Dolphins vs. Bills: Best player prop bets for De'Von Achane, James Cook for Thursday Night Football
The SportsLine Inside the Lines team's model uses its projections to decide whether De'Von Achane or James Cook offers more value on various player props for Thursday's Dolphins vs. Bills contest
Both the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills have star quarterbacks under center, but each quarterback relies on their top running back a good amount to keep the offense moving. De'Von Achane has emerged as a top receiving threat in the backfield, with Tua Tagovailoa looking his way early and often. James Cook has become a very efficient runner and allows Josh Allen to not have to be a superhero on every play.
Which running back player props should you be betting at sportsbooks for Thursday? The Inside the Lines team has its suggestions for Achane and Cook based on 10,000 simulations from its model.
If you're new to NFL betting or need a refresher, make sure to check out our NFL betting guide with the season underway.
We'll be using odds from FanDuel Sportsbook to look at player props for Achane and Cook for Thursday's game. Check out the SportsLine Projection Model's forecast for the entire game, including more player props.
Rushing yardage props
De'Von Achane: 54.5 (Over -114, Under -114)
James Cook: 65.5 (Over -114, Under -114)
Top SportsLine projection model pick: Achane Under 54.5 (4 stars)
Achane has run for just 47.6 yards per game in his last five road contests, though he did have 55 rushing yards on just seven carries at the Colts in Week 1. The model has come up with 40.8 rushing yards here for Achane to make this Under a 4-star recommendation.
Receptions props
De'Von Achane: 5.5 (Over -122, Under -108)
James Cook: 1.5 (Over -178, Under +132)
Top SportsLine projection model pick: Achane Over 5.5 (4 stars)
A receptions prop of 5.5 is certainly on the higher end for running backs, however Achane has averaged 5.8 catches in his last five games. In Week 2, Achane snagged eight catches on 10 targets against the Patriots. The model has spit out 6.9 receptions for Achane on Thursday night.
Receiving yardage props
De'Von Achane: 38.5 (Over -114, Under -114)
James Cook: 11.5 (Over -114, Under -114)
Top SportsLine projection model pick: Achane Over 38.5 (4 stars)
The model is bullish on Achane receiving props in general, calculating him for 49.8 receiving yards. That's good for a 4-star rating on Over 38.5 receiving yards, and it's actually slightly lower than what Achane has averaged in that department (52.5) in his last five matchups.
