The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football to close down the Week 15 NFL slate.
It has been a somewhat disappointing season for both teams, and each head coach could benefit from a strong finish to strengthen their job security. But the Dolphins received a boost before the season when they acquired the rights to tight end Darren Waller, who unretired after a year. Waller has since suited up for six games with the Dolphins, providing a spark at his position.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Steelers enter as three-point favorites and hold -175 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Dolphins are +145 underdogs, with the game total set at 42.5 points.
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 Darren Waller prop bets ahead of tonight’s Week 15 Monday Night Football matchup.
Best Darren Waller Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Darren Waller Over 2.5 Receptions (-107)
A pectoral injury has limited Waller to just six games, but this will mark his third game back since returning from the issue. This season, Waller has pulled in 13 receptions for 177 yards and four touchdowns. He has tallied over 2.5 receptions in just two of the six games, but it’s worth noting that he did not register a target in the matchup against the Browns before exiting with his injury.
He seems well-positioned to surpass the threshold against Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ defense is vulnerable against the pass, particularly against opposing tight ends. Not only do they rank 27th in opponent passing yards and 28th in total opponent yards, but they have also allowed the seventh-most receptions and eighth-most yards to opposing TEs. This amounts to an average of 6.1 receptions for 62.9 yards per game. The Steelers blitz at a high rate, and opponents have capitalized with their tight ends as a safety valve.
Expect Waller to play a key role and see an uptick in targets on Monday night. He runs routes on 69% of his snaps, and there are plays to be made in the passing game with Tyreek Hill sidelined. Waller has tallied as many as five receptions in a game this year and is coming off back-to-back games with three targets. Expect Tua Tagovailoa to find the holes in Pittsburgh’s spotty defense, and for Waller to pull in at least three receptions in primetime.
Darren Waller Anytime Touchdown (+265)
This season, Waller has made his biggest impact felt in the red zone. Four of his 13 receptions have resulted in touchdowns, trailing only Jaylen Waddle for the most receiving touchdowns on the Dolphins.
The former Pro Bowler has seen five targets inside the 20-yard line and four inside the 10-yard line across six games played. This ranks fourth on the Dolphins, despite his time off with injury.
This is especially intriguing, given that Pittsburgh has allowed eight receiving touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season. They have given up a touchdown to a TE in two of the past three weeks and have allowed multiple scores to the position in two games this year.
Concerns over Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to perform in cold weather are the biggest damper on Waller’s touchdown outlook. But with him being a central aspect of Miami’s red zone attack, and the Steelers being vulnerable against the position, I like the +255 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook of him finding the end zone. Count on Waller to have legitimate scoring opportunities and reach the end zone for the fifth time this season.
