It’s been one gem after another on Monday Night Football in recent weeks, but hey, at least we have Saquon Barkley and prop bets to keep us entertained.
Barkley will once again be the centerpiece of the Giants offense as they head west to take on an emergent Nick Mullens and the 49ers.
There are a few ways to attack this game. While I didn’t play it, Kendrick Bourne‘s overs may also be worth a look — he had 10 targets the last time Pierre Garcon missed a game.
Saquon Barkley
Over 6.5 Receptions (-135)
With nine receptions in each of his last three games, Saquon Barkley is now on pace to beat Matt Forte’s all-time RB receptions record by a full 14 catches (James White is on pace to break it too, by the way). He’s commanded 24.3 percent of his team’s targets over the past three weeks.
Barkley is mostly match up proof in the passing game at this point, but it doesn’t hurt that the 49ers had given up the fifth-most catches to opposing RBs at 6.1 per game. They surrendered nine receptions to Theo Riddick and seven to Melvin Gordon.
We’re riding a nice trend here, too — betting the over on every Barkley receptions prop this year would have netted you a 5-2-1 record.
Evan Engram
Under 42.5 Receiving Yards (-115)
With the emergence of Barkley and Sterling Shepard, and Odell Beckham on pace for career highs in targets and receptions, Engram finds himself fourth in line in an offense that runs the 10th-fewest offensive plays in the league.
Engram has surpassed 42 yards just once this year (Week 2), and since returning from injury, he’s posted yardage totals of 16 and 25.
The matchup is decent, too:
- The 49ers allow the 12th fewest yards to opposing TEs at 47.3 per game.
- The under on receiving yards is 5-3 for TEs facing the 49ers this year.
Not a huge play on this one, but line is just a touch too high for a guy averaging 29 yards per game this year.