The Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers will face off in the Week 17 edition of Sunday Night Football. This is an important matchup for both sides from a postseason seeding perspective, with the regular season in its home stretch. These are two of the hottest teams in football, each looking to build off their impressive stretches and propel themselves into the postseason with momentum.
In addition to the typical array of betting options, including player props, game totals and plenty more, DraftKings is offering a King of the End Zone promo.
During the Sunday Night Football matchup tonight, $2 million in DraftKings Sportsbook bonus bets will be up for grabs.
Find more details on this promo below!
King of the End Zone — What You Need to Know
King of the End Zone Preview & Picks | Sunday, Dec. 28
Players with the shortest odds to score an Anytime TD:
- Christian McCaffrey (-250)
- Jauan Jennings (+115)
- D’Andre Swift (+125)
- Kyle Monangai (+145)
- Ricky Pearsall (+175)
- D.J. Moore (+205)
- Colston Loveland (+210)
- Luther Burden III (+215)
- Jake Tonges (+230)
- Cole Kmet (+340)
King of the End Zone Picks for Sunday, Dec. 28:
The thought process behind making these selections is a bit complex. For starters, you should be targeting players you believe will score a touchdown. But to win the split of the bonus bets through the King of the End Zone promo, you also must keep the distance of the potential score in mind. Here are my three favorite King of the End Zone picks for the Sunday night matchup.
1. Christian McCaffrey (-250 odds for an Anytime TD)
The -250 odds are steep, and Christian McCaffrey is sure to be among the top choices for King of the End Zone tonight. But it is impossible to ignore the level of touches he receives and the production level with these opportunities. McCaffrey has rushed the ball 280 times this season for 1,039 yards while tallying 92 receptions for 849 yards and 16 total touchdowns on the season. The former Offensive Player of the Year has reached the end zone in 11 of the 15 games he has played.
What makes McCaffrey especially intriguing is his big-play ability with guaranteed touches. He can take a screen pass or rush attempt for a game-changing 60+ yards score on any given chance, and he leads the NFL with 372 touches this season. The Bears’ defensive struggles have been covered up by their league-leading number of turnovers generated, but they rank just 19th in points allowed and 24th in yards given up. With McCaffrey as the clear top option for the 49ers whenever they are in scoring range, he must headline all King of the End Zone conversations.
2. Kyle Monangai (+145 odds for Anytime TD)
Caleb Williams has gotten plenty of buzz this season, but the Bears have established an identity as a run-first football team. They enter this matchup ranked second in the NFL in rush attempts and third in rushing yards. D’Andre Swift continues to play a major role in this effort, but Kyle Monangai’s emergence has been a major storyline as the season progressed.
The seventh-round pick has carved out a niche for himself in the Chicago offense and made a real impact on its attack. Monangai has run for 731 yards and five touchdowns while adding 140 yards through the air. But the Rutgers product has especially made his impact felt of late, averaging 13.3 rush attempts per game over the past 10 games and 11+ rush attempts in seven of these matchups. All five of his touchdowns have also occurred across this stretch.
San Francisco has held an identity as a defense-first football team over the past few seasons, but it has fallen short in this category this year. It ranks 11th in points allowed and 18th in total yards conceded, with 22+ points allowed in back-to-back games and six of its last eight. Monangai runs with an impressive physicality that will cause some issues for the 49ers’ defense. He wears you down as the game continues and is capable of breaking free for a major gain. This is how I foresee things playing out as the rookie continues to eat into Swift’s carries and brings an additional pop. Look for him to break free in the second half and for San Francisco to be unable to contain the Rutgers product for the whole matchup.
3. Jauan Jennings (+115 odds for Anytime TD)
The 49ers do not have one particular deep threat in the way most teams do, but they have a committee approach for stretching the defense. Jauan Jennings has emerged as the head of this committee in recent games and is up to a team-high eight touchdowns on the season. This includes reaching the end zone in each of his past four games and seven touchdowns across his past seven games.
This is a perfect matchup to add to this, with the Bears struggling to slow down opposing passing attacks. Chicago ranks 19th in points allowed, 24th in yards given up, and it has allowed the third-most passing touchdowns on the season. Jennings’ longest touchdown this year has been 42 yards, and he has logged a reception of 20+ yards in seven of the 15 games.
Jennings is a nice combination of a player with a defined role in the attack and holding some big-play potential. The rate the 49ers have leaned on him in recent weeks, particularly since Brock Purdy has returned, is extremely encouraging and has him skyrocketing up the King of the End Zone values. Count on Purdy taking a few chances directed at Jennings with the intent to score, and for the 28-year-old to have a chance for the longest score of the game.
