13 games this year. Unsurprisingly, five of those seven unders were against top-20 TE defences.
Now he’ll face the toughest TE defence of all, and he looks well worth a fade.
Picks made at 11:32 a.m. ET 12/29/2024.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.