Rams vs. Seahawks: NFL player props for Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba for Thursday Night Football Week 16
Which of the elite receivers can you count on to cash NFL player props when the Los Angeles Rams visit the Seattle Seahawks for a Thursday Night Football NFC West showdown?
The top two teams in the NFC West will meet on Thursday Night Football in NFL Week 16 when the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams are 11-3 and vying for the top seed for the NFC in the playoffs, and the Rams won the first meeting between the rivals 21-19 in Week 11. The NFL's top two receivers also will be facing off, with Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1,541) and the Rams' Puka Nacua (1,367) sitting 1-2 in receiving yards. Los Angeles' Matthew Stafford is second in the NFL in passing yards, but Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold has Smith-Njigba and the better defense on his side.
The Seahawks' defense has been fierce, and L.A. did nab four Darnold interceptions in the first meeting, so the playmakers will need to come up big on Thursday Night Football. Smith-Njigba and Nacua will be popular picks for Thursday Night Football NFL player props, so which wide receiver should you be looking at to cash in on receiving yards and receptions props? The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has issued its top picks for both of these props and shared which one you should target. All odds and lines are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Want more Rams vs. Seahawks betting analysis and insights? Check out the SportsLine game forecast for Thursday Night Football, which includes player prop recommendations and expert best bets.
Receiving yards props
Puka Nacua: 92.5 yards (Over -112, Under -112)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 89.5 (Over -111, Under -113)
Top pick: Puka Nacua Over 92.5 receiving yards (4 stars)
Nacua has 102 receptions (7.8 per game) for 1,367 yards (105 YPG) in 13 games and is on pace to top his 105-catch, 1,486-yard rookie season in 2023. Cooper Kupp will be on the other sideline Thursday, so Nacua is the top dog in the Rams' offense, and Matthew Stafford will throw plenty of balls his way. The SportsLine model projects 109.8 yards for Nacua as the Rams fight for NFC West supremacy.
Total receptions props
Puka Nacua: 7.5 (Over -131, Under +102)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 6.5 (Over -111, Under -115)
Top pick: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Under 6.5 receptions (4 stars)
Los Angeles is going to do everything it possibly can to take Smith-Njigba away, and the SportsLine model thinks the Rams are going to have some success. It projects an average of 5.4 catches for JSN in its simulations. The model is expecting this to be a close one where the defenses pressure on the quarterbacks. The Rams have 37 sacks, and Byron Young (11) and Jared Verse (6) could throw Darnold off his game to thwart Seattle's passing attack.
