Cowboys vs. Chargers props, odds, bets, AI predictions, MNF picks: Austin Ekeler under 50.5 rushing yards

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Chargers receiver Keenan Allen is one of only three receivers to see 20 targets in a game this season. The five-time Pro Bowler had 15 receptions on 20 targets in a 28-24 win over the Vikings in Week 3. Allen followed that with just three receptions on five targets against the Raiders before a Week 5 bye. What usage rate can NFL bettors expect when wagering on NFL player props when the Chargers host the Cowboys on Monday Night Football? Austin Ekeler is expected to return from an ankle injury that's kept him off the field since Week 1 and he could be a popular player for NFL props.

The Cowboys are coming off a 42-10 demolition by the 49ers after opening the season 3-1, so what should sports bettors expect from the Cowboys' offense when making Monday Night Football NFL prop bets? Before betting any NFL props for Monday Night Football in Week 5 or entering selections on sites like PrizePicks, you need to see the Cowboys vs. Chargers NFL prop predictions powered by SportsLine AI.

Built using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques by SportsLine's Data Science team, AI Predictions and AI Ratings are generated for each player prop. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each player's historical data then quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponents defense by assigning a numeric value out of 100 called a matchup score.

Once a prediction is formulated, the AI rating is generated using the prediction, the matchup score, and the odds of the market. For example, you could see a 5-star rating on an over bet if a player is facing a poor defense, their prediction differs from the line and there are favorable odds.

In addition, SportsLine AI is the first fully automated predictive model at SportsLine. It continuously refreshes on the most recent available data and can help you spot the biggest discrepancies in the lines. So far this season, SportsLine AI has hit a whopping 241 4.5- and 5-star prop picks for a strong profit of $1,350 for $100 players. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

For Chargers vs. Cowboys on Monday Night Football, the model has evaluated the NFL player prop odds and provided Cowboys vs. Chargers prop picks for every available prop market. You can only see the AI player prop predictions for Dallas vs. Los Angeles here.

Top NFL player prop bets for Chargers vs. Cowboys

After analyzing Cowboys vs. Chargers and examining the dozens of NFL player props, SportsLine AI says Chargers running back Austin Ekeler goes under 50.5 rushing yards. Ekeler is making his return from missing the last three games with an ankle injury. He's a focal point of the Chargers' offense on a weekly basis, but even when fully healthy, it's not necessarily for his rushing prowess.

Ekeler totaled 1,637 yards last season with fewer than 1,000 of those coming on the ground (915). The 28-year-old averaged 53.8 rushing yards per game last season but it was his pass-game reliability that boosted him up the league leaders and has increased his value. With Monday Night Football being Ekeler's first game back following an injury, the Chargers may want to limit his carries and focus on getting him out in space in the passing attack.

The Cowboys have also boasted one of the top run defenses in the NFL over the last few weeks. They contained Christian McCaffrey, who averaged at least 4.7 yards per rush in each of his previous four games, to 2.7 yards per carry last week. The week before, Dallas held the Patriots' combination of Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott to 2.3 yards per rush over 20 carries. McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, two of the best pure runners in the NFL, finished with exactly 51 rushing yards against Dallas this season. Given the Cowboys' ability to contain top running backs and the Chargers likely to limit Ekeler's attempts this week, the model projects Ekeler to rush for fewer than 35 yards. That puts him significantly below the current prop total of 50.5, making it one of the 4.5-star picks for Monday's game. See more NFL props here.