The Indianapolis Colts will host the San Francisco 49ers to close out Week 16 in the Monday Night Football matchup. Jonathan Taylor and company have slipped to 8-6 on the season. Not only do they need to take care of business, themselves, but they’ll also need some help from other teams to make the playoffs.
Jonathan Taylor is in the mix for winning Offensive Player of the Year this season. He was the runner-up for the award in 2021 and holds the third-best odds at +1500 on DraftKings Sportsbook, trailing Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the 49ers enter as 5.5-point favorites and hold -268 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Colts are +215 underdogs, with the game total set at 45.5 points.
There are numerous ways to get involved in the action beyond backing a side or total. This article will look at my top Jonathan Taylor prop bets ahead of tonight’s Week 16 Monday Night Football matchup.
Best Jonathan Taylor Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jonathan Taylor Over 97.5 Rushing Yards (-112)
Phillip Rivers’ return will steal plenty of the headlines, but regardless of who’s under center, the foundation of the Colts’ offense is Jonathan Taylor. He ranks second with 1,443 rushing yards and leads the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. He is averaging 103.1 rushing yards per game and has tallied as many as 244 rushing yards in a single matchup. The two-time Pro Bowler has had 21 or more carries in each of his last three games and is averaging 23 rush attempts across his past five.
In his first game alongside Rivers, Taylor rushed for 87 yards on 25 carries against the Seahawks. This was a tough test against a Seattle defense that ranks third in the league in total rushing yards allowed and first in EPA per play and yards per carry. Things should be easier this week against a San Francisco defense that has underperformed this year. The 49ers rank 16th in opponent yards per carry, 21st in EPA per rush play, and 12th in total rushing yards allowed. Tony Pollard tallied 104 rushing yards against them last week, and Quinshon Judkins ripped off 91 yards on the ground the week before.
Taylor is more talented and important to the offense than either of the running backs who had success over the past two games. He can be penciled in for 20+ carries tonight and has a pathway to strong production against this 49ers team. Count on the Colts to feed their star running back, and for Taylor to top 97.5 rushing yards on primetime.
Jonathan Taylor to Record 2+ Touchdowns (+230)
An area where Taylor is particularly dominant is around the goal line. He has a league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns as well as two receiving scores. Taylor also tends to score in bunches, already logging five games this season with at least two touchdowns.
Rivers tallied one passing touchdown last week, but the Colts seem more comfortable handing the ball to Taylor regardless of who is playing quarterback. Daniel Jones had 19 passing touchdowns across his 13 games. Indianapolis ranks 20th in passing touchdowns, but second in rushing scores this year.
Expect Taylor to be the lead option anytime they are within scoring distance. Two touchdowns may be a lofty expectation, but the Colts are gunning for a playoff spot and will lean on their biggest offensive star throughout. Kyren Williams tallied two rushing scores against the 49ers in a game already this season, and I am taking the swing for Taylor to produce his sixth multiple-score game this year.
