NFL player prop: Going Dortch
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Geno Smith as he leads the 8-8 Seahawks into State Farm Stadium to take on the 4-12 Cardinals. A win combined with a Packers loss to the Bears would not only get his team into the playoffs, but also earn him an additional $2 million for doing so. The home side has far less motivation in this regular-season finale, but the game does present another golden opportunity for the player carrying our support for top prop:
The bet: Over 3½ receptions for Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (FanDuel)
As a redshirt sophomore at Wake Forest in 2018, Dortch averaged 7.4 catches per game and scored 10 touchdowns, with two of them coming via punt return. His subsequent decision to forgo his final two seasons looked like a mistake when he went undrafted and then struggled to make an NFL roster.
But Dortch has found a home in Arizona and produced when his number has been called. Opening last season as a starter, he showed an immediate connection with Kyler Murray while star wideout D’Andre Hopkins was serving a PED suspension. Over the first three games, Dortch reeled in 20 of the 23 throws he saw and cleared this number in each.
Last week’s surprising victory over the Eagles featured a return to that type of usage. Dortch led the Cardinals in receiving, securing all seven of his targets for a season-high 82 yards. He was stepping up once again in the absence of the No. 1 wideout, as Marquise Brown had been ruled out for the final two games due to a heel injury.
Making the case for an expanded role next season, the diminutive Dortch should loom large versus the Seahawks — and pay off at plus-money odds.
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