This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
Player Props
Tee Higgins over 69.5 receiving yards (-115)
The Bengals have one of the most dynamic passing offenses in football, and they started emphasizing that more towards the end of the season, with QB Joe Burrow spiking in both volume and efficiency over his final two games as the Bengals played arguably their best football of the season. The Raiders have a solid pass rush but are otherwise beatable through the air, allowing 29 passing touchdowns on the year (tied for 5th-most in the league). Although the Bengals dominated their Week 11 matchup with the Raiders on the ground (Joe Mixon had more rushing attempts than Joe Burrow had passing attempts), I expect the Bengals to continue their successful air assault this week, with Higgins and Chase being the primary beneficiaries (though it's worth noting Tyler Boyd was the leading receiver in their prior matchup).
Ja'Marr Chase over 71.5 receiving yards (-115)
I think both these numbers are a little short for the Bengals top two pass catchers, and I also think they play well in tandem, as it's very likely at least one player cashes, with both players cashing being a more likely result than neither cashing. With Higgins/Chase, that angle is often more exploitable with anytime touchdown props (as you can can generally find both players at a nice plus), however, it's also worth looking at with these modest yardage numbers. As always, be sure and shop around for the best prices.
Damien Harris anytime touchdown (+100)
The Patriots love to run the ball against Buffalo, recording 46 carries in the bad-weather game in Week 13, followed up by a healthy 27 carries in their more recent Week 16 meeting. Damien Harris went for over a hundred yards and a touchdown in both meetings, and in fact has scored eight touchdowns over his last five starts. Good chance he finds the end zone tonight.
Brandon Aiyuk over 50.5 receiving yards (-115)
While Deebo Samuel remains the 49ers top big-play threat, Brandon Aiyuk isn't far behind in that category, and Deebo continues to spend a good portion of his time operating out of the backfield. That has resulted in Aiyuk tying for the team lead in targets each of the past two weeks, flying over this number on both occasions (6-107 and 4-104). As long as Aiyuk is getting those targets, he can be very effective, recording long-gainers of 20+ yards in ten of his last eleven starts. With much of the defensive attention focused on Deebo, there's a good chance Aiyuk finds himself open for another long play or two.
Diontae Johnson over 6.5 receptions (-120)
As is the case every week with the Steelers, if you're looking for targets, look for Diontae Johnson. He has recorded double-digit targets in seven of his last nine games (with one of those misses being a 9-target game), and has gone over this reception total in six of those nine games. Diontae also figures to get a very favorable game script, with the Steelers likely playing from behind in the final game of Ben Roethlisberger's career. It appears likely Diontae will be peppered with targets once again.
Cooper Kupp over 105.5 receiving yards (-120)
Similar to Diontae Johnson receptions, Cooper Kupp receiving yards is almost an every-week play, with the bulk of the passing game going directly through him. Kupp has now covered this yardage total in five of his last six games, and it should be noted that he drew a season-high 15 targets in his most recent meeting with the Cardinals in Week 14. Kupp also tied for his second-highest number of targets (13) in his other start vs. the Cardinals this year. There seems little doubt Kupp will be highly active once again.
