What was profiled as a relatively ho-hum matchup to kick off NFL Week 14 got a little more interesting earlier this week when the Rams claimed quarterback Baker Mayfield ahead of their clash with the Raiders. And he could make his debut as soon as “Thursday Night Football.”
That may sound preposterous just days after the team scooped up the former No. 1 pick-off waivers. It probably is. But it also leaves some potential value on Los Angeles’ side in an otherwise limited slate with so much still uncertain. Here are three of our favorite prop bets at FanDuel ahead of a curious midweek matchup:
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Rams vs. Raiders predictions and player prop picks for ‘Thursday Night Football’
Derek Carr over 34.5 passing attempts at -122 (FanDuel)
This game is largely defined by uncertainty under center for one side, but we know what we’ll get from Carr, who has been one of the steadiest quarterbacks in football over the last month.
It’s not hard to figure out how oddsmakers stumbled upon this number — he’s averaging exactly 34.5 passing attempts per game — but it’s also a bit misleading. Carr attempted a season-low 26 passes in a Week 8 shutout loss to the Saints, when he was pulled for backup Jarrett Stidham, but he followed that up by attempting between 36-38 passes in each of his next four weeks.
He attempted just 30 passes last week against the Chargers, who boast a tough secondary but are horrid against the run. It’ll be the exact opposite this week against the Rams, who are impenetrable on the ground and vulnerable through the air, so I’d expect Carr to exploit this matchup and let it rip once again.
Cam Akers over 44.5 rushing yards at- 114 (FanDuel)
Regardless of who plays quarterback for the Rams on Thursday, this feels like an obvious spot to lean on the run game. And this backfield has never been clearer than it is entering this week.
After playing 50 percent or fewer of his team’s snaps in each of the first 12 weeks, Akers seized control last week in his fourth start of the season, turning a season-high 17 carries into 60 yards and two touchdowns. Crucially, he also saw 72 percent of his team’s snaps just two weeks after Los Angeles released its previous leading rusher Darrell Henderson.
This looks like Akers’ backfield now, and while his production has been spotty this year, he’s totaled 60-plus yards in two of his last three games and faces a favorable matchup against this shoddy Raiders run defense. With so much uncertainty under center, this feels like a big spot for the Rams rusher.
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Davante Adams over 88.5 receiving yards at -114 (FanDuel)
There’s only so much that oddsmakers can do when a player is as hot as Adams, knowing that sharps will punish them for speculating too far in either direction. Still, this total doesn’t go nearly far enough given how spectacular the Raiders’ top wideout has been of late.
Since being held to just one catch for 3 yards in that aforementioned Week 8 blowout, Adams has averaged an NFL-best 132.8 yards over his last five games, tallying at least 125 yards in four of those five contests. It appears sustainable, too, given his ridiculous volume — he’s seen a whopping 67 targets (13.4 per game) in that five-game stretch and never finished with fewer than seven catches or 74 yards.
The five-time Pro Bowler is averaging 98 yards per game and has finished with 95 or more in eight of 12 games this season, so it’s not like this supernova stretch came out of nowhere. This may seem like a high total on the surface, but it’s puzzling why this one isn’t priced even higher.
