The teams that were the top seeds in their respective conferences last season are set to clash on Thursday Night Football. While the 6-3 Titans come in just a game behind the Chiefs in the AFC, the 4-6 Packers are barely clinging to playoff hopes in the NFC, losing five straight before beating the Cowboys in overtime on Sunday. With both squads relying on the ground game, we’re pledging our loyalty to a regal two-time rushing champ:
The bet: Over 99½ rushing yards for Titans running back Derrick Henry (DraftKings)
Until a broken bone in his right foot caused him to miss the back half of his 2021 campaign, Henry was on an unprecedented tear. He had rushed for 3,860 yards over his previous 30 regular-season games, which is an absurd 129-yard average.
After starting this year slowly by his standards, Henry topped the century mark in five consecutive games. He went over it twice in a Week 8 win against the Texans, rushing for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But this line is merely bordering on triple figures because the stout defense of the Broncos just limited him to 53 yards.
The Packers offer less resistance, allowing opponents to gain 4.8 yards per rushing attempt. That’s the fifth-worst mark in the league. They’re also playing a third straight game without inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who was last year’s team leader in tackles by a wide margin.
King Henry will show no mercy.
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