Week 9 of the NFL season is already underway so our TSN Betting staff is wasting no time getting to the best bets.
Domenic Padula: Emmett Johnson over 15.5 receiving yards
It took some time, but the Chiefs have a stud in rookie fifth round pick Emmett Johnson, and his potential was on display in their Week 8 loss to the Broncos. Johnson recorded a 73-yard touchdown reception and finished with five catches for 128 yards and a score. Kansas City needs his big-play ability and while it’s a small sample size, Johnson’s 3.95 yards per route run is the second-best mark in the NFL of any player to run at least 40 routes behind… Jaxon Smith-Njigba! Johnson might only need one or two catches to go over 15,5, and his receptions prop is over/under 2.5. I’ll go with Johnson over 15.5 receiving as a best bet for NFL Sunday Week 9. Also, give me Noah Gray over 11.5 receiving as a second play to consider in the Chiefs game.
Connor Ford: Marvin Harrison Jr. Over 23.5 Receiving Yards
Marvin Harrison Jr. has not been the elite receiver he was hyped up to be when the Cardinals selected him with the 4th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, with a new home in Houston, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove the doubters wrong. With the Texans coming off a bye week, Harrison should be much more involved in the game plan this week against the Chargers.
Harrison has run just 18 routes in his two games with the Texans, but he’s been targeted eight times on those routes. His 15.9 aDOT and 127 air yards suggest that he’s also drawing targets downfield. CJ Stroud clearly wants to get the ball to his new playmaker.
Harrison has yet to play more than 21% of the snaps, but I don’t see how this doesn’t change this week. The Texans have also had to be more pass happy than expected, so volume shouldn’t be an issue. 24 yards is a safe mark for Harrison to hit against a lifeless Chargers team.
Drew Morrison: Jonah Coleman Over 55.5 Rushing Yards
The Broncos rookie running back is about to have his fourth coming out party despite only having played three games. After being much- hyped for a fourth rounder during training camp and getting praise from his head coach (party #1), Coleman was still third on the depth chart at the start of the season with JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey ahead of him. The hype stemmed from the hope that while Dobbins was the early-down back, and Harvey was the pass-catching threat, Coleman could potentially do it all. His debut came in week 2 and he got ten carries for a team-leading 39 yards and a touchdown (party #2). He added three catches for 19 yards but injured his ankle in the effort and was placed on IR. Coleman returned two weeks ago and had 6 yards a carry along with a pair of catches. Everybody saw his 51-yard catch and run last week against the Chiefs before scoring the winning touchdown (party #3). Coleman is now the number one option in all situations with RJ Harvey on IR. Bo Nix is struggling to throw the ball and they’re facing a Panthers defence that is ranked 30th against the run. Break out the confetti, fill the cooler, fire up the grill cause Coleman is hosting another party on Sunday, and this one should be the biggest yet.
Luke Bellus: Ashton Jeanty Over 26.5
Message sent, now time to move on.
That’s how I feel about the move of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak benching Ashton Jeanty in Week 8.
Jeanty was on the field for just 40 per cent of the Raiders snaps on offence against the New York Jets, rushing twice while only touching the ball five times, all career lows.
Meanwhile, Mike Washington led the team with 25 rush attempts and 83 yards in a 38-33 win.
When asked about his running back situation, Kubiak said both Jeanty and Washington will play this week.
The matchup for Jeanty isn’t great as he draws a 49ers defence which ranks ifth in the NFL with 89.0 rushing yards allowed per game and is second in EPA per rush allowed at negative 0.17.
But this bet is a bet on talent and a bet on Jeanty simply having more opportunity after his head coach sent a loud message last week.