kenneth-walker.jpg
Imagn Images

First place in the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the conference are on the line for Thursday Night Football in Week 16 when the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams in a battle of 11-3 teams. Seattle enters the week on a four-game winning streak that began after losing at Los Angeles 21-19 on Nov. 16. The Rams' defense made life very difficult for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw four interceptions. Given Darnold's struggles against the Rams over the last two years, will Seattle lean even more on the run game in Week 16 with so much on the line?

This matchup of NFC West rivals features two dangerous young running backs in L.A.'s Kyren Williams and Seattle's Kenneth Walker III. Williams just eclipsed 1,000 yards for the third year in a row, and he also has 13 total touchdowns. Walker has 779 yards and four scores this season as he shares time with Zach Charbonnet. 

With Williams and Walker expected to be focal points of each offense on Thursday Night Football, which back should you target when betting NFL player props? The SportsLine Projection Model, after simulating every NFL game 10,000 times, has issued its top picks for rushing yards and total carries props for each running back and shared which of Williams and Walker you should be targeting. All odds and lines for these prop bets are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Visit SportsLine for a full game forecast for Rams vs. Seahawks on Thursday Night Football Week 16 and more NFL player prop recommendations.

Rushing yards props

  • Kyren Williams: 55.5 (Over -113, Under -111)
  • Kenneth Walker III: 45.5 (Over -115, Under -109)

Top pick: Kenneth Walker III Over 45.5 rushing yards (3.5 stars)

The model expects the Seahawks to lean on Walker here with a projection of 60.6 rushing yards. Walker has cleared 45.5 rushing yards eight times this year, including in the last matchup between these two teams. Walker has also averaged nearly 64 rushing yards per game in his six games played against the Rams. 

Rushing attempts props

  • Kyren Williams: 13.5 (Over -114, Under -112)
  • Kenneth Walker III: 12.5 (Over -102, Under -124)

Top pick: Kenneth Walker III Over 12.5 carries (13.5 stars)

The model also favors Walker's Over when it comes to total carries, with a projection of 13.2 for Thursday. The Seahawks have the fifth-most rushing attempts in the NFL this season, and Walker is still the preferred back over Charbonnet. Additionally, Darnold has six turnovers over his last two matchups against the Rams dating back to last postseason, so Seattle will likely be looking to take some pressure off of him with Walker and the run game on Thursday.