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King of Props: Settling scores

By John Dudley | Last updated Oct 31, 2022 9:05 AM ET

For all of his football success in Cincinnati, including winning three playoff games to get the Bengals to the Super Bowl, Joe Burrow has had his issues with Ohio’s two larger cities. He began his college career in Columbus but opted to transfer to LSU because Ohio State viewed him as a backup. And he has yet to beat the pro franchise based in Cleveland, going 0-for-3 versus the rival Browns. In his pursuit of a breakthrough win tonight, we like him to deliver our top prop:

The bet: Over 263½ passing yards for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (FanDuel)

A lot will be made of the fact that leading receiver Ja’Marr Chase is sidelined with a hip injury, but Burrow didn’t have his former LSU teammate the first two times he faced the Browns. As a rookie, he passed for 316 yards in a road defeat and then increased the total to 406 yards at home – but lost in the waning seconds.

Over the last two weeks, the Bengals have adopted an especially pass-heavy approach, operating out of the shotgun 90% of the time. Last week’s win over the Falcons saw Burrow easily exceed this number before intermission, throwing for 344 first-half yards and finishing the game with 481.

Cincinnati boasts two other star wideouts in Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, who have each posted exactly 455 receiving yards on the season. Burrow can also target tight end Hayden Hurst and running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine. Against a Cleveland secondary playing without Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward for the third straight game, it’ll be bombs away.

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John Dudley

A longtime writer and sports bettor, John Dudley has been dubbed the “King of Props” for his proficiency with proposition wagers. Research is the key that routinely unlocks success, and his selections are always backed by sound reasoning. John can be followed on Twitter @JohnDudley85

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