NFL player prop: Ford driven to succeed

It has certainly been a challenging season for the Cleveland offense. Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb was lost for the year when he suffered ligament damage to his knee in Week 2, and the merry-go-round at quarterback following shoulder injuries to Deshaun Watson has resulted in a career renaissance for 38-year-old Joe Flacco. But the Browns have still managed to post an 8-5 record, and as they try to improve their playoff chances against the 5-8 Bears, we like an emerging weapon for our top prop:

The bet: Over 16½ receiving yards for Browns running back Jerome Ford (ESPN)

After getting limited playing time during his two years at Alabama, Ford transferred to Cincinnati and eventually claimed the featured role. In his final season, he not only eclipsed 1,300 yards on the ground, but also totaled 220 receiving yards and averaged an impressive 10.5 per catch.

Ford has likewise been a dual threat in his second season with Cleveland. He has generated consistent production as a receiver out of the backfield, catching three passes longer than this number and recording at least one reception in every game since Chubb went down. With Flacco as the starting signal-caller for the last two, Ford has cleared 30 receiving yards each time.

The Bears have stifled opposing rushing attacks this season, ranking second in yards allowed per game. But there’s some vulnerability versus the pass, as they’ve surrendered more receiving yards to running backs than any team in the league.

With rain and wind making it tougher to connect on downfield throws, Ford should see enough screens and dump-offs to bring this bet home.