Week 2 of the NFL season is in full swing with tonight’s matchup between the Falcons and Vikings concluding the Sunday slate. Michael Penix Jr. will be making his fifth NFL start and facing off against an even less-experienced J.J. McCarthy.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Vikings enter as 3.5-point favorites and hold -180 odds on the Moneyline. The Falcons are +150 Moneyline underdog, and the game’s total is set at O/U 44.5 total points.
But there are plenty of ways to get involved in the action outside of backing a side or total. This article will look at my top Michael Penix Jr. prop bet ahead of tonight’s Week 2 Sunday Night Football matchup.
Best Michael Penix Jr. Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Michael Penix Jr. Over 232.5 Passing Yards (-113)
After sitting behind Kirk Cousins to start his NFL career, the Falcons have handed Penix Jr. the full keys to the offense to be the franchise quarterback. He is a gunslinger with a strong arm and likes to throw it often and all over the field. He opened up the season by completing 27 of his 42 pass attempts for 298 passing yards and a touchdown, also adding a touchdown on the ground. The second-year quaterback threw for over 200 yards in all three of his starts last season, averaging 245.7 passing yards per game in this stretch.
The Vikings have a strong defense but still struggled to stop the pass last season. They ranked second in rushing yards allowed but 28th in passing yards. Caleb Williams only tallied 210 passing yards in the opening week, but he missed a few potential big plays that would have improved this total greatly.
Atlanta dropped its opening matchup against Tampa Bay, however. The left-handed QB put the team ahead with a rushing touchdown with 2:17 left to play, and led another drive after getting the ball with less than a minute left. Penix Jr. set the Falcons up with a 44-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game, but the kick was off the mark. Confidence should be high with how he has played, and there should be some added desperation after falling into a 0-1 hole to start the season. Good things happen when he throws the football, and I’d expect him to be unleashed in this matchup.
Michael Penix Jr. Over 33.5 Pass Attempts (-109)
Another prop line that feels set too low is his pass attempts. The Washington product attempted 42 passes in the season-opener, which ranked fifth among all quarterbacks in the league. 15 of the 30 quarterbacks attempted over 33.5 pass attempts in Week 1. He also attempted 27, 35, and 38 pass attempts in his three starts last season.
Atlanta is still ironing out the offense, but Penix Jr. is a high-volume passer who can find a rhythm. The Falcons have done a nice job surrounding him with weapons, and the chemistry with Drake London has been notable. Bijan Robinson will still be plenty involved as well, but the identity of the Falcons will be a pass-first offense.
It would not be surprising if the Falcons are forced to play from behind, and they want to lean on their passing game anyway. With this being a weakness of the Vikings’ defense, 33.5 is too low a total of pass attempts.
