NFL 'TNF' player prop: Love, exciting and new

The Lions and Packers have shared a division for nearly a century, facing each other at least twice in every non-strike season since 1934. The most recent meeting saw Detroit win the 2022 regular-season finale 20-16 on a cold Sunday night in Green Bay, denying Aaron Rodgers a chance to close out his green-and-gold tenure with a playoff appearance. As the rivalry gets renewed with another prime-time tilt at Lambeau Field, it’s the new Packers signal-caller who garners our support for top prop:

The bet: Over 16½ rushing yards for Packers quarterback Jordan Love (FanDuel)

Prior to this year, Love’s only professional start came when Rodgers was sidelined by COVID for Week 9 of the 2021 season. He acquitted himself fairly well in the 13-7 loss to the Chiefs, throwing his first touchdown pass and rushing for 23 yards on five carries.

Love has likewise cleared this total in his last two games. After again posting 23 yards in a loss to the Falcons, he set new career highs while beating the Saints on Sunday, running nine times for 39 yards. His only start falling short of this number was when he finished with 12 yards in the opener, but he didn’t need to do much on the ground against the woeful Bears.

Another close game is expected in this matchup with the Lions, who have continued last year’s trend of being generous to scrambling quarterbacks. They allowed 45 rushing yards to the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes in the Kickoff Game and then 20 to the Seahawks’ Geno Smith in Week 2.

With Rookie of the Year Aidan Hutchinson and his Detroit teammates providing a heavy pass rush, Love will look to escape the pressure and should gain enough yardage with his legs to get us home.