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Week 2 NFL betting specials: Longshot props and specials
Longshot bets that just might hit, including one involving opposing star running backs.
Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books, and it was marked by a stark lack of explosiveness on the offensive side of the field. That was particularly notable in the passing game, with historic statistical lows throughout the league and staggeringly meager performances from several quarterbacks.
Week 2 does offer a clean slate, however, and there are weekly specials at various sportsbooks that can potentially be exploited by handicappers. Here is a look at three longshot offerings to explore.
Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson to each have at least 30 rushing yards in each half (+750, FanDuel)
It will take some good fortune in sequencing to get this FanDuel number home, simply due to the requirement of each half for two different players, but it is certainly possible.
While the Atlanta Falcons had serious challenges in the passing game in Week 1, Bijan Robinson is the clear lead rusher with 18 totes in the opener. He faces an Eagles defense that allowed a staggering 7.8 yards per rush attempt against the Packers in Brazil, and Robinson is in line for a big day.
On the other side, Saquon Barkley announced his presence with authority in Week 1 for his new team, finishing with 109 rushing yards and earning 24 carries. That level of volume may not exist each week for the veteran running back, but the Falcons allowed more than 130 rushing yards in Week 1 and there should be consistency with Barkley as a featured part of Philadelphia’s game plan.
Keon Coleman to reach or exceed 100 receiving yards (+1100, DraftKings), Khalil Shakir to reach or exceed 90 receiving yards (+900, DraftKings)
There is a battle raging to see who will emerge as the No. 1 pass-catcher in Buffalo. While tight end Dalton Kincaid is also in the mix, two of the prominent contenders are Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir.
These are technically two different wagers at DraftKings sportsbook, but each is valuable on its own and there is no mutual exclusivity. Coleman is a highly-touted rookie who led the team in receiving in Week 1, and he is a physical ball-winner who is capable of big plays. Shakir reached 90 yards or more on three different occasions in 2023, even as he was further down the call sheet for Buffalo on a roster that featured both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis on the outside.
Buffalo’s pass volume was relatively modest in the opener, but the Bills may need to throw more to keep pace with Miami on Thursday. That could open the door for one or both of the team’s wideouts to post big receiving yardage totals.
Ja’Marr Chase, Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce to combine for at least four touchdowns (+1400, FanDuel)
It is always entertaining when the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals get together, and the matchup will take place in the Sunday afternoon window. Neither team was its absolute most explosive self in Week 1, though the Chiefs did put up 27 points in a win over the Ravens.
On Cincinnati’s side, the offense cratered in a befuddling Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots, adding a sense of relative desperation to this game in the attempt to avoid an 0-2 mark. This is a longshot wager for a reason, in that it isn’t often that three players combine for four touchdowns in a single game, but the recipe is also there.
Early indications are that Tee Higgins is unlikely to play for the Bengals, leaving Ja’Marr Chase as the lone star pass-catcher available for Cincinnati. Kansas City moved on from standout defensive back L’Jarius Sneed in the offseason, leaving a potential vulnerability that Chase could exploit for a couple of touchdowns. On Kansas City’s side, Rice and Kelce flat-out project, using current market numbers, to combine for at least one touchdown, with the ability to put up two or three. Neither found the end zone in Week 1, but Kelce posted 52 touchdown receptions in the last six seasons and Rice comfortably led Kansas City with seven catches and nine targets in the opener.
Bring on the fireworks.