The Week 8 Sunday slate will conclude with a Sunday Night Football matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Packers are off to a 4-1-1 start to the season and sit narrowly atop the NFC North. Pittsburgh should also be satisfied with its start, as it enters with a 4-2 record, which puts it in the lead in the AFC North.
Looking at the odds of this matchup, the Packers enter as three-point favorites and hold -162 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Steelers hold +136 of winning outright, and the game total is set at 45.5 points.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action beyond just backing a side. This article will look at my three favorite prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Week 8 Sunday Night Football matchup.
Packers at Steelers Best Prop Bets
Josh Jacobs Over 67.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
Josh Jacobs was a bit limited last week due to an ankle injury and illness. He was listed as questionable and ended up logging a season-low 55.4% of the snaps. Even still, he carried the ball 13 times for 55 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jacobs has had an additional week to get healthy and head coach Matt LaFleur admitted he was begging for more touches on the sideline.
Looking at the season overall, Jacobs has 111 carries for 414 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground already. Excluding last week, he has tallied 16+ carries and 20+ touches in every game. The three-time Pro Bowler is averaging 69.0 rushing yards per game and has produced rushing totals of 66, 84, 30, 86, 93 and 55 through his first six games.
Pittsburgh has struggled to stop the run this season. It ranks 18th in rushing yards allowed, 20th in net yards per rush attempt and 21st in EPA per rushing play. Just last week, it gave up 108 rushing yards to Chase Brown on only 11 carries despite the Bengals ranking dead last in rushing yards leading into the matchup. Expect Jacobs to get his wish of being more involved in the offense and being closer to his typical workload. Count on him recording over 67.5 rushing yards for the fourth time this season against a vulnerable defense.
Romeo Doubs Over 54.5 Receiving Yards (-111)
The Green Bay Packers wide receiver room has been a bit of a mystery. They have several talented pass catchers who can each step up in the primary role on any given week. Tight end Tucker Kraft leads the team with 326 receiving yards with Romeo Doubs next with 306 yards. Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks are also involved with Christian Watson making his return this week.
Each of these pass catchers should be excited to face this Steelers defense. Pittsburgh currently ranks 31st in passing yards allowed. Last week, Ja’Marr Chase ripped off 161 yards through the air while Tee Higgins added 96 yards of his own. The Steelers also gave up 110+ yards to both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison during their matchup with the Vikings.
While Doubs will not be confused with any of the above mentioned wide receivers, he has built up some equity with Jordan Love over the past few weeks. He has been targeted 8+ times in each of the past three weeks and posted receiving totals of 58, 55 and 72. Doubs has been targeted a team-high 36 times with no other wide receiver being thrown the ball more than 23 times. Expect him to remain near the top of the offensive pecking order and record over 54.5 receiving yards for the fourth straight week and fifth time this season.
Aaron Rodgers to Record 3+ Passing Touchdowns (+298)
Plenty of eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers as he faces the Packers, with whom he spent the first 18 years of his career. The four-time MVP has shown he still has something left in the tank and Pittsburgh has leaned on him at a high rate in the end zone. He has 14 touchdowns through the first six games, while the team has just three total rushing scores. Rodgers has posted multiple passing touchdowns in four games this season, including two games with four passing scores.
But perhaps the bigger storyline has been the Packers defense failing to live up to their standard in recent weeks. They are allowing 2.8 points per drive over the past three games, which ranks 29th in the league. Green Bay ranks 17th in pressure rate, which is the biggest concern with Rodgers at this stage of his career. His mobility has taken a hit in his later years, but if he has time to stand in the pocket, Rodgers will make the plays.
The standard passing touchdown prop for Rodgers is set at 1.5 with the odds of going over at -137 on DraftKings Sportsbook. However, I am pushing it a bit further and taking the +298 odds of Rodgers to tally three scores through the air. Dak Prescott threw three touchdowns against this Packers defense already this year and they are coming off back-to-back weeks with two passing touchdowns allowed to Joe Flacco and Jacoby Brissett. Expect Rodgers to raise the level of quarterback play and be prepared to put on a show against his former team. The Steelers count on Rodgers at a red-zone rate that is among the highest rates in the league, so look for him deliver with three or more touchdown passes for the third time this season.
